Affordable British Muscle: 1980 Triumph TR8

To my mind’s eye, the Triumph TR8 is one of the best values in the classic and muscle car market today. A few years ago, I thought we were about to see prices spike after a few high dollar sales, but it seems to have settled back down into a new reality that sees most of these limited-production muscle cars selling around $10,000, give or take a few grand. If you’re looking for a muscle car while retaining some sophistication that only the British can deliver, the TR8 may be one of the best ways to experience both car communities at a reasonable price. Check out this 1980 model listed here on craigslist for $6,500.

A few years ago, I pursued a TR8 near my in-laws in a Georgia mountain town. The car is still there and I guarantee you very few folks know about it. I did engage with the owner and he was open to selling it, but it simply wasn’t enough of a draw for me price-wise to give it a go. Still, I see him – and hear him – every now and again, and it’s such an enormously cool car with the manual transmission like this one has. I’ve also always loved the decals on the back, letting you know this isn’t a garden variety TR7. The seller reports that this example is painted Persian Blue with an amazing tartan cloth interior.

See, this is what I mean about British style with V8 grunt – it’s truly the best of both worlds. One of the best ways to experience a TR8 without actually owning it is to check out this driving video from Michael’s Motor Cars of Lancaster, PA; I know Michael personally and he always does a great job of bringing you along for the ride (note: the car in his video sold several years ago.) They weren’t the fastest sports car you could buy, but I always dig it when a manufacture decides to throw caution to the wind and drop in an engine purely for the sake of additional performance. Plus, the V8 in this TR8 is cheap as chips to service.

The Rover-sourced 3.5L V8 has a long history in the automotive universe, and one that’s built on the backbone of a mill that began its life in a Buick. The engine is a known quantity, in other words, and while not enormously powerful, it sounds incredible with a free-flowing exhaust. In stock form, the engine pushed out 133 horsepower when equipped with a carburetor like this example has, and around 165 lb.-ft. of torque. The seller notes this car will need some basic reconditioning including rust repair, interior refurbishment, and other general sorting, but the price is right for such a rare specimen. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jack M. for the find.