FHC V8’s “TR8 Pre Production”

The most clearly identified early TR8 Coupe vehicles are as follows:

• X840 – TR8 Coupe
  Engine: CL1UE
  Description: No. 2 prototype, Bosch injection, later fitted with Master carburettors (1977)
  Registration: TLB 254M (August 1973)
  Notes: Period imagery indicates left-hand drive (LHD).

• X843 – TR8 Coupe
  Engine: X1343E
  Registration: UXC 582M (May 1974)
  Colour: Silver Grey
  Notes: Photographed undergoing testing in Wales alongside TR7 X828 (negative no. 94811, colour). The car is also recorded as having been offered for sale. Period images confirm LHD configuration.

• X858 – TR8 Coupe
  Engine: ITV/3.5/1A
  Colour: Red
  Role: V8 general development vehicle, including use as a “pave” car in 1977
  Notes: Steering configuration (LHD/RHD) not recorded.

• X859 – TR8 Coupe
  Engine: ITV/3.5/3A
  Role: V8 general development vehicle
  Notes: Steering configuration (LHD/RHD) not recorded.

Following these early development cars came the ACN-series vehicles, numbering approximately 150 in total 77/78, some of which were retained in the UK for testing and development purposes.

Two examples further down on this page —HOJ 156W (LHD automatic, white with black nylon cord trim) and XUA 16X (RHD manual, white with red check trim)—display clear evidence of bonnet modifications consistent with those seen on much earlier prototype vehicles. This strongly suggests that, despite their 1980 and 1981 registration dates, these cars originated at an earlier stage of the programme or incorporate major components from earlier development cars.

It is therefore highly likely that these vehicles were either rebuilt from cars officially recorded as scrapped, or assembled using parts salvaged from scrapped development vehicles. Given the practices and record-keeping of the period, the precise origins of these cars may never be conclusively established.

FHC V8s – “TR8 Pre-Production?”  – There are a significant number of fixed-head coupé V8 cars whose past and present owners claim they are factory pre-production TR8s. In many cases these cars either have no chassis number, are identified only by a body number, carry a TR7 chassis number, or in some instances appear to use a manufactured or incorrect chassis identity.

The claimed histories attached to these cars can be highly creative, with any element of truth often buried somewhere beneath layers of assumption, embellishment, or outright invention. Given that these vehicles are generally offered at substantial prices, buyers should insist on verifiable proof, not anecdotes.

Some of the cars discussed elsewhere on this site were sold at the Measham auctions in August/September 1981. Those cars can be confirmed as genuine British Leyland test, development, or experimental vehicles, even if certain details of their individual histories remain unclear.

Clear guidelines for establishing proof are set out on the front page of this website and should be read thoroughly before considering any car lacking a chassis number and/or a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate.

What Does Not Constitute Proof

A letter or information sheet from a current or previous owner stating that:

• a named individual “worked on the car” at BL Motorsport or the Abingdon methods department,

• the car was “sent to America for testing and later returned”,

• or similar uncorroborated claims,

does not constitute proof.

Despite this, people continue to buy such cars at high prices without any verifiable documentation. Why this continues to happen is difficult to understand. The position here is straightforward: no proof, do not buy. Regardless of how compelling the story may sound, it is likely to be fabricated at worst, or heavily embellished at best.

What Actually Happened at the Time

A considerable number of pre-production, test, and development V8-powered cars were built at the Speke plant in Liverpool. When the plant closed and production moved to Canley, these cars were gathered together, loaded onto transporters, and sent south.

Peter Wilson, an engineering consultant at British Leyland, recalled seeing approximately three transporters carrying TR8 pre-production, test, and development cars from Speke to Canley.

Upon arrival, the cars were inspected by Garry Owen, TR8 Manager at Canley/Solihull. According to Garry, the majority were in extremely poor condition and were therefore consigned to scrap. When asked what “scrapping” entailed, he explained that:

• chassis plates were removed,

• vehicles were deregistered with the DVLA,

• number plates were removed,

• and the cars were either sent to external scrapyards or, where parts were usable, distributed internally within BL to be cannibalised as required.

The cars that survived this process retained registrations in the R (1976), S (1977), and T (1978) series. By contrast, many of the so-called “oddball” cars now claiming early pre-production status carry V (1979), W (1980), or X (1981) registrations. This is inconsistent with vehicles that were fundamentally built between 1976 and 1978.

