TVR

TVR is a British manufacturer of high-end sports cars. The company manufactures lightweight sports cars with powerful engines and was, at one time, the third-largest specialised sports car manufacturer in the world, offering a diverse range of coupés and convertibles.
History.
The abbreviation TVR stems from the name of the company's owner Trevor Wilkinson, his first garage sporting the letters T, V and R.
The history of TVR can be divided into several eras, each of which is associated with the company's owner at the start of that period:
Wilkinson era.
Founding.
Trevor Wilkinson (14 May 1923 – 6 June 2008) was born in Blackpool and left school at 14 to start an engineering apprenticeship at a local garage.
In 1946, he purchased an old wheelwright's workshop in Beverley Grove, Blackpool, to start an engineering business that he named Trevcar Motors. Initially, the company performed general engineering work (not always automobile related), and would also refresh and service cars and trucks. In 1947, local auto enthusiast Jack Pickard joined the company. Trevcar Motors was subsequently renamed to TVR Engineering (dropping several letters from Wilkinson's first name), and it continued to find general mechanical engineering work through the following years.
One-off specials: TVR One, Two, and Three (1949–1953).
In 1949, TVR built its first original chassis. The Hotchkis-style rear suspension used the live axle from a Morris Eight, and the front suspension was of an independent trailing-arm design. The engine was a Ford 1,172 cc sidevalve from a 1936 van, tuned to 35 hp. Even before the car was bodied, it was crashed by the man hired to create the bodywork, Les Dale. After repairs, the body was styled and built from aluminium, and painted British racing green. Although neither Wilkinson nor Pickard found the finished bodywork to be very aesthetically appealing, it was functional, and the two men conducted the first successful test drive on the runway at Squires Gate aerodrome in 1949. Later that year, TVR Number One was sold to Wilkinson's cousin for £325. It was later crashed and salvaged for parts.
TVR Number Two began with the same chassis design found on the first car, using the rear axle, springs, dampers, brakes, and steering from the Morris Eight, as well as the same sidevalve Ford engine. However, the front suspension design was changed to use wishbone control arms and a single transverse leaf spring. The bodywork was again constructed by Les Dale, and it was similar in appearance to the first car. An auto enthusiast local to Blackpool purchased the car for use in competition, although it was eventually registered for road use in 1952. Around this time, the car was refreshed: it received a new body style with a lower nose, and some different instrumentation and equipment (including a tachometer from a Supermarine Spitfire and Marchal headlamps from a Delage.)
After the sale of the Number Two car, TVR began work on Number Three, which again used the same chassis and suspension design. Instead of the sidevalve Ford engine, it was fitted with the 1,200 cc 40 hp OHV four-cylinder engine from an Austin A40. This car was painted yellow, and in contrast to the rounded bodywork of the first and second cars, it was styled with a blunt nose and a squarish vertical panel as the grille. Driven by Wilkinson in a number of car club events (such as sprints and hillclimbs) in 1952 and 1953, the car was quick enough to earn several awards. It was during these club events that one David Hives was introduced to the TVR management, and he would become a key TVR employee a decade later. Hives helped set up the production line at Griffith Motors in Syosset, New York.
Sports (1953–1955).
In the summer of 1953, Wilkinson and Pickard began working on the design of a new chassis, which was intended to accept the engine, gearbox, and other components from the Austin A40 (including the independent coil-spring front suspension and rear axle.) Significantly, it did not incorporate an upper body frame, and the engineers intended to provide the car for sale as a kit with a fiberglass body. Approximately twenty ; these three cars used an RGS Atalanta body manufactured by special builder Richard G. Shattock. With the Atalanta body included in the kit, the car was named the "TVR Sports Saloon". The kit was first offered for sale in 1954 for £650. It was with this car that TVR first produced a brochure to advertise a product: it quoted some figures, such as the car's weight and 0- time of 13 seconds. It was also on the Sports Saloon that the first incarnation of TVR's badge appeared, designed by a young art student and Wilkinson's friend, John Cookson.
The first Sports Saloon was finished in Spring 1954, and Wilkinson first campaigned it in the Morecambe Rally from 21 to 23 May. He used it in a number of other events to increase exposure to TVR's products, and would drive the car regularly in competition and on the road over the next eight years.
The chassis built by TVR were all made in accordance with customer specifications, and therefore no two of them left the factory in exactly the same configuration. The extra exposure created by using the Sports Saloon in competition led to potential customers inquiring about the availability of other body styles. TVR sold kits with Microplas Mistal bodies, and at least two different styles from Rochdale Motor Panels & Engineering Ltd. The engines fitted were typically the Ford sidevalve or Austin A40 OHV engines. There was at least one instance of a car being fitted with the BMC B-Series engine (as fitted to the MG MGA), and one chassis was built to accommodate a customer's 2½-litre Lea-Francis engine.
Ray Saidel and the Jomar.
In 1955, the company started development of new semi-spaceframe chassis with a central backbone. This chassis used outriggers and a steel bulkhead to carry mounting points for doors. In contrast to the earlier chassis, the new design allowed for the seats to be mounted low (six inches from the ground) on either side of the backbone tunnel. The trailing arm suspension from the Volkswagen Beetle was used for both the front and rear suspension, setting the precedent of all-independent suspension for TVRs in the future.
Later in that year, TVR Engineering received a letter (dated 29 August) from Ray Saidel in Manchester, New Hampshire. Saidel was a successful racing driver and owned the Merrimack Street Garage in Manchester. He indicated that he would be interested in purchasing a TVR chassis fitted with a Coventry Climax FWA engine. TVR completed the chassis in May 1956, and it had arrived in New Hampshire by June of that year, where it was given an aluminum body. This car was the first of several to be designated "Jomar Mk2" (the name being derived from Saidel's children, Joanna and Marc, and the fact that this generation of the car was the second after the first Dellow-chassis Jomar.)
Around this time, Bernard Williams, a motoring enthusiast who lived in Lytham St Annes, expressed interest in becoming involved in the company. By July 1955, he had been hired as the director of TVR Engineering. Wilkinson and Pickard were amenable to this because of their limited interest in financial and business administration; both were more interested in the chassis and components engineering. With renewed optimism about the future success of TVR, Wilkinson moved operations from the Beverley Grove garage to three buildings at Fielding's Industrial Estate in Hoo Hill, Layton, Blackpool. The buildings occupied by TVR Engineering were somewhat in poor state; holes in the glass roof panels admitted snow in the winter.
Even before receiving his first chassis in June, 1956, Saidel had placed orders for two more chassis. TVR Engineering, bolstered by the influx of sales, hired two more employees: Stanley Kilcoyne, a welder, and Josef Mleczek, a general components fitter. In the following years, Mleczek (nicknamed "The Pole") would become an expert fibreglass laminator, and would ultimately direct operation in TVR's body shop. Also around this time, Bernard Williams introduced a wealthy investor named Fred Thomas, who would join TVR as a director.
Open Sports and Coupe (1956–1958).
In mid-1956, Wilkinson and Pickard undertook to create the first original TVR body style, which would be fitted on the Jomar-style chassis. The body shape was created with the use of two Microplas Mistral nose sections, one for the bonnet and one (reversed) for the rear. Although never officially named, this car is usually referred to as the TVR Open Sports. The first car, painted red and fitted with a Coventry Climax engine, was tested successfully by Wilkinson at the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit in the summer of 1956. Either three or four TVR Open Sports were built in total, although the true number is not known due to incomplete records. One of the cars was provided to "Autosport Magazine" writer Francis Penn for testing. He drove it at Aintree and described its steering response and grip as "superb".
To address feedback from customers about the Open Sports lacking daily-use practicality, the designers at TVR created a fixed-head notchback coupe body. This body was fitted to the same semi-spaceframe chassis to create a car that became known as the TVR Coupe. As with previous models, it was offered with the choice of several engines, including the Ford 100E sidevalve, the Coventry Climax FWA, and the MGA engine. When the Ford sidevalve was selected, the customer had the further option of fitting a Shorrock supercharger. One of the Coupes was used by the factory as a demonstrator model, and was driven by Mike Hawthorn.
On 10 January 1958, the TVR Coupe made its first public appearance at H & J Quick Ltd showroom in Manchester, England: "The designers are Mr. Trevor Wilkinson and Mr. Bernard Williams, who run the T.V.R. engineering company at Layton, Blackpool, and who have been making chassis for special car builders for some years. A little over two years ago they were asked by the American racing car enthusiast, Mr. Raymond Saidel, of Manchester, New Hampshire, to design a racing chassis. For twelve months this chassis was tested and improved on tracks in the United States and in the last year a team of six T.V.R.s has been racing regularly in the United States." "Competition Press" reported: "Jomar has gone into Formula racing, too. The Jomar "monoposto" has been designed by Ray and is built in his Manchester N.H. shop (the sports car chassis are built for him in England)." In 1959, "Motor Sport" reported: "The cars are made in Blackpool and the majority of the production is exported to America, where the sports version is known as the Jomar."
Ray Saidel, enthusiastic about the prospect of selling TVRs in the United States, purchased several cars in addition to the rolling chassis that he had bought previously; he imported one Open Sports and three Coupes, with the intention of selling them under the Jomar name. He was not especially successful in selling the cars, and felt that one problem lay in the car's styling. Saidel wrote to the factory and suggested that the next model be styled as a fastback.
Introduction of the Grantura.
The next model produced by TVR was the Grantura Mark 1, which used a fastback-style body over the existing chassis design (with the same trailing-arm independent suspension front and rear.) Engine options included the Ford 100E sidevalve (normally aspirated or supercharged), the Ford 105E OHV unit, two different Coventry Climax units, or the MGA's BMC B-series. The interior of the Grantura was cramped, with the short doors and 17"-diameter steering wheel making it difficult to enter and exit the car. Climax-powered cars would be finished with a leather interior, while cars with the lower-specification engines were trimmed with vinyl.
