- TVR Griffith 200
The TVR Griffith 200: In the US, the make is Griffith and the model is series 200, in the UK the make was is TVR and the model is Griffith. This is due to Jack Grifith coming up with the idea and securing rights to market the cars in the US at the time.
The cars are effectively TVR Grantura Mk 3's but with a Ford 289ci engine and toploader transmission fitted. It's fair to call this car a factory hot rod if ever a car deserved this description. Just 191 Griffith 200's were made in the US.
The story goes that the "200" model was inspired by the engine output of around convert|200|bhp|abbr=on of the Ford engine. There was also a HiPo engine option giving around 271 bhp (gross).
Interestingly, in an effort to persuade the engine and gearbox to fit, some chassis triangulation was removed compared to that of the Grantura mk 3 and various bits of the chassis were simply "hammered" until the drivetrain fitted. The brakes were not uprated either, although slightly fatter 185 section tyres were added.
The immense power, short wheelbase and light weight of the cars made them a real handful.
The later "400" cars with the Manx tail used a tie bar between the roof and dashboard to stop a design flaw becoming evident - the roof would separate from the top of the windscreen at the high speeds that these cars could reach, +Auto mph|150.
External links
* [http://www.griffithyears.com/ Complete history of the Griffith]
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