Wedge: The Legendary Triumph TR8

Photography by Sean Rainey of Leafy Photography: facebook.com/leafyphotography flickr.com/leafy32

  Long before the creation of the Miata, or the high reving S2000, if you wanted a roadster, you would look to The british Isles for a nimble, corner carving, removable roof experience. Triumph was just one of the few companies producing such vehicles, starting with the Triumph TR2 back in 1953. Fast forward 25 years, parent company British Leyland unveiled in 1978 what was to be the game changer in roadsters to date, The Triumph TR8.

Kevin Rainey's 1980 Triumph TR8 Convertible: One of about 750 examples left in the World. 

While the wedge shape was nothing new (the TR7 was released to the public in 1974 with a 92 horsepower 4 Cylinder), British Leyland stuffed their all-aluminum, 3.5 Litre Rover V8 under the hood, adding 52 more Horsepower to the 2200 lb car. Zero to Sixty times resided in the eight second range, competing with the last of the C3 Corvettes. The car sported luxuries that were uncommon for a british roadster, such as a Radio Cassette and Air Conditioning. The convertible top is operated manually, and because of the wide stance of the vehicle (66.2 inches wide, about 5 inches wider than the TR6 it replaced) there was plenty of head, arm and leg room, for both passenger and driver.

Modified: The original 3.5 Litre has been massaged to 5.0 litres, to the tune of around 300 Horsepower. Mustangs Beware.

"This was my dream car," Kevin Rainey mentions, who owned a TR7 coupe back in 1980. "I used to go to the dealership in downtown Toronto when these were new and imagine what it would be like to have my own." After Searching for a while, Kevin picked up his modified TR8 two years ago from Ontario, with the engine massaged to 5.0 litres, Kevin deduces a 300 crank HP estimate. Power is put down through a quick ratio 5 Speed, using a Ford 8.8 inch rear end and sporting 205/50/15 Falken Ziex 912s, The car now enjoys spirited cruises on welcoming Nova Scotian twisties.

Sunset: Overlooking the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.

Production ended prematurely with the TR8, (1981) which was quite possibly the last authentic, mass production British roadster built, almost exclusively for the North American market. The car shared racing success, dominating in SCCA competition in 1979.

Some people call it the English Corvette. I think The "Wedge" is more unique.

TECHNICAL SPECS: TRIUMPH TR8 (as per Wikipedia)

Manufacturer     Triumph Motor Company
Parent company     British Leyland
Production     1978–1981
Assembly     Speke, Merseyside, England
Canley, West Midlands, England
Solihull, West Midlands, England
Class     Sports car
Body style(s)     2-door convertible
Layout     FR layout
Engine(s)     3528 cc V8
Transmission(s) 5-speed manual
Wheelbase     2,160 mm (85.0 in)
Length     4,067 mm (160.1 in)
Width     1,681 mm (66.2 in)
Height     1,267 mm (49.9 in)
Curb weight     1,203.9 kg (2,654 lb)


Want to see the full set of Pictures? Triumph TR8 Flickr Set

Photography by Sean Rainey www.facebook.com/leafyphotography www.flickr.com/leafy32