The TVR factory sent the first Mk1 cars to Ray Saidel in the United States, where they would be offered for sale as the "Jomar Coupe" or the "Jomar Gran Turismo Coupe", depending on which engine had been fitted. Some of these cars carried both the "Jomar" and "TVR" badging on the nose.
A 1958 advertisement from Saidel Sports-Racing Cars offered two models. The Jomar Mk2 (with fibreglass or aluminum bodywork and the Climax engine) was listed with the copy, "only 930 lbs and "Outhandles Everything."" The second model, the Jomar Coupe, a . fixed-head sports car. These cars utilised the same chassis. In 1959, "Motor Sport" reported:
"The JOMAR COUPE is the result of a joint Anglo-American project. The firm of T.V.R. Engineering of Blackpool, England is responsible for the basic-designing and building of the JOMAR chassis upon which in 1956 and 1957 Saidel Sports-Racing cars of Manchester, New Hampshire, using aluminum bodies of their own design carried out extensive research and development. Through the efforts of both concerns the successful MK2 was evolved."
Before the name "Grantura" was selected, some alternatives were briefly considered. A model name of "Trevor" was rejected, as was the suggestion of "Hoo Hill Hellcat" (which was proposed by Averil Scott-Moncrieff, the wife of TVR director David "Bunty" Scott-Moncrieff.)
Layton Sports Cars and Grantura Engineering.
In October 1958, TVR's debt with the bank was nearing £10,000. At that point in the year, the factory had completed as few as ten cars, and orders from the United States had almost ceased due to the lack of sales success there. All of this was of little concern to TVR director and financier Fred Thomas, as he had apparently intended to close TVR and use the failure as a tax loss to benefit his own engineering firm. In actuality, the directors decided on 30 October that the company would be dissolved and re-formed as Layton Sports Cars Ltd. When the new company began trading in December 1958, the directors voted to immediately inject £15,000 to expand the workforce and build stocks of car components. In February 1959, a sister company was formed under the name Grantura Engineering Ltd. to avoid incurring the UK's Purchase Tax on sales of the cars (which were then still being offered as kits); Purchase Tax would not be applied to kit cars that were purchased from a different company than that which supplied the mechanical components.
TVR received some positive publicity when "Autocar" magazine dedicated three pages in its March 1959 issue to a technical description of the Grantura Mk1. Unfortunately, the company continued to struggle with the rate of production, still only able to build about one car per month. With the order backlog having grown to around fifteen cars by the end of March, the board voted to replace Trevor Wilkinson with Henry Moulds as the new production manager. Moulds was a car enthusiast and friend of Bunty Scott-Moncrieff. Wilkinson would remain involved with the company, although his influence had been diminished by the appointment of Moulds as the new manager.
The already-strained relationship with Ray Saidel in New Hampshire was finally broken during negotiations between Saidel and TVR in May 1959. Derek Harris, the TVR chairman, attempted to pressure Saidel into purchasing fifty cars per year (rather than the previously agreed upon twenty-five.) Saidel walked out of the negotiations and made it clear in a letter to the factory, dated 18 June, that he felt TVR's expectations to be extremely unrealistic. By July 1959, the situation at TVR was dire; there were significant inconsistencies in pricing and in financial recordkeeping, stocks of components were not being properly managed, the factory did not employ enough skilled workers, and there were serious doubts about the capability of the company's leadership.
In an attempt to re-establish a distributor network in the United States, the factory accepted an order for two cars from Continental Motors in Washington, D.C., which also happened to be the North American distributor for the Elva Courier. Unfortunately, TVR had to have the cars returned to the UK when Continental Motors was shut down after its owner, Walter R. Dickson, was convicted and jailed for defrauding his bank.
An engineer (and earlier TVR customer) named John Thurner left his position at Rolls-Royce and joined TVR in November 1959, whereupon he was named Technical Director. Thurner's experience and enthusiasm were sought to help the company improve the Grantura and to streamline production, and he was given full control of Grantura development. This raised the ire of Wilkinson, who regarded Thurner as a professional competitor and who felt that he was being undermined by the company he originally created.
Aitchison, Hopton and TVR Cars Ltd..
By the middle of 1960, the factory employed forty-three workers, the Grantura Mk1 production was ending (with a total of 100 cars produced), and the Mk2 body shell design was nearly ready. TVR had distributors selling cars in the UK, including David Buxton Ltd. in Derby and Bill Last in Woodbridge, Suffolk. In January 1961, Keith Aitchison and Bryan Hopton (of the Aitchison-Hopton Lotus/TVR dealer in Chester) expressed interest in investing in TVR. During the Summer, Bernard Williams attempted to cement their interest by offering a Climax-powered Grantura Mk2 to the two men for a drive to the Monza circuit in Italy. During the trip, a portion of the exhaust system fell off the car on two separate occasions, but the two men were nonetheless impressed with the car's performance.
In September of the same year, the Aitchison-Hopton company bought a controlling share of TVR. Before the end of the year, Hopton had appointed himself as chairman and renamed Layton Sport Cars to TVR Cars Ltd. Between September 1961 and February 1962, the number of orders for cars had been doubled, and most of the stock of finished cars had been sold.
In January 1962, the company hired Ken Richardson as a competition manager, with the intent that he would lead TVR's attempts to enter international racing. In March, Hopton entered three Grantura Mk2As in the 12 Hours of Sebring. The lightweight cars were prepared by chief mechanic David Hives and competition mechanic Bob Hallett, although only one of them would actually finish the race (the other two retiring early with mechanical failure.) TVR directors began to doubt the new leadership when they saw Bryan Hopton's tendency to overextend the company's finances in motor racing, as well as on indulgences such as luxury transport and hotels. This ill-fated race outing at Sebring was the last in a series of events that led to the departure of Trevor Wilkinson, whose resignation was accepted by the board of directors on 5 April 1962.
After both Wilkinson and Pickard left TVR, they together set up a specialist fiberglass engineering business. On retirement, Wilkinson moved to Menorca, Spain, where he died aged 85, on 6 June 2008.
Despite of the lack of success at Sebring, the company continued to enter international motor racing events in 1962, including the Dutch Tulip Rally in May, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The Tulip Rally resulted in one car finishing third in its class, but the Le Mans outing was fraught with unfortunate events for the TVR team. In the time leading up to the race, two of the cars slated to compete were crashed in different incidents and hastily rebuilt. The single car that started the race would badly overheat and retire during the third lap. David Hives described the event as a "fiasco", and noted that "it cost TVR a small fortune". TVR cars were driven to greater success by World War II flying ace Tommy Entwistle, who, in 1962 and 1964, finished as runner-up in the Freddie Dixon Challenge Trophy race series. Entwistle won the series in 1963, 1965, and 1966. The car was maintained by David Hives throughout this time. After this racing success, Entwistle stopped racing for a period of time and sold the car to Gerry Sagerman.
By late 1962, the company was again in dire financial trouble. The Mk3 Grantura had been introduced later than expected, two of the home market distributors had gone out of business (Research Garage and David Buxton Ltd.), the Canadian government had imposed a 10% duty on cars imported from the United Kingdom, and the company discontinued its relationship with Dick Monnich, the US importer, because of his failure to pay for his orders. Factory workers were all laid off in October 1962, and Henry Moulds and Bernards Williams met with the company's creditors in December. TVR Cars Ltd. moved into receivership and much of its equipment, including body moulds, was moved to secure storage.
Fortunately for the future of TVR, its associated company, Grantura Engineering Ltd., was still in business. Bernard Williams was able to convince the receivers of TVR Cars Ltd. to allow access to the body moulds as well as some partially finished body shells, and several cars were completed in late 1963 and early in 1964. Keith Aitchison again became involved with the company in spring 1963, and remained as marketing and sales director for the following two years. Many of the factory workers and some of the directors were persistent, remaining with the company in an attempt to return TVR to profitability. Early 1963 saw the creation of Grantura Plastics Ltd., a company that handled the fiberglass moulding.
Also in 1963, a new shareholder, Richard Barnaby, initiated talks with Major Tony Rolt of Ferguson Developments over the possibility of developing a four-wheel drive V8-powered TVR. Barnaby asked David Hives to make the chassis for such a car, which he did, although TVR did not have the funds available to commit to such a project in full. It was later revealed that Rolt had been discussing a similar project with Jensen Motors, which ultimately resulted in the Jensen FF.
The company's recovery effort brought a partnership with a new distributor, The TVR Centre of Reece Mews, South Kensington, London. Its owner was James Boothby, an ex-RAF pilot.
After re-establishing a distributor partnership with TVR, the American Dick Monnich visited Blackpool and informed the directors that one of his colleagues, Andrew Jackson "Jack" Griffith, was a Ford dealer based on Long Island, and he had been experimenting with installing a Ford 289 engine in a Grantura Mk3 chassis. This car would ultimately become known as the Griffith Series 200.
The Griffith and 1965 collapse.
In October 1963, Dick Monnich, Jack Griffith, and Griffith's race mechanic George Clark finished the prototype of the car named Griffith, developed by fitting a Ford 289 V8 into a Grantura Mk3. The accelerative performance of the car exceeded expectations, although the brakes and chassis had been left unmodified and, by all accounts, were woefully inadequate when matched with the large engine. In a short period of time, David Hives at the Hoo Hill TVR factory built a second prototype that was better developed and better finished, as well as three engine-less cars destined for Griffith's business in New York. In March 1964, David Hives went to Long Island to assist Bob Cumberford in building a pattern and plug for the Griffith 600 series, and he also helped set up the production line with George Clark. Hives helped build the "tartan car" that was displayed at the International Automobile Show in New York, which he and Dick Monnich attended. After this, the Griffith factory established in Syosset, Long Island began completing cars from engine-less cars imported from the Hoo Hill TVR factory.
