Home Market TR8's 

 HOME 

I have researched the records in Heritage and as a result can state that there were only 18 RHD home market TR8's built at Solihull with the first batch of 9 being put through the manufacturing process late 1980, however they weren't released from manufacturing until after the Christmas holidays so the build records show the final build date as being Jan 5th. I have to conclude therefore that all 18 were built/completed in 1981 contrary to a number of publications giving two batch's of 9 in 1980 and another 9 in 1981.

I have recently received information that suggests that two TR8's one Silver and the other Green were built on the production line at Canley to UK Home Market Spec as test production run cars for the assembly line at Solihull this would make the total number of UK TR8's produced 20 (at the same time approximately 10 1981 model year LHD TR8's were also built again as test production run for Solihull). Further research has now found a further two TR8's built at Solihull - see below -now suggests there may be as many as 30 RHD DHC TR8's and a large number of FHC RHD TR8's.

Extra 2 Solihull TR8's recently identified - record cards appear to be missing from the Gaydon records!

In order to put the record straight on these almost mythical cars the information for these cars appears in the correct numeric order in the build records for Solihull.

Type approval for a RHD TR8

See below for 18 of the RHD home market 1981 Solihull TR8's build cards

TR8 UK/402960TR8 UK/403014TR8 UK/403024

TR8 UK/403034TR8 UK/403044TR8 UK/403054

TR8 UK/403062TR8 UK/403072TR8 UK/403082

TR8 UK/403592TR8 UK/403731TR8 UK/403736

TR8 UK/403741TR8 UK/403746TR8 UK/403751

TR8 UK/403761TR8 UK/403764TR8 UK/403767

Information from British Car Auctions at Measham confirm that 22 registered and 14 un-registered cars were sold by them in the period August - September 1981. It is strongly believed that the 18 cars above were included in the auctions. Some data is available on the cars sold - see below

4th September 1981, Cars in - Cavalry Blue, Triton Green, and Bordeaux Red.

Other than the obvious RHD steering all the 18 UK TR8's had the commission plates on the suspension turret ala other UK spec cars - see below.

Information as to what happened to some of these cars is scarce - three went to the Patric collection and were sold of later when that collection broke up - one before it reached the Patric collection - two were used by BSM for advanced driving - others ? - so I'd be very grateful for information anyone has on what happened to the others.

Additional UK Spec TR8's built at CANLEY and SPEAKE