Listing snapshot
| Spotted | July 2023 |
| Asking price | $15,500 |
| Mileage | 20,000 (seller-stated original) |
| Location | Montclair, New Jersey |
| Listed on | Craigslist, private seller |
| Drivetrain | 2.8-liter Ford Cologne V6 with fuel injection, five-speed manual |
| Status | Ad expired. This page is our archive of the listing. |
We spotted this 1985 TVR Tasmin 280i convertible in July 2023, listed by its owner in Montclair, New Jersey, for $15,500 with a stated 20,000 original miles. The ad is gone, but we keep the record. Tasmins come up for sale in the US so rarely that every real asking price helps.
What this car was
A black convertible with a fuel-injected Ford 2.8-liter V6 and a five-speed manual. TVR used the same Cologne V6 that Ford put in the Capri and Sierra, which keeps engine parts easy to find. Inside, the seats are black with light grey cloth centres, and the dash is trimmed in walnut.
The seller listed the equipment:
- Removable roof panel, so it could run as a targa or a full convertible
- Four-wheel disc brakes, with the rear discs mounted inboard
- Twin exhausts
- Air conditioning
- Period Boston Acoustics six-speaker sound system
- Walnut and velour interior
Some of the photos show German registration plates and a studio backdrop, while others show the car at home in New Jersey. That suggests the car spent part of its life in Europe and has been photographed for sale before.
Was $15,500 a fair ask?
For a low-mile Tasmin convertible with air conditioning and a clean interior, $15,500 looked fair. In its favour: the low stated mileage, the drop-top body that most buyers want, and a common Ford drivetrain. Against it: the Tasmin is a niche car in America, its sharp wedge styling divides people, and a small-volume British car with a fibreglass body needs a buyer who knows what to check, starting with the chassis.
A little Tasmin history
TVR launched the Tasmin in 1980 as a sharp-edged wedge drawn by Oliver Winterbottom. It came as a coupe, a 2+2 and a convertible, built on a steel tube-frame chassis with a fibreglass body. The 280i used the injected Ford 2.8 V6, and a Rover V8 version, the 350i, joined the range in 1983.
More cars from the archive
- Every TVR Tasmin 280i we’ve spotted, with asking prices
- 1983 Audi Coupe GT, another 1980s European car
- 1986 Renault Alliance, another 1980s European car
- 1987 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen 300GD, another 1980s European car
- 1984 BMW 633CSi, another 1980s European car
