TVRs still intrigue me to a significant degree, owing to their humble workshop origins to the extensive use of the lovely Ford Cologne V6 engine. The wedge-shaped styling is hard to resist, too, but that’s a subjective choice. The Tasmin shows up fairly often despite being produced in limited quantities, which either suggests the production numbers were underreported or just that a lot of owners made strides to keep their obscure British roadster in good order. This 1983 TVR Tasmin has just 30,000 miles from new and presents very well, wearing sharp black paint over a lipstick red interior. Find it here on craigslist near Chicago for $16,500.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L. for the find. The Tasmin had the kind of shape that makes you think it would be useful as a door stop given the nose seemingly drops to being mere inches off the ground. The shape was just one element of its appeal, as the Tasmin was also quite clearly a child of the 80s. The loud decals on the body, the BBS basketweave alloy wheels, the dual exhaust blasting out the addictive notes of the Cologne V6 – this was a loud car, despite being compact in size. The Tasmin was seemingly the most popular of the TVR models as it’s the one that shows up for sale the most frequently despite its small-batch construction. The soft top appears to be in good shape and the cosmetics look tidy for a car this age.

The interior is absolutely stunning and has almost certainly been redone at some point. Most of the Tasmins we see in unrestored condition usually reveal a cockpit in tatters, so this is very clearly a re-do in aftermarket leather or vinyl. The color may be a little off from the factory, too, as the floor mats look to be a shade darker; no matter as it presents very well and is likely light years better than what was in there previously. The seller reports that the TVR was a longtime Florida car before moving north, which could indicate the original interior was heavily sun-damaged. The good news is that it hasn’t lived in Illinois since new, so hopefully the undersides look as good as the exterior surfaces.

The Cologne V6 is one of my favorite engines and I wish I had found some way by this point to own a car equipped with this sonorous six-cylinder. Many TVRs are low-mileage, which would hopefully suggest that the engines are relatively problem-free. But that’s not always the case, as years of sitting rarely does a drivetrain any good. The seller reports he has poured several thousands of dollars in maintenance into the TVR recently, including “all brakes and fuel system” being replaced. To me, that suggests the TVR was sitting in a Florida garage for a spell before the seller got his hands on it and performed the necessary refreshes. Nothing wrong with that, and given it still looks as good as it does, I’m sure it was well-loved before entering anything approaching a hiatus from the road.