Amidst the Griffith production (which required the TVR factory to build cars at a greater rate than ever before), Major Timothy Knott was hired as the managing director in August 1964. His military background and strict enforcement of order and workday schedule prevented him from ingratiating himself with most of the factory workers. Knott subsequently hired Ralph Kissack, also from a military background, and whose family was involved with Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man.
David Hives returned to the TVR factory in England on 1 September 1964. Immediately, he was put onto building the Griffith 400 Series, which involved a lot of work at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association). It also required working with Armstrong Patents to source the springs and dampers, Janspeed for the exhaust systems, and Kenlowe for the twin fan radiators. After six Months of working on the 400 series, Hives handed the car over to Chris Laurence to finish off development work so that he could concentrate on the upcoming Trident project.
The modern TVR logo was designed in 1964 by Bob Hallett and John Baillie.
Reliability problems and customer complaints began to mount through 1964. In 1964, a dock strike in the US severely damaged Jack Griffith's ability to import cars. Griffith was then unable to meet his financial obligation to Ford, which stopped supplying drivetrain components. Ties with TVR were also then severed, and the already-struggling TVR was no longer able to continue. In September 1964, a director meeting was held at TVR, and it was announced that the company would be stopping production and closing the factory at Hoo Hill. TVR went into liquidation in November of that year.
Trident.
In 1965, TVR produced four prototypes of a car named the Trident. It was powered by the same Ford V8 as was found in the Griffith, and the body was hand-built of aluminum and steel by Carrozzeria Fissore in Savigliano, Italy. The styling was the work of Trevor Fiore (born Trevor Frost), who borrowed the shape from his previous styling exercise for the Lea Francis Francesa (a conceptual roadster that never reached production).
Carrozzeria Fissore displayed a prototype Trident coupé at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1965. Despite very positive public reaction to the car, it was not well received by Jack Griffith, and the one prototype that had been shipped to the United States was returned to the UK in 1965. When TVR collapsed in 1965, the third and fourth Tridents were under construction at the time, and they were put into storage. In the wake of the company's liquidation, TVR dealer Bill Last acquired the rights to the Trident by some means not viewed as legitimate by later TVR management. In 1966, Last established in Trident Cars Ltd and started building the car under the model name "Clipper".
Lilley era.
In late 1965, Arthur Lilley and his son Martin Lilley purchased the assets of TVR to mitigate their personal losses of £2,000 worth of TVR shares. TVR Engineering Ltd. was then formed on 30 November 1965, with Arthur as chairman. Arthur approached David Hives and offered him the position of General Manager and Senior Designs and Development Engineer, which David accepted. After two years of this arrangement, Hives asked Arthur Lilley to appoint his son Martin as managing director whilst Hives went to America to talk to Gerry Sagerman about the importation of TVRs. This ultimately resulted in Sagerman establishing TVR Cars of America.
TVR had no outstanding orders to fulfill, and significant outstanding debts towards suppliers. Additionally, members of previous work force had apparently stolen parts and damaged machinery out of spite when they were laid off. In the final days of 1965 and into early 1966, the new workforce gained confidence in management as it became apparent that the Lilleys were genuinely interested in the success of the business. The factory began to ramp up production of the Mk3 1800S. During the period, some partially finished cars were delivered as kits to Martin's Barnet Motor Co. car dealer business, where they were finished.
Meanwhile, the company also gained positive publicity as Gerry Marshall had significant success in racing a factory-prepared Griffith. In America, Gerry Sagerman lamented the damage done to the TVR reputation in the US by the poor build quality and poor reliability of Jack Griffith's V8-powered cars. After meeting the Lilleys, Sagerman agreed to be involved in importing TVRs to the US. In April 1967, he opened a small showroom and garage in Lynbrook, Long Island, and began importing TVRs as a full-time activity.
Arthur and Martin Lilley were aware that the company's future depended on the introduction of new, competitive models. Plans to put the Trident into full production were derailed when the Lilleys discovered that Bill Last had commandeered the rights to that design during the period of confusion between the previous TVR liquidation and the Lilley ownership. TVR engaged Carrozzeria Fissore to build the coachwork for the steel-bodied prototype TVR Tina. David Hives was very heavily involved with the Tina prototype project, and went to Italy with Arthur Lilley to inspect the car. He also accompanied Martin to the 1966 Turin Motor Show. Shortly after this, Hives was dismissed by Martin Lilley for unknown reasons; he was then approached by Bernard Williams and Bill Last to assist in the building of the Trident Clipper.
In January 1967, after production of the Griffith had been discontinued, TVR unveiled the Tuscan V8, initially in short-wheelbase and then long-wheelbase configurations. It was first displayed at the Racing Car Show at Olympia, in London. The Tuscan did not provide the economic boost to TVR that the Lilleys had hoped, and it was only built in low volume. A Tuscan owned by racing driver John Burton was modified by race car mechanic Mike Bigland to improve the handling, and Bigland's success was noticed by Martin Lilley; this would be the beginning of a relationship that would be important in the development of the later M Series chassis.
Introduction of the Vixen.
The TVR Vixen Series 1 was unveiled at the British motor show in October 1967. It proved popular, and generated many new orders for cars. With the launch of the Vixen, TVR transitioned back to making their own fiberglass bodies, rather than depending on Grantura Plastics to build them. Despite the sales success of the Vixen, the company still recorded an overall loss for 1967, and financial advisors began to recommend to Arthur Lilley that the company be shut down. Martin resolved to improve TVR's financial fortunes with increased production in 1968.
Around this time, in early 1968, the prospect of putting the TVR Tina into production became infeasible due to the significant expense of building a steel-bodied car. The project was cancelled, with the only two existing Tinas being the two prototype cars. Bill Last also approached TVR and suggested a merger so that TVR Engineering could begin building the Trident in larger volumes. TVR declined this offer.
New models, nude models and move to Bristol Avenue.
Because the Ford Essex V6 engine had not yet been certified to meet US emissions standards, TVR engaged British Leyland in negotiations to supply either the Rover V8 engine or the 2.5 L Triumph inline six. Extra production for the Rover V8 had already been allocated to Morgan, so the six cylinder Triumph unit was selected.
During Christmas in 1970, TVR moved from its cramped facility at Hoo Hill to a 28,000 square foot Bristol Avenue factory that had been vacated by Nutbrown Ltd., a manufacturer of kitchen utensils. The workforce was enthusiastic about the move, as the Hoo Hill factory had become inadequate for the number of people working and the rate of production, which had risen to between five and eight cars per week.
Between 1969 and 1971, TVR released several new models. The Tuscan V6, equipped with the 3.0 L Ford Essex V6, was intended to fill the performance gap between the four-cylinder Vixens and the V8 models. The long wheelbase widebody Tuscan V8 was built to address the cramped interior dimensions of the car, but was not commercially successful and only a very small number were produced. The Vixen S3 incorporated several minor updates to the Vixen S2, which had continued to be successful. The new 2500 model was fitted with the Triumph 2.5 L inline-six engine. Working together in 1971, Martin Lilley and Mike Bigland developed yet another new model, the TVR 1300. This used the 1.3 L Standard SC engine from the Triumph Spitfire and was intended as an inexpensive model option that was also cheaper to insure.
At the British International Motor Show at Earls Court in 1970, TVR hired model Helen Jones to pose nude on the TVR stand, and the resulting commotion immediately generated more publicity for the company. This advertising technique was used again at the 1971 show, when Helen Jones was accompanied by a second model, Susan Shaw. The reaction was even greater in 1971, and amid the chaos of the public response, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders threatened to ban TVR from the show. This, of course, drew even more attention to the brand. The 1971 show also marked the appearance of the M Series prototype bodywork and the prototype SM estate car.
SM / Zante concept.
By 1971, TVR wanted to introduce a more luxurious GT car, and they ultimately began to work on a prototype sports estate model. The styling was done by Harris Mann (who would later become known for the Triumph TR7 and Leyland Princess designs), and the engineering by Mike Bigland. The prototype body was built by Specialised Mouldings Ltd. of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire on a TVR 2500 chassis. The car was given the development name 'SM' and was intended chiefly as a styling exercise with essentially no thought given to fitment of mechanical components or to driver ergonomics. The car appeared at the 1972 British Motor Show as an engineless show car.
After the show, the car was renamed to 'Zante' (after the Greek island) and test driven by both Martin Lilley and Gerry Sagerman in the US. They agreed that the car's ergonomics and visibility were not suitable for a road car, and Sagerman further pointed out that it would need a V8 engine to be successful in the US market. Also considering the anticipated development costs for the pop-up headlamps, it was decided the project was not financially viable and the prototype remained the only Zante ever built. The body was removed from the chassis at Sagerman's facility and shipped back to Blackpool, where it was stored outside and left to deteriorate.
M Series.
The TVR model series that would replace the Vixen-based cars was known as the M Series. Mike Bigland would design its chassis, which was superior in every way to the outgoing Vixen chassis; it was more rigid, would provide better safety for the car's occupants, and could be produced more economically. Over several months, the design was finalised and the factory prepared for production. The 2500M, 3000M, 1600M, Taimar and 3000S models (as well as turbocharged variants of the V6 cars) were all built for various spans of time between 1972 and 1980. This period saw significant improvements in both efficiency and quality, with Mike Penny performing a quality control inspection on every car that left the factory. Also during M Series production, both Jack Pickard and Stanley Kilcoyne returned to work at the company. TVR had enough faith in the cars' quality to begin offering a five-year no-corrosion guarantee in 1974. Exports were strong, with sixty percent of TVR's production going to continental Europe and the United States.
