DHC TR8 (SAT) 1981/82
TR8 (SAT) – These were the very last of the TR8’s all DHC with Efi cars, with only just over 400 built. The last TR8 (408533) (below) resides in a private collection in the USA.
What is odd is that the actual build record shows the car as 4085(7)3 and not 4085(3)3 as on the car. Engine number is the same on both the car and the build record. BL purposefully made the TR7 the last one built at 408534 and that car now resides at the Heritage museum at Gaydon in the UK.
European / Home Non USA/Canada Solihull 1980/81 Year Cars
RED designates TR8 chassis identifier. Chassis number doesn’t lie, owners may, beware!
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Global ID | SAT = Triumph World ID (Not used on all cars!) |
| 2: Make of car | T = Triumph |
| 3: Model range: | P = TR7/8 |
| 4. Specification | A = UK or Europe |
| K = Australia | |
| V = U.S.A., Federal (49 states) | |
| Z = U.S.A., California | |
| L = Canada | |
| J = Japan | |
| 5. Type of body: | E = Coupe |
| D = Convertible | |
| 6. Type of engine: | J = 2 litre (TR7) |
| V = 3.5 litre V8 (TR8) | |
| 7. Steering, Gear box: | 3 = RHD. Automatic |
| 4 = LHD, Automatic | |
| 7 = RHD, Manual | |
| 8 = LHD, Manual | |
| 8. Model year change: | A = 1980 Model Year |
| B = 1981 Model Year (not have been used on rest or the world cars – USA CANADA Only) | |
| C = 1982 Model Year (not have been used on rest or the world cars – CANADA Only) | |
| 9. Assembly plant: | T = Canley |
| A = Solihull | |
| 10. | Number 6 digits |
USA/Canada Solihull 1981/2 Year Cars
Solihull built American and Canadian specification TR8s and TR7s for 1981/82 carried another variation of the VIN system. These new VINs were introduced to comply with new American and Canadian chassis numbering regulations. They were in many respects similar to the European system except that a ‘Check Digit’ was now incorporated, which increased the length to 17 digits.