There are legitimate exceptions. Later TCN-chassis TR8s built in 1979–1980 are known, and those cars can reasonably carry later registrations. However, when a vehicle is claimed to be an early pre-production car (which should carry an ACN TR8 or possibly an ACL/AVW TR7 chassis number) yet displays a later registration, it is entirely appropriate to ask more detailed questions.

Once number plates and registrations had been removed, many of these cars were effectively re-registered by subsequent owners. Over the years, a number have resurfaced bearing only body numbers, often because this was the only remaining identifier.

The most likely conclusion is that some employees at the time found ways to acquire these vehicles for themselves, friends, or family members. Precisely how this occurred is unclear, and anyone with reliable information on how these cars left British Leyland would be encouraged to help clarify that please.

The ones not scraped

Those “FEW” deemed to be worth keeping were later sold at Measham such as SHP658R which does still have a chassis number which in this case, is a genuine TR8 one, ACN00012.

SHP658R LHD MANUAL Brooklands Green – Green check trim – Earliest known surviving registered UK TR8

This car is the one shown in Hardcastle’s Rover V8 book, note the SPRINT makings along with a V8 fitted which match exactly SHP658R.

Cars that have surfaced in Auctions recently

JVC842V RHD MANUAL Brooklands Green – Tan nylon cord trim

Was auctioned at Mathewson’s and sold for 17k. This car has a TR7 chassis number ACW with a 13E engine number which was the engine series commonly used on a lot of test/preproduction/development cars. It has often been said sometimes a TR7 shell was used, as is the claimed case here, but I have always wondered, as surely it would have been a lot easier and quicker to use a TR8 already built up than to spend a lot of time modifying a TR7. ACW is a LHD North American chassis number, so the car would have originally been LHD. As the car is now RHD its more likely this was done later after it was sold rather than the factory having done it. Why send it to the USA for testing and then ship the car back when it was normal procedure to leave the car over there, instead of incurring costs to ship it back once the test results were known. I can’t help but think the history claimed is a bit mixed up here as the dispatched to USA on 12th of April seems to have come from a Heritage certificate for just a straight forward USA TR7. However, this car was sold at Measham Friday 14th August 1981 for £4300 so it is certainly a genuine test/development/exp car, more than that currently can’t be confirmed.

The seller/Owner Claimed History for this car but no absolute proof I have seen. As this has a TR7 chassis number it should be possible to get a heritage certificate.

This car was built as a TR7 at the Speke Merseyside factory between 16th
and 20th March 1978. It was taken off the line and converted to TR8 spec
and was dispatched to the USA on 12th April. There is no trace of a
destination dealer, and was sent to the States for evaluation and testing
purposes along with others. It was equipped as what was to become
known as USA California specification, which included fuel injection and
catalytic convertors!, although sometime in the car’s history these were
removed to increase power.
The car was brought back to the UK, and presumably converted to right
hand drive. It was registered in the UK on the 2nd January 1980 to BL
Cars(Triumph plant) Canley, Coventry CV4 9DB.
The car was subsequently sold on 5th February 1982 to a private collector
with connections to the factory, where it remained until 14th January
1994. Since then there have been 2 changes of ownership. The mileage
on the clock is genuine and indeed some years the mileage was as low as
75 miles. Between Jan 1983 and Apr 1996 (13 years) the total mileage
covered by the car was 6059 miles!
Under the bonnet is a 3 ½ litre Rover V8 engine having the American
spec and air conditioning unit. As built with the catalytic convertors the
power output would have been approx 148bhp @ 5000rpm. Torque
would have been approx 180lbs/ft @ 3000rpm., and estimated top speed
of 126mph.
The car has not been modified in any way apart from the fitting of new
coil springs, shock absorbers and anti-dive bar.
Genuine TR8’s are rare cars. The exact number made is not exactly
known. It is believed there were about 70 pre-production models built for
testing, approximately 2600 made in left hand drive for the American
market, and it is known that only 18 were made in right hand drive for the
home market in 1980 and 1981.
My wife and I have owned this car for 27 years, and during this time it
has been meticulously maintained. It was professionally restored in 2013
by the specialist vehicle restorers ‘The Carrosserie Company’ in Barnard
Castle with no expense spared.
The car (now 45 years old) has covered just 34,000 miles to date, which
can be verified by all the MOT certificates since 1983. A very large
history file comes with the car.