On the evening of 3 January 1975, a fire broke out in the TVR factory, likely caused by faulty wiring in a 3000M factory demonstrator car. Several complete and nearly complete cars were destroyed, as well as many components in the company's stores. Soot and ash covered every surface, and the damage was estimated to be £200,000. A small team of office workers came in to clean and perform administrative tasks while the insurance company made its assessment. The factory walls were sandblasted to remove the coating of soot, but the sand damaged many pieces of equipment that were not moved out first. Despite the lack of heat and electricity in the building, some limited amount of car construction began again. Four cars were completed in April, and then eight in May. Total production for the year was approximately 150 cars, and only about 20 of those were exported to the US, where Gerry Sagerman's business suffered as a result.
In late 1975 and 1976, the newly hired sales manager Stewart Halstead was charged with the task of expanding the home and European markets to stabilise TVR's future. Enthusiasm for the cars was high in the US, tempered by the fact that the cars' pricing had crept up over recent years to the point where the same money could buy a new Corvette. Opportunities continued to expand in Europe, where dealerships opened in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Tasmin.
In the late 1970s, TVR's leadership felt that the next model should represent a modern departure in styling from the Vixen and M Series cars. It was also important that the replacement model could be economically produced and that it would be easier to bring into compliance with safety and emissions regulations. TVR management met with Oliver Winterbottom in August 1977, and it was decided that he would style a new two-seat coupe. Ian Jones, formerly of Lotus Cars and then of Larkspur Design near Southampton, was to design the chassis. The prototype project initially showed slow progress while it was being worked at the Topolec facility in Norwich, so it was moved to a unit that TVR began renting at Bamber Bridge. The prototype car began road testing in January 1979, powered by the 2.8-litre fuel injected Ford Cologne V6 engine. The name for the car, Tasmin, was created by blending the female name "Tamsin" with the name of the Australasian racing Tasman Series.
During the course of Tasmin development, TVR was short of funds to pay suppliers and this problem was compounded in late 1979 with the short-term loss of £100,000 worth of M Series cars that were impounded by the US federal government for non-compliance with emissions regulations. When the car's styling was finalised, it was not especially well received by TVR management (being described later by Martin Lilley and Stewart Halstead respectively as "a big disappointment" and "absolutely dreadful"), but time and budget limitations forced the company to proceed with the design.
After the Tasmin was released in 1980, it did receive a number of positive reviews from motoring journalists who praised its chassis and handling, sales were very lackluster due to the car's controversial styling and comparatively high price (£5,000 more than the discontinued Taimar). The car's disappointing sales coincided with the early 1980s recession in the UK, and the result was that TVR was again on the brink of financial collapse. In December 1981, Martin Lilley transferred control of the company to wealthy businessman and TVR customer Peter Wheeler.
Wheeler ownership.
In the 1980s, under the ownership of Peter Wheeler, a chemical engineer who had specialised in manufacturing components for the oil industry and TVR enthusiast, TVR moved away from naturally aspirated and forced induction V6 engines to large V8 engines, namely the Rover V8. In that time, engine capacity grew from 3.5 to 5 litres.
In 1988, TVR sourced a 5.0 litre Holden V8 through Tom Walkinshaw at Holden Special Vehicles. The engine was installed in the TVR White Elephant, a prototype car built for Wheeler by John Ravenscroft. The Holden powered TVR White Elephant was later superseded by the Rover V8 powered Griffith prototype.
In the 1990s, TVR modified a number of Rover V8s, but subsequently an in-house engine design was developed. The AJP8 engine, a lightweight alloy V8, was developed by engineering consultant Al Melling along with John Ravenscroft and Peter Wheeler (hence the AJP initials). The new engine was originally destined for the Griffith and Chimaera models, but development took longer than expected and eventually became available in the Cerbera and the Tuscan race car.
With the TVR S Series, Wheeler started by re-introducing the traditional design elements from the M-series. This became a great success for the company, and he followed up by introducing a number of new and bold body designs including the Chimaera, Griffith, Cerbera, Tuscan, Tamora, T350, Typhon and Sagaris.
Wheeler subsequently directed the design of a straight-six derivative of the AJP8 that would be cheaper to produce and maintain than the eight. This engine, designed initially by Al Melling and then significantly altered before final production by John Ravenscroft of TVR, became known as the TVR Speed Six engine, and, with the exception of the Cerbera (which could be specified with the AJP8), powered all the late model TVRs.
Smolensky ownership.
In July 2004, Nikolay Smolensky bought the company from Wheeler. Despite his Russian nationality, Smolensky said he intended TVR to remain a British company.
In April 2006, responding to falling demand and with production rumoured to have dropped from 12 cars a week to 3 or 4, TVR laid off 300 of its staff members. At the same time, the firm announced plans to move to updated facilities in the Squires Gate district of Blackpool, citing impending expiry of the lease of the current factory in late 2006, where owner Peter Wheeler was said to be planning to build a housing estate.
In October 2006 Smolensky announced that body production and final assembly for TVR would move to Turin with only engine production remaining in the UK. In protest at this and to show support for the workers, a large number of TVR owners paraded through central London on 26 November 2006. Dubbed "London Thunder", it was also an attempt at the official world record for the biggest one-marque convoy on record.
By December 2006, it emerged that Smolensky had split TVR into a number of different companies: the brand and intellectual property rights had been transferred to a core Smolensky company; TVR Motors held the licence to the brands and intellectual property in the UK, as well as sales and marketing of the brand; TVR Power - the automotive parts business - had been sold to outside investors; and Blackpool Automotive which held the factory and manufacturing assets.
On 13 December 2006, Smolensky and production director Mike Penny resigned as directors of Blackpool Automotive, being replaced by Smolensky's UK personal assistant Roger Billinghurst and 25-year-old Austrian Angelco Stamenkov. By 24 December, Blackpool Automotive was in administration.
On 22 February 2007 it was revealed that Smolensky was once again the owner of the company, having been the highest bidder.
On 8 October 2007, it was realised that Smolensky was still in control of the company and was hoping to restart production, with a target of 2,000 cars to be sold in 2008. and on 11 July TVR announced the relaunching of the Sagaris as the Sagaris 2, at its new centre near Wesham in Lancashire, though this did not happen and the company took no action for another two years.
In June 2010, German manufacturer Gullwing, a specialist German firm which held a minority share in TVR, said they would start producing a new car from September 2010. Boss Juergen Mohr said "Having been a TVR owner, I think this will be the best TVR ever." He also confirmed the company was planning new models, possibly with alternative drivetrains. "I can imagine everything, even electric-powered cars," Mohr said.
Current ownership.
On 6 June 2013, it was reported that Nikolay Smolensky had sold his entire ownership of TVR to TVR Automotive Ltd, a UK company led by Les Edgar and John Chasey.
To coincide with the 2014 Classic Car Show, TVR announced a TVR Genuine Parts initiative to guarantee continuity of supply of parts for classic TVRs and the formation of a new company TVR Parts Ltd which is exclusively licensed to sell genuine parts worldwide, taking over the last stock remaining when the factory closed and the previous TVR parts business operations of Racing Green, Clever Trevor and Multipart Solutions. This was augmented the following year with the purchase of the parts business of David Gerald/Classic World Racing who had held the licence for pre 1980's TVRs.
On 3 June 2015, it was revealed that development of the new car had been underway for more than a year, with partners Gordon Murray and Cosworth, that would be launched in 2017, followed by additional models as part of a 10-year plan. The new car boasted an impressive specification, front engined, rear wheel drive, normally aspirated Cosworth V8 mated to a manual transmission, that caused it to be described as "God’s own sports car". Codenamed T37, deposits were taken in anticipation for delivery in 2017.
Further details of the engine were revealed on 7 October 2015 as being based on the 5.0 L Ford Coyote V8, with modifications by Cosworth including lighter flywheel, dry sump lubrication and unique engine management, to generate from , depending on the variant.
On 22 March 2016, the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones announced that TVR would build its factory in Ebbw Vale adjacent to the Circuit of Wales, creating 150 jobs, with TVR also receiving an undisclosed investment from the Welsh Government.
On 5 June 2017, it was announced the first public viewing and launch of the car would take place at the Goodwood Revival on 8 September 2017, to coincide with the marque's 70th anniversary year. On 8 September 2017, at the Goodwood Revival, the TVR Griffith was unveiled, featuring designwork by Gordon Murray, a 5.0 L Ford Cosworth V8 engine, and a carbon fibre ground effect chassis.
It was announced in January 2018 that the Welsh Government had previously acquired a minority 3% stake in TVR in early 2016, following independent and specialist due diligence, for the sum of £500,000. With this share purchase, it also provided a £2 million repayable commercial loan to the company, alongside a private sector lender. According to the Welsh Government, the minority stake will "ensure the Welsh tax payer will benefit from the company's successes".
In June 2020, Autocar reported that TVR was owed more than £8.23 million from debtors, and has net assets slightly exceeding £2.1 million. TVR needed to pay off a £2 million loan from the Welsh government and a £3 million loan from financial firm Fiduciam. To fulfill its obligations and put the Griffith into production, TVR attempted to raise £25 million by issuing bonds on the Euronext Dublin, Ireland's main stock exchange, through Irish firm Audacia Capital. In January 2021, Fiduciam granted TVR a new £2 million loan through the UK's Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
Model list.
1 – Not technically a TVR model; a TVR chassis bodied by Ray Saidel.<br>
2 – Never went into production.<br>
3 – Built exclusively for racing.


