KHP533V

TPZDV8AT

201675

BAP207721

PLATINUM SILVER

JAJ

KHP533V

15E00002

This car first appeared on the club scene in 1991, in a partially restored state, as shown above on the Hampshire TRDC club stand. A similar photograph appears on the colour back page of the TRDC magazine issue 4 of 1991, which you can check to prove no AI has been used to alter anything.

Of particular note is the second set of wiper spindle holes, which are completely clean and free from any signs of rust. This clearly indicates that, up to that point in 1991, the car had only been fitted with left-hand-drive (LHD) wipers. As production ceased in 1981, this suggests that the vehicle remained in LHD configuration for approximately ten years after production ended.

Furthermore, evidence of significant work around the bulkhead area strongly suggests that this was the point at which the conversion to right-hand drive (RHD) was actually carried out. This appears inconsistent with claims that the conversion was undertaken by the factory ten years earlier, and instead indicates that the RHD conversion was performed much later and most probably at the time of the photo and restoration.

Shown here is KHP532V, a sister car in the identical colour scheme with a sequential registration number. Offered for sale on a garage forecourt, it remains in left-hand-drive (LHD) form and, significantly, carries the same large Triumph laurel emblem rather then the expected TR8 badge. It is registered as a TR7 with DVLA as it KHP533V.

 

Approximately 1993 A few years later, after the restoration had been completed, Rex Holford, who restored the car and became its first widely recognised owner, made the following statement to fellow enthusiasts:

“This car was used by the factory as a press demonstrator for the automatic TR8. To make it easier for UK journalists to drive, the factory converted it from left-hand drive to right-hand drive.”

Research Article written 2025 –  Martin Cox who was head of the Press Department stated when asked about TR8 press cars in the UK said “To the best of my knowledge we were never  involved in the preparation of a TR8 for the press” See web page HERE

Research Article written  2025 – Factory records show no known LHD cars were ever converted by the factory to RHD. See web page HERE

 

Rex Holford, quite a few years later, made the following claim/statement in an article on the TR Drivers Club website indicating the car was a factory methods build car.

“KHP 532V, KHP 533V, KDU 315V and LVC 358V are good examples of the first Californian-specification cars built in 1979 and could be regarded as methods-built vehicles. None of these cars left the UK and they were sold at a later date. All remain on the road today and are reported to be in good condition.” See the web page here: HERE

2022 Sold at Auction September – close to 25K

September 2022, Emrhys Barrell became the car’s new owner, he later applied for a Heritage Certificate 14th August 2025, expecting it to confirm that the vehicle had been factory-converted to RHD and may have served as a development car. However, when the certificate arrived, it identified the vehicle as a standard USA spec left-hand-drive TR8 fitted with an EFI engine and automatic transmission.

Dissatisfied with this outcome, given the claims that had previously been made about the car, Emrhys Barrell challenged the findings and insisted that the Heritage Trust amend the certificate to reflect what he believed to be the vehicle’s true history.

2025 As Heritage was unable to locate any official records to substantiate the claims, it approached the TR Register to seek verification.

The request was subsequently passed to Dr Christopher Kenneth-Smith who replied by email to Heritage as follows

This is KHP 533V – the car was a development TR8 BUT it was originally LHD as per the VIN number. Whilst at the factory it was taken and converted to RHD but retains most of it’s LHD legacy It was restored some years go, and, if my memory serves, the remnants of the conversion can still be see on the firewall. It was owned by Rex Halford, died a few years ago, and he was well known in the TR8 world, so there is little doubt out the above being correct This is similar to other cars that ‘claim’ to be factory RHD cars but there is enough evidence (in particular the engine number and body number) that points them to being a development car and not pre-production / genuine RHD.
My thoughts, if they are asking for a certificate, is that your headings remain as below but the notes mention that it was used in the development of the RHD TR8

Research Article written 2025 – Factory records show no known LHD cars were ever converted by the factory to RHD. See web page HERE

Research Article written 2025 – The RHD TR8 project was not given the green light to start until April 1981 so it is impossible for this car to have ever been connected to that project in any way. One of the first RHD EXP cars to be built in April 1980 was automatic to fulfil the role this car claimed to have. See web page HERE

Heritage issued a new certificate to Emrhys Barrell 3rd September 2025

Restoration Show March 2026 TRDC stand

 

Below are information sheets on display ay NEC written by Emrhys Barrell based on Rex Holford’s original claims but now the claims are further increased and exaggerated with the addition of Christopher Kenneth Smiths claims on the Heritage certificate

Research Article written 2025 – Martin Cox who was head of the Press Department stated when asked about TR8 press cars in the UK said, “To the best of my knowledge we were never involved in the preparation of a TR8 for the press” See web page HERE

Research Article written  2025 – Factory records show no known LHD cars were ever converted by the factory to RHD. See web page HERE

 

Friends sent me the above pictures and said the Heritage certificate with the car which they  hadn’t seen, claimed the car was part of the RHD TR8 project.

