The TG183 was an unconventional design for its era. Its most distinctive feature was the use of twin rear wings, a configuration intended to maximise downforce in the turbulent aerodynamic environment of early-1980s Formula One. More unusually still, the car's radiators were mounted in the front wing assembly rather than in conventional sidepod positions. This layout proved problematic in practice: the front-mounted radiator arrangement caused aerodynamic instability at high speed, with the nose of the car moving unpredictably. The front wing configuration was eventually replaced with a more conventional setup to address the handling problem.
Rory Byrne was the lead designer of the TG183. Byrne would later become one of the most celebrated designers in the sport, responsible for the title-winning Benetton and Ferrari cars of Michael Schumacher's championship years.
The TG183 made its race debut in the final two rounds of the 1982 Formula One season, driven by Derek Warwick. For 1983, Toleman introduced the updated TG183B specification and expanded to a two-car entry, pairing Warwick with Bruno Giacomelli. The TG183B continued into the first four races of the 1984 season, where it was driven by Ayrton Senna — making his Formula One championship debut — alongside Johnny Cecotto, the Venezuelan former FIM 350cc and Formula 750 motorcycle World Champion.
The TG183B was powered by the Hart 415T turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a customer unit that gave the car genuine straight-line punch despite its relative aerodynamic and mechanical limitations compared to the works teams.
Ayrton Senna drove the TG183B in the opening four rounds of the 1984 Formula One season. His performances in the underpowered Toleman drew immediate attention: even in an uncompetitive chassis he regularly ran ahead of more fancied machinery and demonstrated the raw pace that would define his career. The TG183B period established Senna's reputation within the paddock and paved the way for his subsequent move to the more competitive Lotus team.
The TG183B's final race meeting was the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola — the only occasion in Senna's career that he would fail to qualify for a Grand Prix. The circumstances were unusual. A dispute between Toleman and tyre supplier Pirelli had led the team to switch to Michelin rubber; in response, Toleman elected not to run on the first day of qualifying rather than continue to use Pirelli tyres. In the second qualifying session, held in wet conditions, Senna's Hart engine suffered a fuel pressure problem at the Tosa corner — the furthest point of the circuit from the pit lane. He was unable to return to the pits within the remaining time and failed to set a qualifying lap.
The TG183B was replaced after the San Marino Grand Prix by the Toleman TG184, which Senna and Cecotto campaigned for the remainder of the 1984 season. The TG184 was the car in which Senna famously ran second at the rain-soaked Monaco Grand Prix before the race was controversially stopped.
The TG183 occupies a particular place in Formula One history primarily as Senna's debut machine. The design itself was adventurous but ultimately flawed, and Toleman remained a midfield or back-of-grid team through this period. However, Rory Byrne's involvement as designer is a footnote that gains significance in retrospect: the same designer who produced the unconventional TG183 would later create the most dominant cars of the Schumacher era at Ferrari.