Engine

The Source of the
Resource

A pre-serpentine 4.0 BV RV8 fitted in a 1993 TVR Chimaera. Picture copyright RV8Resource.

Mark Burley’s 101” forward control Land Rover. Picture courtesy of Mark Burley

Fit and remember

The original engine, the GM Fireball, first saw the light of day in the 1961 Buick Special. It lasted just two seasons.

Once picked up by Rover, see The history below, they dropped it in their luxury P5 in 1967, changing the nomenclature to P5B to designate it as Buick powered. The same designation was used with the compact executive saloon, the P6B a year later. The final use for it in a Rover was in the very successful 3500, generally known as the SD1, in 1976. In the meantime a 4.4 litre version, developed in this country, was used in the Leyland (Australia) P76 saloon and fastback.

The Range Rover was not inspired by the RV8, a vehicle between the Land Rover and the P4 being considered in the 50s, but what is true is that the engine made the vehicle. It created the genre. Many other manufacturers have aspired to the crown but Range Rover is to luxury 4x4s as Hoover is to vacuum cleaners.

Land Rover went looking for customers for its RV8-powered 101” military forward control in 1972. Despite less than 2000 being produced a number are in private hands. The first public Landy to be fitted with the RV8 was the suitably named 109” Land Rover V8. With the introduction of the much revised range in 1983 the engine was fitted to the 110” and 90”. The Discovery, launched in 1986, had the RV8 as an option, and probably the best one.

What might have been is an enjoyable pastime and the MGB GTV8 (officially MG MGB GTV8) is a favourite subject. Even brought in at the time of a petrol crisis one might have thought that its intrinsic worth would have allowed it some degree of success. However, Federal requirements for hideous bumpers, allied to the company’s reluctance to have a more attractive design for non-USA vehicles, meant that it did not enthuse the buying public. Around 2500 units has to be classed as a failure in marketing terms.

The TR7 was the next sports car to be tried with the RV8, gaining the name TR8. It was never officially marketed in this country. The rest of the world managed to buy just a few hundred more than the MGB GTV8 and this attempt too has to be seen as a failure.

Just to show the engine’s versatility, Freight Rover modified a Sherpa to take the RV8 although this was not the first commercial vehicle it had been fitted to, the Leyland (Australia) Terrier taking that accolade.

In comparison to MG’s and Triumph’s inability to make a success of the installation of the RV8 in a sports car, some of the few independent English car manufacturers showed what could be done. In 1968 the Morgan +8 rolled out to gasps of wonder. For the company, producing a handful of cars a week, the +8 was a total success although production figures were quite low. It took TVR to show how to sell RV8 engined sports cars in relative bulk.

In 1983 Peter Wheeler installed the RV8 in 3.5 form in a Tasmin (280i), renaming it the 350i. It steadied the firm and 1986 it was slotted into the very popular S model range in improved 3.9 form. However, it was the introduction of the stunning, 150mph+ Griffith in 1991 that really took TVR to the public’s heart. The

later Chimaera outsold the Griffith, bringing TVR’s RV8 production up to getting on for 10,000 units.

Mention must be made of the TVR Tuscan Challenge. It was the premiere one-make sports car series for years, almost guaranteeing full gates to most circuits, powered originally by a 400+bhp RV8. TVR’s in-house V8, the AJP8, replaced the RV8 in the Tuscan, and its straight 6, the Speed 6, in most of the road cars. One wonders if TVR would be around today if it had stuck with the RV8 for a bit longer.

The engine is all but perfect for high performance kit cars and it provides the motive power for many Cobra replicas, including the rather lovely BRA 289 Cobra. Ginetta offered it as an option in their G27 and G33, Westfield in their SEight and others, Marcos had it in their Mantula and it was a cheap option for GT40 look-alikes.

It was used in cars meant for the track as well, including the Lotus GKN 47D (Europa) sports racing car, the Triumph TR7 V8 and Morris Marina rally cars and, most notably, the Brabham Repco F1 car of 1966 had a much modified engine based on the original Buick Fireball.

The mighty Metro 6R4 had an engine based on the RV8. Indeed the prototype engine was little more than a hacksaw job. Whilst a V6 might feel a step too far from the V8, it was much closer to it than the 6R4 was to a Metro.

This is not an exhaustive list of the cars the RV8 graced. It also has a history of being the replacement engine of choice, there being many owners of Stags exasperated with overheating problems and those of Scimitars that who were looking for a bit more power and refinement who have chosen it over the original fitting.

Below: 50th anniversary Land Rover. Picture courtesy of Mark Burley