MODERNCLASSICS 37
TVRCERBERA4.5
Engine 44 75cc,8-cyl,SOHC,
TransmissionRWD, 5-speedmanual
Power 42 0bhp@6800rpm
Torque 38 0lb-ft@5500rpm
Weight 11 78kg
PERFORMANCE
0-60mph 3. 9sec
Topspeed 19 5mph
Economy 17.7mpg
beableto slapdownthemoneyforit,
but if youdon’thavethefundsto
maintainor repairit thenthere’s
rarelyanypointbuyingthecarinthe
fi rstplace.Afterall,whatpointis
thereto owninga carif youcannot
use andenjoyit inearnest;scrapeby
withtheminimalandyou’llendup
frettingabouteveryoddnoiseand
treatingthecarlikea garagequeen.
‘Ihada TVRCerberaforagesand
the engineblewupandit costmefour
grandto rebuild,’saysDaniels.‘People
seldomseemto talkabouttheengine
rebuildaspect,andthatcanhavea
massiveeffectonyourbottomline
andyoursanity.’
Thatallsaid,fewcarswilldeliver
suchperformanceandso manythrills
for a comparableprice–and,giventhe
ongoingenthusiasmforthebrandand
it s cars,theirappealis unlikelyto
diminishovertime.Don’tkidyourself
thatoneof theseis goingto giveyou
aneasytime,unlessyou’vegonefora
car that’sreceivedanLStransplantat
somepoint.‘I findthatfroma trade
perspective,Maseratis,Ferraris,
PorchesandTVRsfromthateraeven
just sittingintheshowroomwaiting
for a customercango wrongandcan
costyoumoney–so I juststeerclear,’
saysLamport.
TheCerberastillholdsa strongpull,
though.It'soneof themostexciting
roadcarsyoucanbuyforlessthan
£20k–anda vibrantownersclubwill
help.Paraphrasinga well-known
saying–'Whendo youfeelmostalive?
Whenowninga Cerbera.'
I BOUGHTONEALANHIGGINSON
‘You’ll struggle to find a car that’ll
give you the adrenaline rush and
as big a smile as a Cerbera will.
They’re awesome cars provided
they’re serviced regularly by a reputable
specialist; there is no such thing as a “cheap
Cerbera”. It’s a love/hate relationship – you
have to be mad and passionate to own one.
I had mine rebuilt two years ago and it’s
now got the right bits on it.’
JONATHAN OSTROFFHEXAGONMODERNCLASSICS
'THEY DON’T SEEM TO BE
DROPPING AWAY– AND
THEY’RE STARTING TO LOOK
LI KEGOOD VALUE NOW'
£50,000
£30,000
£40,000
£20,000
£10,000
£0
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Price new
in 2002:
£46,500
Price
now:
£22,000
Pricein
201 5:
£14,500
Pricein
202 5:
£27, 50 0
Check
all the
electrics
work.
Riskybutwonderful
Irrespective of whether
you’re looking at V8 or
straight-six Cerberas,
make sure you buy a
known quantity that’s
been well-maintained.
Six-cylinder cars aren’t
without their appeal but
the V8, particularly the
4.5, is preferable. Don’t
be tempted by a cheap
car, particularly if it’s
showing signs of chassis
corrosion; reviving a tired
example could very
quickly cost you dearly.
LS-engined cars are less
expensive to run and
repair but, predictably, of
less interest to collectors.
