As some of our long-time readers may recall, Jesse and Josh restored a rare TVR Tasmin and documented the progress here on Barn Finds (ironically enough, one of their other projects is now being sold via the site’s first-ever auction – check it out!) That’s why this claimed low-mileage 1987 TVR Tasmin 280i here on craigslist caught my eye, as it’s one of the few that I’ve seen since theirs went up for sale. This slightly tatty TVR is listed for $8,500. 

Said to be fresh out of long-term storage in an Arkansas collection, the seller claims it has around 13,000 miles on it and is strictly a fair-weather driver. The body isn’t perfect but the panels are straight, despite some rough paint in places. The Tasmin is said to run strong, and the 280i model came equipped with Ford’s Cologne V6, a motor with plenty of punch for a light-weight car like this one (it makes some pretty nice noises, too).

The interior looks as nice as the seller describes it, with untorn leather and a wood dash that remains uncracked. In fact, the only issue inside is a non-working radio. Like seemingly every TVR we spot, there are loose wires hanging under the dashboard. The seller notes that the top is worn in a few places and that this car has the clever half-roof / targa option in addition to the ability to fold the entirety of the top into the rear boot.

Though the coupe would be my weapon of choice, those are seemingly even harder to find than this rare convertible. Purportedly only 1,176 V6 cars were produced, but I’ve not been able to confirm that number; regardless, this is still one of the rarer cars to appear on craigslist without a multi-million dollar price tag. The seller is right that this shade of brown paint isn’t seen too often, but it seems perfect for a car hailing from the awesome 80s.