1980 Triumph TR8

Triumph installed Rover's all-aluminum 215 CID V8 engine into the TR7 body, resulting in the TR8. The engine had been used in early 1960s GM compacts and several British automobiles after Rover purchased the tooling. As one would expect, the TR8 was similar to the TR7, except the TR8 had a large bulge in the hood to accommodate the larger V8 engine. (The TR7 had a 2-liter four-cylinder unit). The TR8 was available as either a coupe or convertible coupe, with pricing beginning at around $11,100 for the coupe in the United States. The convertible would set the buyer back an additional $800.

The overhead-valve eight-cylinder engine produced 133 horsepower and 174 ft-lbs of torque. This was significantly more than the TR7, which had 88 horsepower and 100 lbs-ft of torque.

Cars supplied to California came equipped with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, which became standard on all TR8s for 1981. A five-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission was available. Standard features included cast alloy wheels, tinted glass, AM/FM stereo, metallic paint, and power rack-and-pinion steering. The only option was air conditioning.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017