A836 road

The A836 is a major road entirely within the Highland area of Scotland. It is long and runs from Ross and Cromarty to Caithness, with the majority of its length in Sutherland. At 58.648°N where it passes through East Mey, it is the northernmost A-class road in mainland Great Britain.
History.
Originally, in 1922, the route was designated from Bonar Bridge to Tongue. By 1935 this had been extended south to Alness and east to John o'Groats. Prior to the opening of the Dornoch Firth Bridge in 1991, the section southeast of Bonar Bridge was part of the A9, and the B9176 from Ardchronie to its then-terminus at Alness was designated as A836. The opening of the bridge removed a detour around the firth.
Route.
As it branches from the A9 near Tain it is a Primary route and runs generally north through Bonar Bridge and Lairg this is where it changes from a primary route to a A-classed road. At Tongue the road turns east, following the north coast, passing through Thurso, and eventually ending at John o' Groats, where it meets the A99.
The A836 passes through some of the loneliest and most sparsely populated parts of Britain, and despite having an 'A' classification, is a single track road in many places. It is a hazardous route in winter owing to the narrow road width, sharp gradients and turns, and is particularly not a recommended route for goods and livestock vehicles, unless strictly necessary.
The North Coast 500 scenic route runs along part of the A836.


Air Navigation and Engineering Company

Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1919 to 1927.
History.
The company was formed in 1919 when the Blériot & SPAD Manufacturing Company Limited was renamed. The company was based at Addlestone Surrey.
The Blériot aircraft company had opened a factory at Addlestone during World War I to make SPAD and Avro aircraft and in 1919 the company became the Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited. One of the first products was a cyclecar designed by Herbert Jones and W.D. Marchant called the Blériot-Whippet.
In 1922 the company built a 10-seat biplane airliner (the Handasyde H.2) on behalf of the Handasyde Aircraft Company Limited. The company built a number of light aircraft, the first designed by W.S. Shackelton was the ANEC I flying in 1923. The aircraft were built at Addlestone then roaded to Brooklands for flight testing. The company stopped producing aircraft in 1926 and closed in 1927.


Beaminster Tunnel

Beaminster Tunnel or Horn Hill Tunnel is a road tunnel on the A3066 road between Beaminster and Mosterton in Dorset, England. The tunnel was constructed between 1830–1832; it was one of the first road tunnels built in Britain, and is the only pre-railway road tunnel in the country still in use. It was built to take a toll road underneath a steep hill to the north of Beaminster and make it easier for horse-drawn traffic to travel from the coast to the hinterland of Dorset. It underwent significant repairs in 1968 and again in 2009, but in 2012 a torrential rainstorm caused a landslide that resulted in the partial collapse of the tunnel's north entrance and the deaths of two people.
Construction.
The tunnel is constructed from brick with walls thick, faced with Hamstone. It runs for under Horn Hill, a promontory to the north of Beaminster. The hill presented a major barrier to travellers passing from the newly enlarged harbour at West Bay on the Dorset coast to the hinterland; according to a contemporary writer, the hill was "a great impediment to the communication between the lower portion of Dorsetshire and a considerable district of Somerset, particularly with regard to Bridport harbour." The main road passed over the hill, climbing almost 500 feet in a mile-and-a-half (150 metres in two kilometres). The steep gradient of 1-in-6 (17%) made passage difficult for horse-drawn transport. In the late 1820s, a Beaminster solicitor named Giles Russell proposed that the owners of the toll road over the hill, the Bridport 2nd District Turnpike Trust, should seek to build a tunnel under it to shorten and flatten the road. Russell played a key role in getting the project underway and managed to raise the £13,000 required through loans and contributions from many of Beaminster's artisans and traders.
In March 1830 Parliament passed the "Bridport Turnpike Trust (Second District) Act, 1830" authorising construction of the tunnel, which began the following month. The engineer Michael Lane, a colleague of Marc Brunel who had worked on the pioneering Thames Tunnel in London, was in charge of the project, which took just over two years to complete. Only one fatality was sustained, a worker named William Aplin who died only three days before the tunnel opened when he was struck by a landslide outside one of the tunnel entrances. He was memorialised with a stone marked with a white cross which can still be seen "in situ". The tunnel reduced the road's gradient from 1-in-6 (17%) to 1-in-10 (10%) and shortened it by a mile (1.6 km), as well as lowering its maximum elevation by . At the time of its opening, only a handful of road tunnels had been built in Britain; it pre-dates the construction of the first railway tunnels, and it is now the only pre-railway road tunnel in the country still in use.
Opening.
The tunnel was formally opened on 29 June 1832 with enthusiastic celebrations including a 21-gun salute fired from the top of the hill, a firework display and the launching of a hot air balloon. A procession of dignitaries, local people and the tunnel workers paraded through the tunnel accompanied by three flag-bearers, two bands, the project's patron in a four-horse open carriage and the Commissioners of the Trust and various officials in a mail wagon. A celebratory dinner was held afterwards in the White Hart inn in Beaminster, where Giles Russell was the guest of honour. A song was especially written for the occasion, including the lyrics:
<poem>
The yielding soil, through able hands,
A tunnel wide displays;
And Lane’s efficient aid demands
Our warm, admiring praise
In swelling streams may cheering wealth
To Beaminster descend:
And ever joy-inspiring health
Her social sons attend.
</poem>
Commemorations of the opening of the tunnel became an annual tradition in Beaminster with "Tunnel Fairs" being held every Good Friday on Horn Hill until about the 1880s. In 1881, the tunnel became free to use when the tollgates were removed and the toll house at the north end was converted into a dwelling for the tunnel's lamplighter. The house was later demolished to allow the road to be widened. The two entrance portals are Grade II listed as being of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
Renovation and repairs.
By the 1960s, 130 years of exposure to the elements had resulted in the tunnel's brick walls crumbling from the effects of frost. To prevent falls of frost-damaged bricks, a cement mix known as gunite was sprayed onto the walls to stabilise them. However, this in turn became detached from the brickwork, and in October–November 2009 the tunnel was closed to carry out repairs. The gunite layer was re-fixed to the brickwork using bolts and painted, and the drainage systems and portal arches were also renovated. The tunnel's lighting system was replaced at the same time, and the carriageway was also resurfaced.
July 2012 partial collapse.
At around 22:10 on 7 July 2012, Rosemary Snell and Michael Rolfe, from Somerset, were driving through the tunnel and were caught in a partial collapse of the north entrance, caused by torrential rain. Several hundred tons of mud, earth, stones and vegetation fell onto the road and crushed their car, killing them. The flattened vehicle was entirely buried and was not found until 10 days later after the two were reported missing, prompting police to carry out a search of the debris. Their deaths were later ruled by a coroner to have been accidental.
The local Dorset Police force was criticised for failing to find the bodies sooner and the case was voluntarily referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to be reviewed, but the IPCC subsequently declined to open an investigation.
Although there were claims that tree-felling by Dorset County Council workers could have destabilised the slope above the tunnel portal, expert opinion suggested that the landslide had been triggered by a poorly-maintained drainage ditch above the tunnel breaching during the rainstorm, causing a sudden flood of water into an already saturated area.
In the aftermath of the collapse, five options were put forward to remedy the tunnel, including stabilising the slope, permanently extending the tunnel, removing some of the soil from the hillside above the tunnel, removing the tunnel and building a cutting or bypassing the tunnel. A public consultation held in October 2012 found public support for the option of building a concrete hood at the entrance to the tunnel. It was estimated that this would cost about £1.75 million and would take about six months to complete. The Department of Transport refused at the time to provide extra funding to meet the cost.
The tunnel reopened on 29 July 2013 following £2 million of work. By February 2014, it was reported that Dorset County Council had spent around £2.5 million on remedial works around the tunnel.


Vintage Motor Cycle Club

The Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) is a UK-based vintage motorcycle club with over 14,000 members, which aims to promote and preserve all makes of motorcycles over 25 years old.
History.
The Vintage Motor Cycle Club was founded on 28 April 1946, by 38 enthusiasts at the Lounge Cafe, Hog's Back, near Guildford in Surrey, for owners of motorcycles manufactured before December 1930.
Many of the founders rode to the first meeting on vintage motorcycles and had travelled from around the country in poor weather conditions.
The first meeting had been organised by former journalist and wartime despatch rider, the late 'Titch' Allen,
with the aim of promoting the use and preservation of vintage motorcycles manufactured prior to 31 December 1930. The club's activities have expanded over the years to include rallies, hill climbs, trials, a workshop and museum, a library, a sales and wants system for spares and motorcycles, insurance for difficult cases and an annual dinner.
VMCC today.
All makes are catered for regardless of the country of origin. The VMCC has also broadened the 1930 rule to include all motorcycles over 25 years old and has also set up a Post-1960 Section for motorcycle manufactured between 1961 and 1981. Most significantly, it is no longer necessary to own a motorcycle to join the club, which has developed into an organisation for anyone interested in older two-wheelers.
The club's head office is at Allen House in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Current membership is over 14,000. The most popular section is British historic racing, providing the spectacle of vintage race machines in their proper guise, being ridden competitively against machines of similar age. Races are held every year at all the major circuits in the UK and are well attending by competitors and spectators. The club has been organised into regional sections, most of which have at least one club night each month.
VMCC library.
The VMCC library holds original British motorcycle factory records for Triumph, BSA, Norton, Ariel, Scott, Levis and Royal Enfield being the largest collection of motorcycle-related paperwork in the world.
It is also a DVLA recognised body for age related motorcycle registration numbers. The collection includes catalogues, handbooks, spare parts lists, runs of "The Motor Cycle" and "Motor Cycling" magazines, as well as other motorcycle magazines and books from the 1880s to the present day. The library also has a comprehensive collection of photographs of motorcycles, riders and events.


