Refurbishment of TVR’s new Welsh factory under way shortly
The Welsh government has finally selected its preferred contractor for the refurbishment of TVR’s new factory in Ebbw Valley, South Wales
TVR has confirmed that refurbishment work on its new factory in Wales will begin shortly, now that the Welsh Government has selected a preferred contractor for the project.
A delay has stalled production of the new TVR Griffith, which was originally intended to enter production at the start of the year.
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The Welsh Minister for Economy and Transport confirmed on 10 June that a suitable contractor had been selected. TVR claims the delay in making the announcement was due to a “number of unknowns” in the building, such as the discovery of harmful substances, the condition of the main roof and the condition of the building’s fire safety system.
TVR’s chosen site is a 200,000 square foot facility in the Ebbw Valley, South Wales. When complete the factory will be used to build the British brand’s Aston Martin Vantage-rivalling Griffith sports car, creating around 150 new jobs.
Aston Martin also uses South Wales as a production facility, using the nearby town of St. Athan for production of its new DBX SUV.
Production of the new Griffith at the new Ebbw Vale factory is slated to begin later this year. It’ll be powered by a Cosworth-derived 5.0-litre 500bhp V8 and will be made using the iStream production process conceived by ex-F1 designer Gordon Murray.
Accounts filed at Companies House in late 2017 revealed the Welsh government spent £500,000 on acquiring a three percent stake in TVR, while the Welsh taxpayer also provided the brand with a £2 million loan.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: “[TVR’s] move to Wales offers an exciting opportunity to create over 100 much needed, well paid new jobs in the Valleys. We look forward to them being an important employer within our Tech Valleys programme, which aims to create 1500 jobs over the next ten years.”
Back in 2016, when TVR announced its intentions to move into the Ebbw Vale factory, chairman Les Edgar said: “This is a fantastic opportunity both for TVR and the Welsh Government. South Wales is becoming a major hub for automotive and motorsport technology and development and the area is a serious opportunity for business development and job creation.”
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