HOJ156W LHD AUTO White – Black nylon cord trim

The auction description and subsequent valuation of this vehicle rely on a number of assertions that are not supported by verifiable evidence. When examined against known Triumph TR7 production history, factory practices, and documented auction records, several significant inconsistencies arise.

1. Auction Valuation Context

The vehicle initially failed to sell at Historics Auctioneers with a highest bid of £13,000. Given that a comparable TR7 of more desirable specification (right-hand drive and manual transmission) achieved £17,000, the £13,000 bid appeared entirely reasonable in market terms. The vehicle’s later sale at £19,000 represents a premium that is difficult to justify, particularly in light of the unresolved identity and provenance issues outlined below.

2. Absence of Chassis Number

The vehicle does not carry a chassis (VIN) number. This is a fundamental issue, as without a chassis number it is impossible to:

• Confirm the exact year of manufacture

• Verify factory build records

• Corroborate claims of development or pre-production status

• Authenticate any specific factory history

Any claims made regarding build date, factory location, or development use must therefore be regarded as speculative.

3. Registration by Body Number

The car is registered under body number T044276CG. While it has been suggested that this could indicate one of the incomplete or scrapped vehicles from the Speke plant, there is no documentary evidence to substantiate this claim. In the absence of factory records or contemporaneous documentation, this remains conjecture rather than proof.

4. Engine Number (13E Series)

The vehicle is fitted with a 13E-series engine, a series known to have been used in a number of test, pre-production, and development vehicles. While this may indicate early or non-standard usage, an engine number alone cannot establish the status of the entire vehicle. Without a chassis number linking engine and shell in factory records, no definitive conclusions can be drawn.

5. Claimed Build Year Discrepancies

The auction description claims a build year of 1981, yet the vehicle is registered on a W-plate (1980). An actual 1981 registration would require an X-plate. Moreover, by late 1980 and into 1981, TR7 production was effectively at its conclusion, and the construction of development vehicles at that stage would be highly unlikely as the factory was winding down operations.

Further confusion arises from an additional claim that the car was built at the Speke, Merseyside factory between 16th and 20th March 1978. Without a chassis number, it is unclear how such a precise build window could be determined, rendering this assertion implausible.

6. Styling and Badging Evidence

The vehicle’s badging and design features correspond to early pre-production 1976–1977 specification, consistent with known early cars such as SHP658R. This styling does not align with a 1978 build date, nor with any suggestion of a 1980–81 origin. An alternative source indicates the car may have been built in 1976, which would better match the observed features, but again this cannot be verified definitively.

7. Claimed British Leyland Disposal Sale

The vehicle history states that it was sold during a “great sale of vehicles” by British Leyland on 29 December 1980. The only well-documented large-scale BL disposal of vehicles was the Measham auctions held in August and September 1981. This vehicle does not appear in the Measham auction records, and there is no known evidence of a comparable sale on the claimed December 1980 date.

Conclusion

While the vehicle may be of interest due to its unusual features and early-type components, the auction description relies on a narrative that is not supported by verifiable evidence. The absence of a chassis number, conflicting build dates, unsupported claims of factory and development history, and inaccuracies regarding documented BL disposal sales all undermine the credibility of the description.

As such, the premium value ultimately achieved appears to be based on unproven assertions rather than demonstrable provenance. Any assessment of this vehicle should clearly distinguish between what can be established and what remains speculative.

The seller/Owner Claimed History for this car but no absolute proof I have seen. As this has no chassis number and only a body number it would not be possible to get a heritage certificate.

This examples bodyshell was assembled and painted at the Speke factory in early 1976. It was then transported to the Longbridge factory Methods Build Department for final assembly as a test vehicle. The car was assembled in a way to test the feasibility and variations required for assembly line processes. This vehicle was specifically set up for the American market with looming emission regulations and in a left hand drive variant therefore it has twin two-way catalytic converters, EGR and manifold air blowing systems. Fuel tank sealed vent system and charcoal canister. The emissions from this car are as good as modern-day vehicles. This type of vehicle was meant for manufacture as the TR7 V8 (later known as the TR8) specifically but not ultimately intended for production in the Speke factory. Due to events and industrial relations at the time this never happened.

