1991 TVR 450 SE

Still in the hands of the chap who bought it new, ‘J273 EFU’ is a Ruby Mica TVR 450SE. Supplied by Team Central TVR on the 1st of August 1991, it comes with one of the best-documented histories we’ve seen.

Thought to be one of the last, if not THE last, 450SE ever built, factory records in the history file shows the build began in June, with the car being delivered two weeks before the 1st of August 1991, which contradicts popular wisdom that they didn’t build any 450SEs that late…

Only for sale as his advancing years are making it hard for him to get under the bonnet to maintain it, this is a true Collector Grade example of a genuine British legend.

The Ruby Mica coachwork is in exactly the sort of condition you’d expect give its one-owner-from-new status. In fact, it’s probably better than that because it’s actually a one-careful-enthusiast-owner-from-new example that’s only covered a little over 10,000 miles in its 33 years on this planet.

The top of the facia was dyed to match the Ruby Mica body paint. Dorothy (TVR's company secretary) suggested this to stop reflections, and also said she would put the 450 SE decal that is under the doors in a new place as normally they were centred.

It’s a genuine time-warp of a car and as close to how it came from the factory as you’re ever likely to find; restored cars have their place, but a car is only original once and many collectors prize originality above (almost) everything else.

The gold decals, which complement the tan roof, are still very impressive. Sure, there is a little fading to the one on the offside front corner but that’s because it’s rubbed through from being polished over the years - and patina doesn’t get any better than that.

The rest is still just about how it would have looked when he took delivery of it all those years ago. Panel gaps and shutlines are impressively good for a fibreglass car of the era, the asymmetric bonnet louvres run straight and true, and the paint still has a fine shine to it.

The lamp lenses are bright and undamaged too, and the headlamps pop up and down to order. Even the subtle front lip spoiler, which is easily caught on sleeping policemen and the like, is unscuffed.

Our favourite view though might be the rear end, which features a huge spoiler on the boot lid and an equally impressive diffuser under the rear bumper. There’s a mighty exhaust tailpipe too, but then it does have to flow an awful lot of gas to produce 320bhp…

The window glazing, including the windscreen, is unmarked although we note some very slight delaminating to the windscreen around the edges. It is very slight though and wouldn’t concern us in the least.

The folding tan roof is equally impressive. Rising and falling as it should, it tucks away neatly when it isn’t needed and seals tightly when it is. It is also free of rips, tears and other damage, and the plastic rear window is still clear and unfaded. The stitching looks good and tight.

The 15-inch, split-rim alloy wheels are in an unmarked condition. Built by O.Z. Racing , they feature a polished rim. They are free of both lacquer loss and kerbing scrapes and fitted with a matching set of Pirelli Cinturato P7 tyres.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for faults, the sort of thing you might like to remedy, the fuel filler cap has a small and barely noticeable crack in it. It doesn’t extend any more than about a tenth of the way across and we only mention it for completeness.

If you were impressed by the coachwork then prepare to be stunned by the interior because it is in an even better condition.

Practically unmarked, the magnolia leather seats, which bear the TVR name stitched into the backrests, are in a fabulous condition. Lightly ruched in the centre panels, the outside edges, the bits that always show wear, are both unmarked AND still as taut and firm as the day the car rolled off the production line.

The magnolia hide trim extends almost everywhere else including the door cards, the front of the headlining, the gearlever and handbrake gaiters, and the centre console – and the top of the dashboard is trimmed with a deep, rich burgundy that not only matches the coachwork but also provides a nice contrast to the magnolia that’s been used everywhere else.

The wooden Momo steering wheel and wooden gearknob complement the walnut veneer used on the instrument panels and glovebox lid and, as you’d expect given its mileage and dedicated curation, everything is still like new with bright white lettering to the controls and instruments, excellent carpets, and a clean and taut headlining.

The main instrument display contains the speedometer and rev counter, while the auxiliary panel in the centre console contains instruments that monitor voltage, coolant temperature, time, fuel level, and oil pressure.

Which brings us neatly to the TVR’s faults. The voltmeter isn’t working but this is only because the seller’s hands are too big to fit through the aperture to reach the fastenings!

The Rover V8 fires into life with only a brief squeal from the fanbelt. It soon settles into a quiet idle though – well, it does until you press the throttle in which case its true nature comes out; nothing converts money into noise better than a TVR, eh?

And yes, of course the engine bay is as clean and well-maintained as everywhere else.

And it’s not just clean, it’s well preserved too as it still has the factory stickers and chassis plate in addition to excellent paintwork and very good underbonnet sound insulation.

Oh, and the Fram oil filter bears the legend 18.08.24 in Sharpie, both of which are reassuring touches.

NB: The seller has the original radiator in his garage. He replaced it with this aluminium version after the original sprung a leak but it’s available should the winning bidder want it.

He also has the original tyres, which are age-perished and unusable but are nonetheless an interesting historical note should the new owner want them too.

As we mentioned earlier, the TVR’s history file is one of the most comprehensive we’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s so comprehensive and meticulously curated that it extends to not one but two files with the owner cataloguing the contents as follows:

MAIN RED FOLDER: contains the old logbook from when he changed the name of his house, the new logbook, old MoT certificates and expired tax discs (some have fallen down behind the glovebox as they slip when removed from the magnetic tax disc holder), and invoices for work that’s been carried out over the years.

2ND RED FOLDER: contains all the other bits relating to the car, both pre- and post-purchase. These include two service books, the one that came with the car and another that was sent pre-delivery so that he could read it on his birthday!

There is also some advertising memorabilia from the period, Christmas cards from the factory and the supplying dealer, the manual for the Sony face-off radio that’s fitted (the original radio will be supplied with the TVR) and the key for the wheel centre caps.

PHOTO ALBUM: still in the postage box that was used to send it, the album includes pictures taken throughout its build, plus the inspection and order sheets with details of the changes that were made to its standard specification.

The TVR’s MoT certificate, which is valid until August 2025, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the TVR comes with two sets of keys comprising door and ignition keys plus those needed to arm and disarm the alarm in the glovebox plus the alarm fobs.

If you’ve ever fancied a wedge-shaped bit of British sportscar history then this is the car for you: with just the one owner from new and an ultra-low mileage that’s backed up by an impeccable provenance,

Cars of this quality are always in demand too, among enthusiasts and investors alike, so moving it on again shouldn’t be unduly onerous.

Best of all, its condition probably won’t be fully reflected in the final hammer price as our estimate is a paltry £25,000 to £30,000.

The canny enthusiast will be thinking about buying something V8-powered like this while they still can; it won’t be long before we’re all driving EVs and ruing the day we could buy something so magnificent for so little.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.