Peter Wheeler (TVR)
Encyclopedia
Peter Robert Wheeler was a chemical engineer from Sheffield
, 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.
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
. The cars produced under his control were typically stunning to look at, with incredible performance.
Wheeler died on 11 June 2009 after a long illness.
Evo Magazine
's former editor Harry Metcalfe said of Wheeler: "Peter Wheeler was one of those larger-than-life characters I thought only existed in novels. He always seemed to excel at anything he turned his hand to, despite not always doing things the easy way. He might have been quietly spoken but he possessed formidable drive and incredible presence (being 6ft 6in tall helped here), qualities that helped him build TVR into what it was in its heyday."
Speaking to CAR Magazine
, Ben Samuelson
, who worked with Wheeler for 12 years, said: "They were exciting, challenging and fantastic times. You never got bored – you didn’t know what was going to happen next! There were no committee meetings, he wasn’t a touchy-feely person, there were no group yoga sessions or anything; he was a proper boss."
Even after selling TVR Wheeler was still very much involved in the motoring industry, regularly racing an Aston Martin DB4
, and also designing the Scamander amphibious car.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, who owned the Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
-based TVR
TVR
thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
company for 23 years.
Wheeler made his fortune supplying specialist equipment to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
oil industry. After owning a TVR, he ended up buying the company in 1981. Wheeler sold TVR to Nikolai Smolenski
Nikolai Smolenski
Nikolai Alexandrovich Smolensky , , is a Russian banker and businessman and current owner of British sports-car manufacturer TVR....
in 2004 for around £15 million
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. Despite his background in chemistry, Peter Wheeler also contributed to the design of TVRs.
Under Wheeler's ownership, TVR moved from cars with Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
and Ford engines to using the Rover V8, and later the Speed Eight
TVR Speed Eight engine
The TVR Speed Eight was the name of a normally aspirated V8 car engine designed and manufactured by TVR. The engine was intended to power the TVR Griffith and the TVR Chimaera but delays in its production meant that it powered only the TVR Cerbera and the TVR Tuscan Racer...
and Speed Six
TVR Speed Six engine
The TVR Speed Six was the name of a normally aspirated straight-6 engine manufactured by TVR, and used in several of their cars including the TVR Tuscan, TVR Cerbera, TVR Tamora, TVR T350 and TVR Sagaris....
designed for TVR by Al Melling
Al Melling
Al Melling is an automobile engineer.- Fashion Design :At the beginning of the eighties he became involved in the fashion industry. He owned a company in London throughout the eighties which designed ladies’ fashion garments. As owner he became interested in the whole lifecycle of garment...
. The cars produced under his control were typically stunning to look at, with incredible performance.
Wheeler died on 11 June 2009 after a long illness.
Evo Magazine
Evo Magazine
Evo is a British automobile magazine dedicated to performance cars, from hot hatches to supercars. The first issue was produced in November 1998 as an unofficial successor to Performance Car, which had been closed and integrated into Car Magazine by publisher Emap. "Evo" is published 13 times a...
's former editor Harry Metcalfe said of Wheeler: "Peter Wheeler was one of those larger-than-life characters I thought only existed in novels. He always seemed to excel at anything he turned his hand to, despite not always doing things the easy way. He might have been quietly spoken but he possessed formidable drive and incredible presence (being 6ft 6in tall helped here), qualities that helped him build TVR into what it was in its heyday."
Speaking to CAR Magazine
Car Magazine
Car Magazine is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Automotive. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Brazil, China, Greece, India, Mexico, the Middle East, Poland , Romania, Russia, South Africa , Spain, Thailand and Turkey...
, Ben Samuelson
Ben Samuelson
Ben Samuelson was in charge of the PR and marketing for British sports car manufacturer TVR from 1993 until 2005, and is the brother of the British television actress Emma Samms.-TVR:...
, who worked with Wheeler for 12 years, said: "They were exciting, challenging and fantastic times. You never got bored – you didn’t know what was going to happen next! There were no committee meetings, he wasn’t a touchy-feely person, there were no group yoga sessions or anything; he was a proper boss."
Even after selling TVR Wheeler was still very much involved in the motoring industry, regularly racing an Aston Martin DB4
Aston Martin DB4
The DB4 is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. It was an entirely different car from the DB Mark III it replaced, though the 3.7 L engine was externally visually related to the 2.9 L unit found in that car....
, and also designing the Scamander amphibious car.