1980 TVR Tasmin – Project Profile

The landscape of British car makers has changed a lot over the last fifty years. Many great names have fallen by the wayside, or have been acquired by other brands only to be swallowed up and never seen again (looking at you, Rover). In the case of some brands, it’s not hard to see why they fell from grace. After all, the early days were all about survival of the fittest, and it was the companies with the deepest pockets that survived. As the years rolled on, cars and their brands found their respective niches and all was well for a while. However, even then the pressures were too great for many, with the likes of Marcos, Bristol and so on folding. 

One that fought to the bitter end was of course TVR. Frankly, we thought it would be around forever. It seemed to flourish where others in the same high-end, low volume sports car segment floundered. Its cars were mad and brash, and while they weren’t exactly the last word in reliability, they were loved by both the motoring press and owners. Sadly though, it wasn’t enough, and TVR closed the doors of its Blackpool factory in 2012. There have been murmurs of a rebirth, and a new, single, road-legal Griffith has been seen, but that’s about it. As such, we have to celebrate the cars of old, which leads us neatly onto this week’s project of choice. 

What is it? 

The car here is a 1980 TVR Tasmin, which makes it special, as 1980 was the launch year for this model. It also served to show how TVR was evolving, as once again this model featured a big V6 engine, this time a 2.8 Cologne with Bosch fuel injection. Yes, the same engine found in the iconic Capri 2.8i and the Mk2 Granada. In the Capri, it was ample, but in the featherweight (1,074kg) Tasmin, that 160bhp felt like an awful lot more. The Taimar before this was a handful with a 3.0 Essex, but the snappy, responsive Cologne made the Tasmin even more of a handful, which was fine. After all, that’s what we’ve always expected of TVRs, right? 

It was a car of firsts, too. It was the first TVR to be offered with an automatic transmission. It was the first production car to feature a bonded windscreen and also have the aerial integrated into the rear window heater (fancy). It was also one of the first TVRs to really show the company as a builder of out and out production cars, not, as they had been seen prior, elaborate kit cars. This was important for TVR, given it did indeed start off by offering its cars as kits. It wanted to break from that image to be seen as something more premium. 

The TVR-designed fibreglass body sat atop a tubular steel space-frame chassis, which unusually for 1980 was powdercoated to help stop corrosion. It boasted disc brakes at each corner, fully independent suspension (Jag at the rear, so inboard brakes). Inside, the Tasmin made no secret of its luxury intentions, with customs seats from Callow & Maddox, wood veneer, a six-dial dash and electric windows.

Why is it a project?

The advert doesn’t say a great deal, however it’s obvious from the images that the car has been sat idle for a long time. That said, it does seem to have been stored inside rather than out. Had it been the latter, we wouldn’t be suggesting you buy it! It’s just a tired, unloved old car. This is the unfortunate path that some old cars go down, despite being desirable models. 

The vendor states the car does run, which is good. However, engine parts for the 2.8 Cologne are common, so there is nothing to worry about even if it does have knocks and bangs. The vendor also confidently states that the chassis is free of serious corrosion and instead, just has surface rust. We’d be inclined to take that with a pinch of salt though. If there is surface corrosion, the powder-coat has failed. There could be more terminal rot hiding. 

The interior is, by the advert’s own admission, poor. Not least because the seats aren’t original. The dash is apart and it all looks very untidy. Some serious money would have to be spent to bring this back up to spec. Remember, the Tasmin was a luxury sports car. 

On the whole, this tired Tasmin strikes us as being a decent candidate for restoration. They’re rare now, which makes it worth saving. More importantly though, unlike so many other project TVRs, this one seems to be largely complete, meaning at best you have everything you need, while at worst you have stuff you can use as a model for new parts/trim etc.

At a mere £3,500, this Tasmin is cheap, which should further grease the wheels of desire. It runs, it’s complete, and it’s incredibly cool even as it sits. Do it. Save this old Blackpool speed machine.

Five things to look for? 

1) Rust

Yes, the seller says the chassis seems solid, but it’s a TVR. You need to check it for yourself, and check it thoroughly. Don’t wear your Sunday best to view, you’re going to be rolling around on the floor!

2) Trim

As we mentioned above, the car looks to be largely complete bar the inclusion of the wrong rear seats. But, what about everything else? Can the dash be salvaged? Is the glass in decent condition? Pillar trim, bumper inserts, the list goes on. 

3) Wheels

The wheels look to all match and they also seem to have the centrecaps still in place, which is a bonus. But what condition are they in? Can they be refurbished? Are they damaged or cracked? You want these to be salvageable, as finding another set will be tough.

4) Engine

The seller states the engine runs, which is great. And given it’s a common engine, parts are easy to find. But still, check the oil and water, check for noises and rattles. If it needs a new engine, you would rather know now, right?

5) Body

The Tasmin is a fibreglass body, which is great as it doesn’t rust. However, fibreglass can weaken over time, it can become brittle and it can crack. You need to make sure it’s not too far gone. Repair is a messy, sticky affair. Paint will need to be done by a specialist. 

What should you do with it? 

It’s a rare machine, so if there is enough there to get it restored up to original condition, that would be the ideal way to go. Mechanical parts are easy to get, and trim bits in general aren’t too bad as the Tasmin was a ‘bitsa’ using components from other makes and models. It looks to be reasonably up and together for a project, so we would lean into the restoration angle hard. 

However, if the chassis is in a bad way, if it’s going to be prohibitively expensive to bring this car back up to spec, there is always the option to repair, strip and race. The Tasmin was and still is a popular race car. The engine is massively tuneable, the suspension too. It could be a different, but deeply fun and exciting track car.