British Corvette: 1982 Triumph TR8

Ah, yes: the Triumph TR8, otherwise known as the British Corvette and one of the coolest cars the automaker has ever made. There’s a small but loyal following for these cars today, as it is still somewhat unrecognized as a desirable and attainable classic. While you won’t get one for a bargain basement price, the $22,000 being asked for this 1982 model listed here on craigslist still seems quite fair when considering the rarity, the performance, and in the case of our subject car, the fact that it was completely restored by a local club with full documentation. For a collector-grade performance car, that’s pretty hard to beat in today’s market.

Credit the quality issues plaguing British-Leyland for the TR8 never enjoying its day in the sun (at least not yet.) The Prince of Darkness was no stranger to the likes of Triumph, and as such, it may have been hard for the motoring public to see the appeal of a V8-powered roadster. However, the car world did eventually realize it was sleeping on the TR8, and enthusiasts on both sides of the pond warmed to the rare model in the following years. After all, even with all of its foibles, a British roadster is still immensely charming, and finding one with a snorty V8 under the hood paired to a manual transmission fixes most any quality concern with one blip of the throttle.

Other issues made the TR8 a hard sell, mostly having to do with the global economy. The TR8 was an expensive car in the states, outpacing many other sports models from the U.S. and Japan available for less without a dramatic difference in performance but a potentially huge swing in quality. After all, a Datsun 280ZX didn’t have nearly as many electrical gremlins as a British brand at the time, but it certainly couldn’t emit the same engine and exhaust symphony the way a TR8 could. Sadly, only 2,750 TR8s were sold, with all of them spread across the U.S. and Canada.

The seller’s car was apparently found in pieces, and is one of only 70 or so 1982 models sold in Canada, according to the seller. It wore Cashmere Gold paint when it was new, and this is a deliciously period-correct color; I would absolutely respray it this shade if it were mine. The listing notes that the engine grenaded in the late 90s and was disassembled before the owner fell ill and the project stalled; the car was acquired by a local Triumph enthusiast club and put back together to the tune of $16,000 CDN, not including bodywork and fresh paint (why they didn’t go back to the original color is beyond me.) Horsepower seems humble at 148 when fuel injection was introduced, but Lord, it still has a great bark. What a cool car! Wish it was in the U.S. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.