Matchless Model X

The Matchless Model X is a Matchless motorcycle made from 1929 to 1940. There were yearly modifications and in 1937 the Model X was completely redesigned as a fast touring motorcycle. Production ended with outbreak of World War II.
Development.
The Matchless Model X was developed for V-twin enthusiasts and had a specially reinforced rear frame for heavy-duty sidecar work. At the end of 1936 the Model X was upgraded and rebranded the "Sports Tourist", with a shorter wheelbase frame which improved roadholding and steering. "The Motor Cycle" road tested the Model X in May 1937 and noted that the steering was light but even when cruising at over it did "not become so light as to necessitate-use of the damper." Performance of the engine was described as "delightful" and although not a sportster it was capable of and could reach from a standing start in a quarter of a mile.
Brough Superior.
In the lead up to World War II Brough Superior began using 990 cc Matchless V-twin side valve engines for their SS80 and overhead-valve engines for the SS100.


A28 road

The A28 is a trunk road in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in south east England, connecting Margate, Canterbury, Ashford and Hastings.
Starting at the seaside resort of Margate at the north-east point of Kent, the A28 runs inland and west-southwest to the cathedral city of Canterbury, before passing through the chalk hills of the North Downs via the gap cut by the River Stour, to the town of Ashford in the Vale of Holmesdale. From here, the A28 proceeds via the market town of Tenterden, to the East Sussex seaside town of Hastings, on the English Channel.
Route.
The A28 leaves Margate via the seaside resorts of Westgate and Birchington, and then heads inland reaching open countryside at the village of Sarre, after which the road roughly parallels both the Ashford-Ramsgate railway line and the Great Stour river on their combined route to Canterbury and then Ashford.
From Sarre, the road passes through the villages of Upstreet, Hersden and Sturry, and then to the city of Canterbury. It forms part of Canterbury's ring road before leaving via Wincheap and Thanington Without, where a sliproad linking to the A2 was completed in 2011.
The A28 passes between the North Downs via the villages of Chartham, Chilham, Godmersham and Bilting, to enter the Vale of Holmesdale. The road reaches surburbia again at Kennington, a suburb of Ashford, but the A28 then skirts around the town centre of Ashford on a section of dual carriageway, where it has a junction with the A20. In 1983, this section was named "Simone Weil Avenue", in honour of the French philosopher and mystic who is buried nearby in Bybrook Cemetery. Bypassing the village of Great Chart, the road undulates in a general south-westward direction around the Kentish Weald via the villages of Bethersden and High Halden, to the market town of Tenterden.
The A28 continues via the villages of Rolvenden and Newenden before crossing a narrow bridge over the River Rother and entering East Sussex via Northiam, beyond which the road becomes very winding. After the village of Brede there is a steep descent to bridge the river of the same name. Next is Westfield, just before the road climbs to terminate at its junction with the A21 just north of Hastings.
Improvements.
Work has continued to improve the A28 into the 21st century. In 2011 a new slip road was completed to connect the road to the A2 in Canterbury.


A6 road (Northern Ireland)

The A6 road in Northern Ireland runs for 71.4 miles (114.9km) from Belfast to Derry, via County Antrim and County Londonderry. From Belfast to Randalstown the route has been superseded by a motorway (the M2 and M22). Mostly single carriageway, there are sections of dual carriageway in Antrim town centre and from Randalstown to Toome, including the Toome bypass. In urban and suburban districts of Belfast and Derry the route is single carriageway with 4 lanes (2 lanes in each direction). In rural parts, there are numerous climbing lanes along the route. The A6 is one of Northern Ireland's most important arterial routes, as the road runs between its two largest cities and urban areas. Between Randalstown and Derry the road forms part of European route E16.
Route.
In inner-city north Belfast the A6 route begins at Carlisle Circus at a roundabout with Clifton Street and the Crumlin Road (A52), and runs up the Antrim Road past Belfast Royal Academy and the Waterworks, towards Belfast Castle, Cavehill and Belfast Zoo through Glengormley. Much of this section is urban in character and there are many two-lane stretches, allowing vehicles to overtake or bus lanes operating at peak times or rush hour. On the outskirts of Glengormley the route passes through Sandyknowes roundabout (M2 Junction 4) where it connects with the A8(M) route towards Ballyclare and Larne. The A6 then passes through urban and suburban district known as Mallusk (including a significant business district and industrial estates) which forms the outer-most periphery of the Greater Belfast urban area.
Thereafter the A6 becomes markedly rural in aspect. It passes under the Belfast-Derry Railway Line, through Templepatrick village (via a multiplex with the A57 Ballynure-Aldergrove road), Dunadry and then enters Antrim town. Passing the Antrim Forum and the ruins of Antrim Castle, the A6 forms a multiplex with the A26 (Coleraine-Banbridge road) and crosses the Six Mile Water. Leaving Antrim town, it goes past Massereene and Shane's Castle, then heads towards Randalstown where it crosses under the old (now dismantled) railway line between Antrim and Cookstown, and almost immediately afterwards the road crosses over the River Maine. Up until this point the A6 runs parallel with the M2 and M22 motorways, which since their construction in the 1960s/1970s have removed the vast bulk of the cross-country traffic from the A6.
A mile west of Randalstown the A6 meets with the M22 motorway at Randalstown West junction (a non-motorway junction), and from this point onwards the A6 carries traffic bound for Mid Ulster and the North West. For 46 years from 1973 to 2019, the A6 ran for 4.1 miles along the Moneynick Road which has many twists and turns, making it difficult for traffic to safely pass slower moving vehicles; this part of the former A6 witnessed a high number of collisions, many fatal. A new offline dual carriageway opened on 4 August 2019 from Randalstown West junction to the start of the Toome Bypass dual carriageway and became the A6, the Moneynick Road being re-classified as the B183. On the Toome Bypass, the A6 crosses the River Bann between Lough Neagh and Lough Beg to enter County Londonderry. 2.2 miles after it starts, the dual carriageway narrows and reverts to standard single carriageway, through Creagh and onto the Castledawson Bypass and crosses the Moyola River. This second stretch, from the end of the Toome Bypass to Castledawson, is also due to be upgraded to dual carriageway with grade-separated junctions by 2021 as far as the Castledawson roundabout (which will be retained), where traffic for Magherafelt and Cookstown veers off the A6 southwards along the A31.
After Castledawson, the A6 goes over generally flat agricultural land near the hamlet of Curran and the village of Knockcloghrim, and crosses the Moyola River for a second time. The route passes the town of Maghera to the south and bridges the A29 Portrush-Dundalk road which is connected to the A6 via a sliproad. This stretch has occasional overtaking lanes in either directions. The A6 route then rises up over the boggy Glenshane Pass and past The Ponderosa Bar, before descending down the valley of the River Roe to Dungiven village where the A6 crosses the Roe itself. As of 2018, Dungiven is currently the only village on the A6 that is not bypassed, leading to traffic congestion at certain times of the day. Construction started in Summer 2018 on a new dual carriageway with grade-separated junctions which, when it opens in 2022, will bypass Dungiven and end at Drumahoe on the eastern outskirts of Derry city. The existing A6 passes near Claudy and Killaloo, which will both be bypassed by the new dualling scheme currently under construction.
Entering the Derry urban area, the A6 goes through Drumahoe, widens to facilitate overtaking lanes and passes Altnagelvin Hospital. At Altnagelvin Roundabout the A6 meets the A514 Crescent Link dual carriageway which forms part of an eastern and northern bypass of Derry City, and takes traffic around the city across the River Foyle via the Foyle Bridge. The main A6 road continues towards the city centre via the Dungiven Road and the Glendermott Road. The A6 ends at the bottom of the Glendermott Road at a traffic-light controlled junction with the A2 Limavady Road. City-bound traffic then follows the A2 along King Street and Duke Street before crossing the double-decked Craigavon Bridge over the River Foyle into the city centre.
Investment.
Investment in the northwestern region has recommenced with two separate projects under development which will see of high-quality dual carriageway constructed. The A6 Dualling Dungiven to Derry scheme will see of dual carriageway constructed at an estimated cost of £320m. In addition, the A6 Dualling - Randalstown (M22) to Castledawson project will see of dual carriageway road constructed at an estimated cost of £100m.
The remaining between Castledawson and Dungiven has not been allocated funds to develop the last stage of the dualling; it is widely hoped that by the time construction is underway on the Derry-Dungiven stretch, further funds will be made available and the two largest urban centres in Northern Ireland will finally have a high standard dual carriageway link, although this looks unlikely in the current economic climate.
In June 2008, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy announced plans for a feasibility study into creating an A6-A5 Link Road around Derry. This will more than likely also be of HQDC standard. It has been noted that this is not a commitment on behalf of his department.


A203 road

The A203 is a primary A road in South London. It runs from Brixton to Vauxhall connecting the A23 and A3 with Vauxhall Bridge, the Albert Embankment as well as the London Inner Ring Road for travel across the River Thames. Between Brixton and Stockwell Underground station it is known as Stockwell Road. North of here it is called South Lambeth Road because it passes by South Lambeth. It is roughly paralleled by the Victoria line through its route.


