I’ve always liked the automotive design trend of the “wedge.” My favorite wedge car is probably the Lancia Stratos Zero, but being a 1-of-1 prototype, ownership of such a car is just a dream. Fortunately, there are loads of other wedge-design cars to admire, some of which could be had for very little money. Like last week’s Matra Murena, today’s Good Find Friday car is an affordable 80s wedge: the TVR Tasmin 280i.

The British auto company TVR is perhaps best known for the curvaceous designs of its early and later cars such as the Grantura and the Griffith, respectively. The 1980s were all about the wedge, however, and TVR went all-in on the style with its front-engined “Tasmin” leading the way in 1980. Six models in total were released in total during this period of TVR’s history.

The Tasmin was designed by Oliver Winterbottom, who penned the second-generation Lotus Elite as well as the Eclat. Winterbottom’s affection for the Maserati Khamsin appears quite evident in his design for the Eclat, and in fact the name “Tasmin” is a portmanteau of “Tamsin” and “Khamsin” — apparently composed to honor both TVR owner Martin Lilley’s girlfriend and the sleek Italian GT.

This TVR Tasmin is listed on Facebook Marketplace by a private seller in Pennsylvania with an asking price of $14,500. Facebook doesn’t have an option in its listing tools for TVR, hence its posting under “Lotus.”

Tasmin variants included a coupe, convertible and 2+2, but the coupe and 2+2 were eventually dropped, leaving just the convertible. The body is hand-laid fiberglass over a tubular frame, and you would be forgiven if you thought the overall shape was similar to that of the Triumph TR7.

The interior of the Tasmin is quite luxurious, differentiating itself quite distinctly from something like a TR7. Leather surfaces abound, and the seller states the front seats have recently been recovered with headrests embroidered with the TVR logo. I think I spy an air conditioning compressor in the engine bay, which is a blessing in a convertible. Being a US-delivered car, this specimen is left-hand drive.

Sourcing parts from a variety of bins, the TVR Tasmin features a Ford Cologne V6 engine, the suspension and gearbox from a Cortina and brakes from a Granada. The tail lights are from a Rover SD1, installed upside-down. To maintain this wedge’s slippery shape, headlights are flip-up style.

Even with the car’s relatively low weight of 2,368 lb and 160hp engine, 0-60 times were just over 8 seconds. The car has plenty of braking power, though, with 10.3 inch front discs and 10.4 inch discs out back.

Road and Track praised the TVR Tasmin’s overall civility and performance on the road and its fit and finish, lest you think otherwise based on its low production numbers.

My understanding is that around 400 or so TVR Tasmin were imported to the United States, making them quite rare to find on the market. The average price of an excellent condition TVR 280i in today’s market is around $15,000, putting this car a bit overpriced, in my opinion. It’s in very good condition for a car built 40 years ago, but I’d like to see a cleaner engine bay on an “excellent” car, with no rusty fasteners or worn insulated padding. Seats with less looseness in the upholstery would also help.

There’s a nice 1985 TVR Tasmin 280i for sale on Craigslist in Encinitas, California that is offered at just $9,999 but it has an undercarriage with more surface rust than this example — in particular on the exhaust — and probably falls more in the “good” condition rating. I think our feature car falls somewhere in the middle.

It if were priced at $12,500, I think it would be a better buy. Compared to something like a Series 1 Lotus Esprit (now pushing $40,000+), it’s an absolute steal. Regardless, we’re not talking about much money for what would be a very fun toy for this year’s driving season. If you were to plan on holding on to the car for a while and love the spec, it may be worth paying close to asking.

Next week’s Good Find Friday will be posted from Fernandina Beach, Florida. If you’re heading to Amelia Island Concours Week, we hope to see you there! Have a great weekend, everyone.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!