Peter Wheeler, Former TVR Owner, Died At 64

Peter Wheeler was a chemical engineer from Yorkshire, UK, who owned the Blackpool-based TVR sports car company for 23 years. Wheeler made his fortune supplying specialist equipment to the North Sea oil industry. After owning a TVR, he ended up buying the company in 1981. Wheeler sold TVR to Nikolai Smolenski in 2004 for around £15 million. Despite his background in chemistry, Peter Wheeler also contributed to the design of TVRs.

(1944 - 2009)

Under Wheeler's ownership, TVR moved from cars with Triumph and Ford engines to using the Rover V8, and later the Speed Eight and Speed Six designed for TVR by Al Melling.After making his money in oil equipment, Wheeler purchased TVR back in 1981 from Martin Lilley and owned it until 2004, when he sold the firm to young Russian plutocrat Nikolai Smolenski. Over the 23 years he was at the helm, however, Wheeler presided over not just the company's financials, he was present in virtually every decision the specialty car maker made, from model choices to styling decisions. He even raced his company's own creations in the TVR Tuscan Challenge.

Wheeler, 64, leaves behind a rich legacy of uniquely styled, uniquely uncompromised driver's cars from a brand we still hope has a future. Richard Meaden has penned a nice memoriam of Wheeler over at Driver's Republic – click on the link below to check it out.

Peter died on 12th June 2009 after a short illness.