Ormeau Road

The Ormeau Road is a road in south Belfast, the largest city in Northern Ireland. Ormeau Park is adjacent to it. It forms part of the A24.
History.
The road, as currently laid out dates from the first decades of the nineteenth century when a bridge was built connecting Newtownbreda village to Belfast. This route was known more commonly as the New Ballynafeigh Road before eventually taking on the name of Ormeau House, the Marquess of Donegall's residence, which it passed by (and which in turn took its name from the French word "ormeau", meaning "young elm").
Ravenhill Road was the Old Ballynafeigh Road. Ballynafeigh is the name of the townland through which most of the Ormeau Road runs. It is an anglisation of the Irish "Baile na Faiche" meaning "townland of the lawn or green".
Areas of the Ormeau Road.
Start of the road.
The area at the start of the Ormeau Road is not known by a single name but contains a number of features. Close to the Markets area are the Belfast Gasworks, originally built in the 19th century and remaining open for its original purpose until 1988. The area has been substantially redeveloped under the Laganside Corporation and now includes a number of office buildings for companies such as Halifax The Gasworks is also home to the Radisson Blu Hotel Belfast.
Donegall Pass faces the Gasworks and, for a short period in the 1970s and 1980s, represented a violent interface with the Markets area. Donegall Pass has a rich social history and has a plethora of Chinese shops and restaurants, Indian wholesalers, local cafe and sandwich bars, a pharmacy, churches, antique dealers and a newly opened auction house.
Other features include the former headquarters of UTV plc, Havelock House, which was home to UTV from the station went on air in October 1959 until late 2017 . The headquarters of Belfast CityBeat are situated very close to Havelock House, just over the Havelock Bridge (which crosses the main Belfast to Dublin railway line which runs under the Ormeau Road).
The Ormeau road between Donegall Pass and the Ormeau bridge includes the Belfast South constituency offices of both Sinn Féin and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
This part of the Ormeau Road suffered a number of attacks during the Troubles when both Protestant and Catholic residents were killed.
In the mid 1990s the Ormeau Road became associated with political controversy as a result of parades by bands from Ballynafeigh Orange Lodge. Claims were also made that members of the Lodge had demonstrated triumphalism over the murder of five men in Sean Graham's bookmakers by the Ulster Defence Association.
In 1996, the dispute spilled over into conflict between the Lower Ormeau Residents' Action Group and the Royal Ulster Constabulary after widespread rioting led the police to effectively seal off the area for two days. The Parades Commission initially supported the marchers in the dispute although since 1999 parades have been banned from the area, even leading to the Orange Order briefly using the Ormeau Park as its meeting place instead of Edenderry.
Until 1999, the North of Ireland Cricket and Football Club's home stadium, the Ormeau Cricket Ground – one of the earliest international rugby venues in Ireland – was in the area, although, following a series of perceived sectarian arson attacks, the club's merger into the Belfast Harlequins has seen the demolition of the stadium, which has been redeveloped as housing, known as Lavinia Square and Mews.
The Holyland, an area mainly inhabited by university students faces this area on the western side of the road.
South of the Bridge.
A number of local buildings and services, such the Community Development Association, the Post Office and the Orange Hall, use the name Ballynafeigh, although the wider (and older) townland of Ballynafeigh also includes much of the lower Ormeau and Holyland.
The Ormeau Bridge is a significant part of the architecture and history of the wider area. Work began on the bridge in 1809 and was opened within a year or so. This bridge was demolished as unusable however and was not fully rebuilt until 1863. The Lagan forms the boundary between County Antrim, encompassing the inner-city districts, and County Down, lying to the south-east.
Ormeau Park is the city's oldest municipal park, dating back to 1871 and stretches from the Ormeau Road to the Ravenhill Road. It is also the home of Ormeau Golf Club. Outside the Park a cycle path has been added to the road. The park was considered as an alternative venue for a new multi-purpose sports stadium, although First Minister Ian Paisley vetoed the plans.
Ormeau Park originally extended beyond its present Southern border taking in, what is now, Park Road, North Parade and South Parade. The original stone wall still exists and runs along the rear entry of the houses on the south side of the houses of South Parade. The wall can be seen where the entry opens out onto the Ormeau Road.
Ormeau Park has, from the start of the twentieth century, been used for all sorts of social and communal gatherings. It was the scene of the first meeting of the Ulster Vanguard on 18 March 1972 when William Craig called on his followers to attend following his decision to leave the Ulster Unionist Party. Joined by an estimated 100,000 followers Craig made a controversial speech in which he stated that "we must build up a dossier of the men and women who are a menace to this country because if and when the politicians fail us, it may be our job to liquidate the enemy".
Ormeau Bakery was the home of Ormo bread, formerly the largest independent bakery in Ireland. Robert Wilson set up the Ormeau Bakery in 1875, revolutionising the way that bread was made and distributed. The Bakery buildings were opened by Robert Wilson in 1890 and thrived under three generations of the Wilson family, the exterior of the building changing little over the years. The company celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2002 but was then bought out by Mother's Pride, leading to a closing of the site. The bakery has been redeveloped as upmarket, luxury apartments with roof gardens and other decorative touches according to designs by Diarmuid Gavin.
Cooke Centenary Church, a Presbyterian place of worship that faces the Bakery, is unique on the road as having no number in its postal address being simply Ormeau Park, Belfast. The church was named to mark the centenary of the birth of Henry Cooke (minister).
Ballynafeigh Orange Lodge is situated on the Ormeau Road and is the main centre for Orangeism in the area. The Lodge was formed in 1887 according to the plaque above the door. An Apprentice Boys of Derry flute band is affiliated to the Lodge.
Holy Rosary Church, and the accompanying detached parochial house, was opened in October 1898 to meet the needs of the growing Catholic population of this part of Belfast. It remained in use until September 1980 when all worship moved across the Ormeau Road to the much larger former convent chapel belonging to the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. This larger church sits adjacent to the roundabout at the junction of the Ormeau and Ravenhill Rds.
South of the Roundabout.
Encompassing the areas of Rosetta and Galwally, this part of the Ormeau is a largely middle class area. It is served by local schools including Holy Rosary Primary School, St. Michael's Primary School, Rosetta Primary School, Wellington College, Aquinas Grammar School and St Joseph's College (the latter having been formed in September 1992 by the amalgamation of St Monica's girls' school and St Augustine's boys' school).
The area is also home to the Rosario Youth Club, whose senior soccer team Rosario YC F.C. play in Division 1A of the Northern Amateur Football League. The club's teams, which compete in a number of age groups, are based at the Ulidia playing fields, opposite Ballynafeigh Orange Hall.
Bredagh GAC, a local Gaelic Athletic Association club, play in the nearby Cherryvale Playing Fields on the Ravenhill Road.
In 2019, Ormeau Road Celtic F.C was formed. They won the BSPL cup in their first year and in 2020 joined the Belfast District Football League, Division 1. "An Bothar" as they are popularly known have quickly become favourites with the local community and their members/fans can be regularly seen enjoying wins in local establishments.
The Gate Lodge, a historic building within the grounds of the Good Shepherd Church at the Ormeau/Ravenhill Road roundabout, restored in 2009, was initially home to the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust.
Geography.
The Ormeau Road begins with the merger of Cromac Street and Ormeau Avenue (which contains the headquarters of the BBC in Northern Ireland). The road continues to Church Road where it merges into the Saintfield Road.
Politics.
Ormeau Road is part of the Belfast South constituency and, at the 2019 United Kingdom general election the constituency returned Claire Hanna of the SDLP as Member of Parliament.
The area is represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly by Clare Bailey, Matthew O'Toole, Paula Bradshaw, Deirdre Hargey and Christopher Stalford.
Within Belfast City Council, the area was formerly part of the Laganbank District Electoral Area which had existed since 1985. It became part of the Botanic (District Electoral Area) for the first time in the 2014 local elections and in 2019 Emmet McDonough-Brown Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (son of Jimmy Brown (Irish republican), Sinn Féin), Tracy Kelly Democratic Unionist Party, Aine Groogan Green Party in Northern Ireland and Gary McKeown SDLP were elected to Belfast City Council.
The area formerly lent its name to the Belfast Ormeau Parliament constituency which was represented by Thomas Moles from 1918 to 1922.


A363 road

The A363 is a main road in the United Kingdom which runs through Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire. It provides a link between the small market towns of West Wiltshire and Bath, the M4 westbound, and the M5. It runs from the A4 at Bathford to the A350 at Yarnbrook, passing through Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge. It also links Westbury by merging with the A350.
Route.
The road starts off bypassing Bathford to the west. It then climbs up the hill known locally as "Sally in the Woods", on the edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which has been the scene of a fatal accident.
The road summits at the turn-off to Monkton Farleigh, at an altitude of 144 metres. After this, the road quality improves in that it widens and is straighter. This continues up to the approach to Bradford-on-Avon. Through Bradford-on-Avon itself, the road descends a steep 1 in 7 (14%) hill, known as "Masons Lane". This is the road's main bottleneck since this leads to Bradford-on-Avon's only vehicle bridge over the River Avon (which splits the town in two), and at this stage travellers have merged with traffic from Melksham, Corsham and Chippenham (B3109) which is fed here.
The road passes on towards Trowbridge. 1/4 mile (400 m) after "Town Bridge", traffic to Frome splits off upon the restart of the B3109 which had been concurrent with the A363 for a short distance, thus easing congestion. The road passes over a low hill, then descends into Trowbridge.
It is concurrent for a short distance with the A361, then emerges as "Bradley Road". There are three roundabouts as the road goes through North Bradley via the White Horse Business Park, to the south. Until the 1980s it passed through North Bradley's residential lane, but since the opening of the business park, the older road through North Bradley became declassified. The A363 then terminates at a roundabout with the A350 in Yarnbrook.
When it was first designated in the 1920s, the road continued on from Yarnbrook as far as Chippenham, but by 1948 this stretch had been redesignated as a continuation of the A350.


