The TVR Tuscan V6 was introduced in 1969 to offer an alternative to the four-cylinder TVR Vixen and the larger-engined Tuscan V8.
The Tuscan V6 you see here is one of the most successful racing examples of the model, it won the Modsports Championship in 1970 in the hands of its owner Dr Rod Longton, taking a total of 24 wins and 61 podiums competing in the series from 1970 – 1973.
Fast Facts
- The TVR Tuscan V6 was introduced in 1969 as a model for the UK market using the popular Ford Essex V6.
- The car uses the same fundamental structure as the V8-powered car, with a tubular steel backbone chassis and a bolt-on fiberglass body.
- The low curb weight, fully independent suspension, and good handling made the Tuscan V6 a strong performer both on the road and on the track.
The TVR Tuscan V6
The TVR Tuscan V6 was sold almost exclusively in the United Kingdom, the larger V8 engine version of the Tuscan was aimed at the USA, with the smaller four-cylinder car and its V6 stable mate intended for Brits.
Above Image: This Tuscan V6 is equipped for racing, with a full roll cage and electrical and fuel cut off switches, but it remains road legal.
Interestingly the Essex V6 didn’t meet American emissions standards so it couldn’t be offered for sale in the USA, however its better fuel economy and the ease of sourcing parts for the locally developed Ford Essex V6 made it a popular choice for UK TVR buyers.
The weight of the Ford 289 cubic inch V8 up front was known to have a negative impact on handling, the V6 was capable of being tuned to produce an excellent spread of power, and there was plenty of tuning expertise in the UK for the V6.
The lighter 3.0 liter OHV Ford Essex V6 which was also used in cars like the Ford Capri and the Zodiac responded well to tuning and it helped reduce the weight over the front wheels, and moved the weight distribution back for slightly more balanced handling.
The structure of the Tuscan V6 was essentially just a slightly modified version of the structure used for the Tuscan V8 and the four-cylinder TVR Vixen. The cars made use of a welded tubular steel backbone frame with a fiberglass body bolted on top, not dissimilar to the way Lotus and Bolwell sports cars of the same era were made.
As you would expect the engines were mounted up front and they sent power back through a manual transmission to the rear wheels. Suspension was independent front and rear, and the V6 was fitted with the same Salisbury rear end as the V8 model.
The V6 was fitted with front disc brakes and rear drums, a fairly standard set up for the era. In stock trim delivered from the factory the car produced 138 hp and 182 lb ft of torque, though many owners exploited the tunability of the Essex V6 to wring out considerably more power.
Above Image: The car is fitted with a highly tuned Ford Essex 3.1 liter V6 sending power through a close-ratio Capri gearbox to the 3.7:1 Powerlock diff rear end.
Over the course of the 1969 to 1971 production run TVR built just 101 examples of the Tuscan V6, and they remain one of the company’s most popular models from the era.
The TVR Tuscan V6 Race Car Shown Here
The car you see here was originally ordered from the factory as a race car, with a full roll cage and a slew of upgrades to ensure it would be competitive on track.
Despite all of these performance upgrades the car remains 100% road legal, giving its owner the best of both worlds. As we mentioned above the first owner of this car was Dr Rod Longton, a medical GP and a highly effective racing driver who piloted this car to a championship win in its first full year of competition.
This Tuscan V6’s Early Competition History:
1970: Races 19 – 1st 9 – 2nd 7 – 3rd 1
1971: Races 19 – 1st 4 – 2nd 5 – 3rd 8
1972: Races 19 – 1st 5 – 2nd 9 – 3rd 4
1973: Races 12 – 1st 6 – 2nd 2 – 3rd 1
After its early competition life the car ended up in storage for 28 years before being rescued and rebuilt back into race winning specification.
The car is now equipped with the original factory roll-cage, and a high-performance Ford 3.1 liter Essex V6 with forged pistons, gas-flowed heads, balanced bottom end, alloy timing wheel, baffled sump, roller rockers, and triple downdraft Weber carburetors.
It’s also fitted with ceramic-coated 3-into-1 manifolds with custom side-exit exhaust system, an alloy radiator and an electric fan, a rebuilt Ford Capri close-ratio gearbox, a rebuilt 3.7:1 Powerlock diff, Intrax adjustable dampers and springs, and 8″ Cooper F1 wheels at the front, with 10″ Pearce wheels at the rear.
If you’d like to read more about this car you can click here to visit the listing, it’s due to roll across the auction block on the 31st of July with a price estimate of £35,000 – £40,000, or approximately $48,000 – $54,900 USD.
Above Video: A 1969 TVR Tuscan V6 on the race track. Note: this is the same make, model, and year as the car shown in the article but it’s not the same vehicle.
Images courtesy of Silverstone Auctions
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