Stored Twenty-Five Years: 1985 TVR 280i Convertible

In early 1900s England, kids left school at thirteen or fifteen or eighteen to apprentice in a shop. Blacksmiths, mechanics, stone masons. In 1937, one Trevor Wilkinson left his school to begin work at a local garage. He was fourteen. By the time he was 23, he had his own automaking enterprise. A few years later, he was producing chassis for privateers and other makers, and soon, cars badged “TVR”. As the company evolved, its independent suspension chassis/glassfiber body/Ford sidevalve engine package became a comfortable pathway to ever more models. Never a large producer, annual production ranged around a few hundred cars. By the time 1980 rolled around, the company had changed hands a few times thanks to repeated financial collapse. Its new idiom was the wedge, and it introduced a series of models beginning with the Tasmin utilizing a narrow nose profile designed by Oliver Winterbottom. Later, this car was christened the 280i, and that’s what we find here on eBay: an unrestored 1985 TVR 280i convertible. This car is bid to $4600, and no reserve is in play. The new owner will pick it up from Norman, Oklahoma.

Propelling the 280i is a 2.8 liter Ford Cologne (named for Ford’s German plant) V6 with its fuel mix handled by a Bosch K-Jetronic unit. This engine was rated at 160 hp in Europe, but about 145 once it was federalized for the US; reaching 60 mph took about 10 seconds. The transmission is a four-speed Ford manual gearbox. TVR robbed plenty of parts bins to cobble up its cars – Renault, Jaguar, Rover and others contributed bits to make the 280i. Our seller notes that after its long slumber, the engine needs a proper start-up procedure before trying to crank it – something he was not willing to do. The engine does turn, however. The underside is clean, though the fiberglass bodywork gives it a substantial pass on rust issues.

The interior has that 70’s hangover styling, with rectangular “pods” holding gauges, switches, and the glove box. Though other automakers were finding ways to make instrument panels more ergonomic by the mid-1980s, TVR remained a bit behind the times. Still, the leather seating surfaces, real wood trim – albeit lifting in a few places – and generous instrumentation were appreciated by buyers. This example has air conditioning and power windows.

The convertible has a three-position top, offering fully up, fully down, and targa-style configurations. This top needs a few repairs to its stitching and it already sports a repaired tear. In a couple of photos, the white paint appears yellowed, particularly on the nose. The seller notes that the front spoiler has a crack. TVRs are not common in the States, and finding TVR-specific parts such as interior trim can be challenging. But the price of entry is very reasonable even for a concours example (which might run you $20k). Would you tackle the resurrection of this TVR?