Motorcycle Mechanics (magazine)

Motorcycle Mechanics (Motorcycle, Scooter and Three-Wheeler Mechanics, also known as "MM") was a British monthly magazine founded in 1959 under Mercury House Publications. With the strapline "The illustrated how-to-do-it magazine", it initially concentrated on the practicalities of owning motorcycles as a domestic form of transport with a focus on home maintenance and repairs.
Published between 1959 and 1983, many copies carried the announcements: "World's largest sale" and "Largest sale". When founding-editor Robert Forrest Webb moved on in early 1962, successor editor Charles E Deane's message in June 1962 proudly proclaimed that, in three years from a new start, they had achieved the world's largest net sale of any motorcycle magazine.
As with other motorcycling periodicals, MM moved with the times, changing its name and format to suit readership requirements and fashion and technology advancements, along with a change of ownership in 1974.
In 1972 the masthead was reformatted to "Motor Cycle Mechanics" (MCM), then reverted to "Motorcycle Mechanics", followed by a brief spell as "Mechanics & The Biker" when it joined with sister publication "The Biker".
In 1982 it became known as simply "Mechanics", with the final edition in March 1983, from when it became known by the title of "Performance Bikes" which initially carried the cover-masthead "Performance Bikes & Mechanics".
The publication had a long association with the late journalist John Robinson, who had been with the magazine from 1968, then with Performance Bikes until his death in 2001.


Royal Enfield Thunderbird

The Royal Enfield Thunderbird is a cruiser style motorcycle produced by Royal Enfield Motors in India. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird is known as Royal Enfield Rumbler in export markets.
The predecessor of the Royal Enfield Thunderbird was the Royal Enfield Lightning 535cc cast iron 4-speed albion gearbox (right side gear shifter) engine, produced from years 2000-2002.
The thunderbird was first introduced in 2002 with a 350 cc AVL lean burn aluminium engine and a five-speed gearbox with the gear shifter on the left side. It is also the first Royal Enfield to be fitted with a constant vacuum MIKUNI-UCAL Carburettor in stock condition from the company. Initially manufactured models have 'MIKUNI UCAL' in 3D on the carburettors, while the later generation models were fitted with 'UCAL' carburettors from the company.
AVL stands for Anstalt für Verbrennungskraftmaschinen List (German for "Institute for Combustion Engines"), an Austrian-based automotive consulting firm as well as an independent research Institute.
The AVL Royal Enfield engine was first introduced in the year 2000 with a 4-speed gearbox (Albion Motors, Engine gearbox) with the gear shifter on the right side like the old cast-iron head-block Enfield engines on the iconic Royal Enfield Machismo with an AVL Aluminium Head block. The 4-speed AVL aluminum engines with right side gear shifter were produced from 2000-2002 (approx less than 2 years), where as, the 5-speed AVL aluminum engines with left side gear shifter were produced from 2002-2009 (approx less than 7 years). This makes the Royal Enfield AVL engines rare and quite the collectors item. The Royal Enfield Electra, Machismo and Thunderbird all would later share the same 5-speed AVL engine 2002 onward till 2009. The AVL engines when compared to the Cast Iron would share the same pre unit engine of 4 & 5 speed, but different head blocks of Aluminium or Cast Iron respectively. The AVL engine had a higher compression and shorter stroke when compared to the Cast Iron Engine. Both Cast Iron and AVL Engines would come with a manual decompress lever, as seen on the Royal Enfield AVL Thunderbird & Machismo.
First-generation AVL 5-speed engine Royal Enfield Thunderbirds were produced from 2002 to 2005. These consisted of CDI only as part of its electricals. The bikes were reliable and would start without the need of a battery, in company stock condition, making it more reliable than the Cast-Iron or the UCE Royal Enfield that needs a battery to start. The chassis were strong-thick-heavy-gauge used from the old cast iron Enfield's like the 350s/500s Royal Enfield Lightning, Deluxe, Standard Bullet, Machismo etc.
Second-generation AVL 5-speed engine Royal Enfield Thunderbirds were produced from 2005 to 2009. These consisted of CDI+TCI as part of its electricals. Due to TCI the bikes would require a Battery to start in company stock condition. Incorporating TCI in its electricals would help achieve a more consistent current from the battery to the spark plug.
In 2009, the AVL semi-unit engine was replaced with the new 346 cc unit construction engine (UCE). The bike was renamed Thunderbird Twinspark owing to the twin sparkplugs in the UCE. Lighter gauge chassis to reduce weight were incorporated inorder to improve performance. This led to a downgrade in terms of quality strength for the UCE Thunderbird as compared to the AVL Thunderbird, however, an upgrade in terms of performance for the UCE Thunderbird due to lighter weight leading to comparatively faster pickup. The final drive chain is moved to the right side and it is the most obvious change from the old model apart from the new engine. The first generation UCE Thunderbird would share the same 14.3 litre fuel tank and mudguards as the AVL Thunderbird along with 19 inch front and rear wheels. The fuel tank, mudguards along with seat, Meter-set, Handlebars, Pillion backrest, Headlight, signal lights, Foot pegs etc. on the later generation UCE Thunderbird models would be replaced with a larger 20 litre tank. The later models would also have an 18 inch rear wheel as compared to, the 19 inch rear wheel on the old Thunderbird. Later generation models would consist of the UCE engines as per BS3,BS4,BS6 Emission norms. A model of the Royal Enfield Thunderbird with the UCE engine called the Royal Enfield Thunderbird X would have changes to the rider triangle position.
Thunderbird 350 and 500.
In October 2012, Royal Enfield launched the new 350 cc and 500 cc variants of the Thunderbird with a facelift. It features front and rear disc brakes, a teardrop shaped fuel tank, a split seat, digital speedometer console and fuel gauge, projector headlamps, LED tail lights and various cosmetic improvements over the 350 cc. Thunderbird 500 gets fuel injection system while Thunderbird 350 operates on carburetor.Later, in 2020 Thunderbird 500 cc is now discontinued.
In 2018, another model was released named Thunderbird X in 350 and 500 cc with included ABS(Anti-Lock Braking System) .


A34 road

The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A33 and M3 at Winchester in Hampshire, to the A6 and A6042 in Salford, close to Manchester City Centre. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester. For most of its length (together with the A5011 and parts of the A50, and A49), it forms part of the former Winchester–Preston Trunk Road. Improvements to the section of road forming the Newbury Bypass around Newbury were the scene of significant direct action environmental protests in the 1990s. It is 151 miles (243 km) long.
Route.
The road is in two sections. The northern section runs south through Manchester and Cheadle, and bypasses Handforth, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, before passing through Congleton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and the southern suburbs of Stoke-on-Trent. It then continues south via Stone, Stafford, Cannock and Walsall, passes through the middle of Birmingham (where it briefly merges with the A41), before meeting the M42 motorway at junction 4 south of Solihull.
The northern section of the road in effect combines with the motorway network and then resumes with the southern section.
The southern section begins SSE of the northern section, at the Bicester () junction 9 of the M40 motorway. It continues south as the straightest (western) part of the Oxford Ring Road, crossing the River Thames on the A34 Road Bridge. It then bypasses Abingdon, Didcot, and Newbury before finishing at the southern Winchester turning of the M3 motorway, junction 9. This part of the A34 forms the E05 European route. It is a dual carriageway throughout.
Together with parts of the M3 and the M40, the A34 forms an important route carrying freight from Southampton to the Midlands. Because of the volume of traffic, bypasses were built along this route – at Newbury on the A34, and at Twyford Down near Winchester on the M3 – but these were controversial for environmental reasons. Notably instead of cutting a short road tunnel through Twyford Down, the escarpment was carved out for the road traffic of the motorway, though the route of the old A33 closed as a result.
In 2004 works were carried out, at a cost of £38 million, continuing the road without being interrupted by a roundabout at junction 13 of the M4 motorway, which had caused a "bottleneck".
In Drayton, near Abingdon (Oxfordshire) a junction used by construction vehicles to gain access onto the A34 during its construction still exists as a "closed road", a few miles from the nearest alternative accesses. Plans are in discussion regarding possible re-opening of this closed access point.
Future.
The idea that the proposed Oxford–Cambridge Expressway (linking the current A34 near Oxford to the A14 near Cambridge) will be designated as A34, does not have any official status.
History and renumbering.
The original (1922) route of the A34 was Winchester to Oxford, much shorter than it is today. It was extended to Manchester on 1 April 1935, replacing part of the A42 (Oxford to Birmingham through Shipston-on-Stour, Stratford-upon-Avon and Henley-in-Arden), A455 (Birmingham to Stafford), part of the A449 (Stafford to Newcastle under Lyme) and A526 (Newcastle to Manchester).
By 1953 the route was as follows:
When the Oxford Ring Road was completed to the west of Oxford in 1962, the old route through the city was renumbered the A4144. On completion of the Abingdon Bypass in the 1970s, the old route from the Oxford Ring Road through Abingdon and Steventon to Chilton was partly declassified (for ) and the rest renumbered A4183, B4017, A4130 and A4185.
In 1991, shortly after the completion of the M40 motorway, the road between Oxford and Solihull was renumbered. Between Chipping Norton and Solihull the road lost its primary route status and was renumbered A3400, and south of Chipping Norton the route became part of an extended A44. The A34 was diverted north from the Oxford Ring Road to the M40 along parts of the former routes of the A43 and A421. Much of the long-distance traffic formerly carried by the present A3400 now uses the M40 to Birmingham, and the M42 and M6 to by-pass the city.
When the Newbury Bypass was opened in 1998, the old route through Newbury became part of the A339 and the B4640.
The long planned and often postponed Alderley Edge bypass was completed in November 2010, ahead of schedule and within the £52 million budget. The official opening ceremony was conducted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, on 19 November 2010.