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1984 TVR 280i

Coupe

There were just 110 280i Coupes built starting in 1977, and the last one built in 1986. Of those built, only two dozen were sent to North America.

The 280i Series was designed and engineered by Lotus Cars for TVR Engineering. The cars were all hand assembled from custom-made, and off-the-shelf parts. At the time this car was built, TVR had a total of fourteen employees, and made a total of 270 cars of different models, for the year.

This example was purchased by the present owner off eBay and came from Hollywood. The purchaser was the only individual to bid on the car. At the time, the car was not drivable and it took the new owner many hours to find and make parts for it.

The TVR 280i, also known as the Tasmin, was produced from 1980 to 1988. The car featured a wedge-shaped design clothed in fiberglass that was both sporty and exotic. It was available in a 2+2 coupe or convertible configuration. The car had a tubular spaceframe chassis, a Bosch fuel-injected V6 engine offering 160 horsepower, a four- or five-speed manual gearbox, and an optional three-speed automatic. Much of the running gear was sourced from Fords; the suspension and steering were from the Ford Cortina, the gearboxes were from the Cortina and Sierra, and the four-wheel disc brakes were from the Granada.

The Tasman was TVR's last car to be exported to the United States.

The Series II appeared in 1981 and brought with it many vast improvements. In 1983, the Tasmin name was dropped and the car was renamed the TVR 280i.

The car came standard with an AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player. The upholstery was suede velours and ambla. The doors contained ashtrays, power windows were standard, and a vanity mirror was concealed in the sun visor.

by Dan Vaughan