1981 Triumph TR8

• A right-hand drive, press launch TR8 Convertible with 124 miles from new.
• A rare survivor of the mass disposal of Triumph TR assets in 1981/1982
• Purchased through a British Leyland dealer by a 'friend of a friend' and spirited away
• Finished in striking Pharaoh Gold with a tan leather and plaid interior
• Effectively delivery mileage and carefully stored since

The TR6 that was replaced in 1975 by the four-cylinder TR7 was, without doubt, a flawed and old-fashioned design, however, it did maintain a heritage of open-topped TRs that originated in the early 1950s. Its demise came at a time when cutting costs and component sharing were the driving force behind Leyland product planning, leading enthusiasts to fear for the future of their once-proud brand.

Yet, waiting in the wings but delayed by constant strikes, lockouts, bickering, and bloody-mindedness was a V8 version of the TR7 that would make its appearance more than three years after the four-cylinder. A batch of 150 cars carrying the 'TR7 V8' designation had been built during 1977 but one of Leyland's now-legendary strikes ended the attempt to bring the model to market for 1978. Two years on and after shifting production to the Rover plant at Solihull, North American buyers were finally granted their first glimpse of a Triumph sports car that offered some serious performance attributes. Its tenure, sadly, was destined to be short-lived.

The TR8 that appeared on the North American market in July 1979 used the all-alloy 3.5-litre V8 engine that had been powering Rovers since 1966. Most of the initial build cars came with dual Zenith Stromberg carburettors - only those sold into emission-conscious California using fuel injection from the outset. Early TR8s were only available in Coupe form - the much-admired convertible not reaching the market until October of their introductory year.

Features of the production TR8s included standard power steering and a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission. The wedge-effect styling wasn't to everyone's taste and the trim in very '70s tartan-insert cloth dated even faster than the sheet metal, however, interior space and overall practicality were high on the list of positive attributes.

All but around 300 of the TR8s made were convertibles reflecting the preference of US buyers for open-top sports cars - especially since their domestic manufacturers had virtually forsaken the soft-top - but also to maximise the viability of the open-top TR7.

Offered here is a fabulous part of the Triumph TR story in the shape of an unregistered TR8 with just 124 miles from new. British Leyland had finally decided to introduce the TR8 to the UK and European markets in November 1981 and had assembled just fourteen right-hand drive cars at the Lode Lane Solihull plant some weeks before. These cars went to the press shop at the Triumph works in Canley Coventry for final preparation, detailing etc. prior to the press launch. However, chaos continued to rule at BL and the management picked this moment to cancel the whole TR range and plans to build the TR8 in any volume were scrapped. The order was subsequently given by senior British Leyland management to clear all vehicle stocks which included the fourteen un-registered and unsold TR8s languishing at Canley.

Happily, this particular car was spared from the impending disposal and was purchased by its first owner 'out of the back door' having been tipped off by a BL director friend and the sale was channelled through a British Leyland dealer. The history file contains the original V55/4.

The car is finished in striking Pharaoh Gold with a Tan and plaid interior and remains in a condition commensurate with its 124 miles. This special performance TR convertible is a very evocative piece of Triumph history that has been saved for posterity.