1981 Triumph TR8

The 1981 Triumph TR8 was powered by an all-aluminum 215 cubic-inch Rover V-8 engine that produced 137 horsepower. It differed from the 1980 version with the loss of the carburetor system and was replaced with a Bosh L-Jetronic fuel injection unit. This gave the car an additional four horsepower over the 1980 engine. The car came standard with a five-speed gearbox but could be purchased with an optional 3-speed automatic unit. It was available as a coupe or a convertible and priced between $11,100 - $11,900. The appearance was similar to its TR7 sibling, except for the hood bulge which was necessary to hide the V-8 powerplant. Air conditioning was the only option available in the car.

Production of the Triumph TR8 began in 1978 and continued through 1981. It is estimated that approximately 400 examples of the TR8 coupes were built, with most production examples being convertibles. It is estimated that approximately 2,750 examples were convertibles, with some estimates being as high as 2,815 examples. Both the TR7 and TR8 were produced until October 1981.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2010