Ex-TVR owner Peter Wheeler passes

[McLaren]

Seeing as he was the owner of an auto company & responsible for some amazing cars, I thought it would be fitting as Auto News.

It’s with great sadness that we report the death of former TVR boss Peter Wheeler, who passed away last night after a short illness.

Many of you will feel you knew Peter, and consequently share our sense of loss at the sad news. The uniquely dramatic cars TVR built under his tenure fired our imaginations like few others, while his refreshingly plain speaking character marked him out as an autocratic engineer and car builder who revelled in shunning industry convention.

The results were wonderful, angry, uninhibited machines that spat flames and made your palms sweat, and whilst they also came with certain idiosyncrasies (even now I’m wary of hinting at reliability issues for fear of Peter giving me what-for!), the beauty of a Griffith and the fury of a Cerbera are sports car highpoints that are unlikely to be surpassed.

While Wheeler’s bluff, no-nonsense attitude towards the motoring media was heartfelt; it belied a thoughtful and sensitive character who you sensed often felt uncomfortable with the attention his raucous creations attracted. Indeed to understand the man you needed to meet him in more relaxed surroundings, something I was fortunate enough to do on a number of occasions.

A committed and enthusiastic racer, he spent many weekends competing in the TVR Tuscan Challenge, his car distinguishable by the fitment of a cigarette lighter (his love-hate relationship with the evil weed was legendary) and more often than not, a few choice ‘development’ parts. In his post-TVR life he turned his attentions to racing an old Aston Martin DB4, followed by a magnificent TVR 5000M.

During the game season Peter would trade Nomex for a somewhat moth-eaten Barbour and a 12-bore shotgun, demonstrating an uncanny knack for downing pheasants apparently beyond the reach of his fellow shooters. Troublesome journalists were, I suspect, also regarded as fair game in the Wheeler household.

Cricket, Land Rovers, a motley collection of ex-military vehicles and an unfeasibly large catamaran also figured large in Wheeler’s life, not to mention the extraordinary Scamander amphibious vehicle project. However, at its very core were always his wife, Vicky, and his children, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies.

Peter Wheeler 1944 - 2009

Words: Richard Meaden

http://www.drivers-republic.com/fir...fm?articleid=f0ead39facc146febbc2a8852b77d32c

I'm sure 1 member here will be very saddened to hear the news.

R.I.P. Peter W.

 

[Dave A]

I read about this yesterday, sad news. Brought about the best years of TVR's history and was very hands on. Went to all the motorshows (saw him in Birmingham one year), seemed quite down to earth.

It's a shame TVR went belly up after he sold it but there are tremblings that they'll be back soon.