March 2026 I spoke to Christopher Kenneth Smith via messenger, and he told me he had made sure Heritage were FULLY aware that the car was not converted by the factory and he provided a copy of the email he claimed to have sent to Heritage. However, you will note it is different to the one actually sent to Heritage which actually says Whilst at the factory it was taken and converted to RHD

This was the email copy sent to me by Christopher Kenneth Smith

This is KHP 533V – the car was a development TR8 BUT it was originally LHD as per the VIN number. There is no evidence that when it was at the factory it was taken and converted to RHD and retains most of it’s LHD legacy It was restored some years go, and, if my memory serves, the remnants of the conversion can still be see on the firewall. It was owned by Rex Halford, dies a few years ago, and he was well known in the TR8 world, This is similar to other cars that ‘claim’ to be factory RHD cars but there is enough evidence (in particular the engine number and body number) that points them to being a development car and not pre-production / genuine RHD. My thoughts, if they are asking for a certificate, is that your headings remain as below but the notes mention that it was used in the development of the RHD TR8

I questioned Christopher Kenneth Smith further. Just re reading the above you said “This is KHP 533V – the car was a development TR8 BUT it was originally LHD as per the VIN number” how do you know it was a development TR8? I have never found any proof other than what Rex said. Thanks Richard

Christopher Kenneth Smith replied

Basically, the same way you reached your conclusion – it’s logical that it was as it was retained by BL – the majority of retained cars were dev or press cars – i didn’t see any articles in the press with it, so logically it was the other – of course, it could be management car, USAF Export retention etc – registration was part of a batch done by the BL office team at the same time as dev cars

At this point, it was clear that something was amiss with what Christopher Kenneth Smith was saying, so I decided to apply for a copy of the Heritage Certificate myself. Somewhat ironically, it arrived on 1 April 2026.

As I knew that Christopher Kenneth Smith had connections within Heritage and given a previous incident in which he claimed that Heritage had verified information relating to the 22 right-hand-drive TR8s but turned out to not be the case, my initial reaction was that this was an elaborate April Fools’ joke. I contacted Christopher Kenneth Smith and said, “Very funny, now tell Heritage to send me the real certificate.”

However, he appeared genuinely perplexed as to why I had received it, and I quickly realised that this was no joke.

Christopher Kenneth Smith then hurriedly attempted to walk back his earlier statements across the various 7/8 forums he runs or frequents.

I contacted Heritage and requested that they substantiate the information they had provided. Unable to do so, they immediately withdrew the claims supplied by Christopher Kenneth Smith, issued a corrected certificate, and assured me that a similar situation would not arise in the future. They also issued a revised certificate within the next hour.

I considered the provision of unverified information by a club registrar for inclusion on a Heritage Certificate to be a serious breach of responsibility and, at the very least, grounds for resignation. Accordingly, I referred the matter to the TR Register, which undertook an investigation into the issue.

The TR Register report did not appear to achieve anything at all constructive and seemed more inclined to want to sweep the matter under the carpet and blame the owner Emrhys Barrell.

The report concluded:

“I respectfully suggest that this is the end of the matter, and we all learn from our mistakes”

Additional Note:

During a conversation with TR Register Chairman Mick Forey at Triumph in the North on 4 July 2026, I asked about the issue. He clarified the situation by acknowledging that Christopher Kenneth Smith had provided incorrect information to Heritage. However, he stated that Christopher Kenneth Smith had been placed under considerable pressure by the owner, Emrhys Barrell, to do so. Mick Forey also stated that, in his personal experience, he found Emrhys Barrell very difficult to deal with, as did other members of the club. He said that, in light of this, he could understand why Christopher Kenneth Smith had yielded to that pressure.

There is a record of the conversation with Mick Forey for verification of the above.

Conclusion

I will leave readers to draw their own conclusions from these regrettable events. However, I would suggest that this unfortunate episode highlights the difficulties that arise when the true facts are obscured in order to support an owner’s preferred narrative concerning a vehicle, only for that narrative subsequently to be repeated and reinforced by successive owners and, in this instance, by a TR Register club official Christopher Kenneth Smith despite the absence of supporting evidence.

I would also suggest IMHO that there are never any justifiable grounds for inventing or misrepresenting information, regardless of the circumstances or any external pressure. Equally, given that TR Register Chairman Mick Forey stated to me that he and others within the club found Emrhys Barrell to be “difficult”, I question whether all aspects of Christopher Kenneth Smith’s actions were truly assessed impartially. It also raises the issue of whether any pre-existing prejudice towards Emrhys Barrell may have influenced the fairness with which Christopher Kenneth Smith’s conduct was considered, in favour of appearing to put all the blame on Emrhys Barrell. He had, by the time of the report being written, regrettably passed away, and was therefore unable to answer the allegations or defend himself. I hope that, by raising this point here, I have gone some way towards redressing that imbalance.

The inevitable consequence is that a purchaser acquires a vehicle on the basis of a provenance that does not, in fact, exist. In this case, that was regrettably the position with Emrhys Barrell.

It is to be hoped that this serves as a reminder of the importance of honesty, transparency, and the careful verification of a vehicle’s provenance.

“Footnote: The records associated with this car have been corrected and the car will be sold with an accurate description.”

Leaving the issues discussed above aside, the available evidence indicates that the car was owned by BL at some point, most likely as a management vehicle or a vehicle retained for legal or administrative purposes, although no records have been found to confirm its precise role.

Rex Holford kept the car in excellent condition and enhanced it with a rare blue velour interior. As a result, regardless of any debate surrounding its provenance, it remained a particularly attractive and well-presented example, making the price paid by Emrhys Barrell entirely understandable.

Lastly, ALWAYS ASK FOR PROOF. Anecdotal accounts, hearsay, statements attributed to previous owners, or claims based solely on the recollections or opinions of club officials, registrars, or other individuals do not constitute acceptable evidence. While such information may provide useful leads for further investigation, it cannot be regarded as proof in its own right. What is said verbally, without evidence to back it up, is worth no more than the paper that it isn’t written on, because it’s verbal.