During development HOJ 156W was initially used as a runabout for Mr Bob Hart of the Longbridge Methods Build Department, he used it for as long as he could get a supply of unleaded fuel sent down at the time from the Speke factory. It was then stored away at the Longbridge factory for some five years. Development vehicles such as this would normally be crushed but because this car had been used by the factory and was road worthy (registered under a factory number HOJ 156W to BL Cars Ltd Longbridge), when BL Cars had a great sale of vehicles on 29^th December 1980, it was able to be sold. The first private owner was Mr R K Johnson, he had worked at the factory and had been keeping a good eye on the car, he jumped in and purchased it as soon as it became available on 9^th January 1981.

Mr Johnson owned the car for several years then sold it to a close friend who also happened to work at the Longbridge factory, a Mr T C King who purchased on 23^rd March in 1988. Mr King thought it would be good to use it for hill climbing racing events and as a result became a lesser vehicle. The car was sold again three years later and suffered a bit more neglect with an owner who didn’t understand the importance of the car, indeed the car was in a bad way and required a fair amount of restoration when it was purchased by our vendor, a Triumph Owners Club member, Mr Ian Tinsey on 14^th February 1992. Initially, the car was to be a long-term project car, and Ian remembers driving it home hoping it would make it! However, when he started working on the car he noticed rather unusual items/design details that didn’t align with the car so he began to research, once the history had been traced it became evident that the car was unique and needed to be restored to the original factory specifications.

Not what he has anticipated but upon every turn he only found more provenance so a full nut and bolt restoration to exacting standards, as it would have been with the Methods Build Department, was undertaken insuring that parts the car was made from were preserved. A left hand drive non-sunroof example, this is as it would have been at the factory…perhaps better! The odometer reads just 27,614 miles and the restoration which was completed in the 90’s is still fresh today. The car has graced many club and national events to document the TR7 history, the history file is comprehensive and holds letters from ex-Longbridge employees remembering and detailing the car, one even drawing a map as to where the car was stored.

This restored to original specification, retaining its development/prototype designs example of the TR7 V8 is not only full of Triumph and British history but it is also a car that could be driven and enjoyed should you wish, even the air conditioning runs ice cold. Coupled to the three speed BorgWarner automatic gearbox, this TR7 V8 has to be viewed to be appreciated, put aside an hour to enjoy the history file because this is a very special car. Consigned by Mathew Priddy

HVC565V RHD MANUAL Black was yellow! – Red check trim

Was auctioned on eBay final price not known. This car has a correct TR8 chassis number ACN00023 but the story of being built by BL Motorsport is very doubtful with no proof supplied. Also as this is essentially a 77 car by its ACN number it seems odd the registration plate is V which is 1979 some two years after it was built. However this car was sold at Measham August/September 1981 so it is certainly a genuine test/development/exp car, more than that currently can’t be confirmed.

The seller/Owner Claimed History for this car but no absolute proof I have seen. This car has a TR8 chassis number ACN00023

The owner tells us the car was built as one of a small number of V8 prototype TR7s, a different car to the TR8 or DIY converted home brew V8s,
so was owned by BL for the first few years, evidence of this being the under bonnet sticker denoting it as a V8 TR7 (note early stickers all said TR7V8 so not that special and certainly not any indication of the car being different). Its then thought, to have spent time as a development car for the BL competitions department before being sold to Dennis Golding, a sports race car garage in London who the current owner acquired the car from around 1990 when he used this fire breathing, rear wheel drive manual beast as his everyday car, no doubt surprising a few BMWs and 3 litre Capris at the traffic lights!

When he stopped using it, it was parked in this barn where is has remained untouched.

XUA16X RHD MANUAL White – Red check trim

This car has no chassis number and is registered with a body number T0524776CG so could be one of the scrapped cars from Speke but very hard to prove one way or another. It does however have the engine number 13E00001 which indicates it was indeed a test/pre production/development car as that engine series was used almost exclusively by such cars. Another source I have access to states this car was actually built 1975 which would tie in with the very low engine number and welded additional bump on the bonnet.

 

No known information on this car! The bonnet has had modifications to add the extra bump suggesting this was very early perhaps. The 13E00001 engine is obviously the very first in that series which commonly was used by test and development cars.