About your ROs - Steve Shaw and Eric Appleby
Tel: Steve 01329 519296
Tel: Eric 07566 220600
Email: ro@tvrcc-hants.co.uk
Profile: Primary RO: Steve Shaw
Forum username: Steven Shaw
I first came across a TVR in 1990 when my neighbour and fellow petrol head bought a brand new, bright red TVR S3. I owned a Ford Escort, RS Turbo at the time (I was very young!) and we used to race through the lanes of Dartmouth in Devon. I was also heavily influenced by a good friend, (Portishead) from the Bristol region. He had a (very leaky) Wedge, followed by a brand-new Chimaera, then a nearly new Cerbera. A fully certified petrol head, I started driving performance cars as soon as I could afford the insurance cover.
Over the years, I have gone through different phases with my taste in cars; I experienced a German phase – with BMW and Audi, a Japanese phase – with Subaru Impreza and Honda Integra Type R – and a British phase, which kicked off with a Lotus Elan and is now continued with TVR. My wife Jackie has been a very patient supporter of my ‘habit’, noting that I probably could have paid off the mortgage with all the money that I have spent on cars, but realises nevertheless that it is part of my DNA! I was drawn by the need to own a V8 powered sports car with bags of character. Memories of the sound, idiosyncrasies with and affection for TVR came flooding back and there I was; well and truly hooked.
My first TVR was a Starmist Blue 4.0 Chimaera which I owned for 8 years’. The hunt to find exactly the right one was an exciting, yet testing time as there were quite a few challenging examples around. However, primed with a huge amount of research and with my good mate Colin, a legend when it comes to all things automotive (even if he does drive a Ferrari!) I managed to get the right one. Aside from a replacement fuel pump and fuel lines the car has been utterly reliable, with services only involving the usual consumables. So, owning the car has surpassed my expectations. I even smile in the winter when the Tiv is mostly in storage mode as I know that it’s only a matter of time before it is back on the road. Nevertheless, every opportunity to use it during the winter periods is taken, as it would be daft not to indulge in the grin factor when ever possible. So I have now purchased a 5.0L Chim in a darker shade of blue and my love affair with TVR continues to blossom!
I have been a member of the club for 10 years and RO for 8 very ably supported by the Deputy RO Eric Appleby and a superbly motivated committee. Our membership grew by 30% last year and I look forward to Hampshire going from strength to strength. Our region is very active and we enjoy visiting and being visited. The secret of our success is HP; Horse Power and Happy People, which makes being part of this club such a pleasure.
Profile: Deputy RO: Eric Appleby
Forum Username: eric appleby
This year sees my tenth year of TVR ownership and membership of the best Car Club, and I have got to say, each year just seems to get better and better. I bought and collected my beloved, low mileage 5 Litre Chimaera from Fernhurst on my 50th birthday, and as midlife crisis go, I think this was a pretty good one. Since then I have tripled the initial mileage and enjoyed every minute of it.
My earliest forms of transport however had two wheels rather than four, and the staggering performance from Japanese Litre Superbikes only reinforced this, maintaining my interest in bikes to this day.
Before my TVR I bought and restored a wild looking Triumph TR8, it was a bit like triggers broom, with a bare metal respray, new engine, gearbox, uprated suspension and brakes, a leather and alcantara interior to name but a few! Lorraine (my wife) and I enjoyed many trips to Europe, enjoying the Italian Lakes, Swiss Alps, Spanish Pyrenees and may more.
On one of these European trips, our traveling companions had brought a TVR Pre cat Griffith 4 Litre, which sounded absolutely epic as we thundered through the many tunnels up in the mountains. I realised that no matter what I did to British Leyland’s finest, my heart was really sold to TVR, and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened.
I joined the TVR Car Club the very weekend I collected the TVR, and attended my first monthly meet barely a week later. The Hampshire Region was very inclusive and welcoming, and it was obvious from the start this was going to be a very different experience from the Triumph Drivers Club I had previously experienced. It is no surprise to me that the TVR CC has been voted the Best Car Club in the UK on more than one occasion, and in my time with Hampshire I have seen the club go from strength to strength and grow with lots of new members being welcomed each year.
Driving my TVR and enjoying the look and sound of it, is amazing, but doing it with other like-minded members takes it to a whole new level. Experiences I have enjoyed with friends and TVRs will stay with me forever, and give me a warm glow whenever I think of them. I am very proud to be part of our great Club and very happy to be involved in a small way in keeping the smiles coming.
By the way, if anyone asks….The Big Boys made me do it!