The rock legend Rick Wakeman is backing a bid to rescue the luxury sportscar brand TVR from administrators, it emerged today.

Melling Sports Cars, based in Rochdale, which counts the former Yes keyboard player on its board, has tabled an offer for the business, which collapsed four months ago.

Melling’s move has won the immediate backing of union leaders desperate for a bidder to save 300 jobs at the TVR factory in Blackpool.

Al Melling, the founder of Melling, who unveiled the "British Ferrari" — the £100,000 Hellcat — last year, has committed to making the TVR cars at the Blackpool site.

Russian tycoon Nikolai Smolensky, the former owner of the company, wanted to shift production overseas.

Andy Robertson, the regional industrial organiser at the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: “Mr Melling’s bid is a welcome one which shows confidence in a workforce that has taken a fair share of blows in the last few months.”

Mr Smolensky bought TVR three years ago. Administrators were called in at the end of October, a week after the tycoon announced plans to close the Blackpool factory.

He is understood to have tabled a rival offer to buy back the business.

Mr Robertson said the T&G was concerned that administrators would simply take the highest price, rather than take UK jobs into consideration.

He added: “This is a nerve-racking time. Of course we are hopeful that the Melling bid is successful but, equally, we have our feet on the ground and will wait to see what the outcome of the administrators’ process is.”

Founded in 1947, TVR is Britain’s largest independent maker of sports cars.

It was set up by Trevor Wilkinson, who used three consonants from his first name for the company title.

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