Richard Connew

Bruce, I first heard about the car nearly 30 years ago and have been trying to buy it ever since, but the owner wouldn't let anyone look at it, let alone buy it. It took until last year to finally get my hands on the car, and nearly a year to recommission her, still making a few tweaks even now. You can see the story of the car in the attached file NWK988W V9.1.pdf

This TR8 NWK988W last did the RBRR in 1980 with a Triumph factory/works crew. Its now running again after 40 plus years in a collection so I thought it appropriate after so much time since it last did the run it should do it again! Cant be many cars with 43 years between runs! Its never been restored so it actually is exactly the same car. ar.

It is still in the car I believe, certainly it goes quicker than any other TR8 I've driven but would love a spare - email rconnew@gmail.com It will be there on the Sunday fingers crossed. Richard Hurdwell is still alive so I have been able to talk to him at length. Hopefully later in the year I would like him to drive it again.

Right now the car has been looked at for many years in pretty much a glass case, but not driven or serviced so a lot of things are not right on it. I do plan to have it at Gaydon in July but we will see. I have written a lot of the story of the car up and it recently appeared in the TR Register mag and the TWOA in the US. I should really let Club Triumph have a version as well given the cars historic connection to the club. The auction was a lot of collectable tractor seats as it happens! Had the previous owner sold it in London this would have been a 40k plus car very easily, in the event I was very lucky and home work paid off, not that it was cheap by any means! One of the other RHD 8's sold last year for 28k and that was covered in rust requiring a full rebuild so God smiled on me that day. History as I know it so far attached. Once its running it would be nice to involve the car again, just have to get it running right, current issue the timing marks aren't what you would call constant often moving all over the place - and yes vacuum pipe off. Oh and the Stromberg auto choke is a nightmare, still cant get it running right. TR8 BACK ON THE MAINLAND.pdf

It was sold at Measham auctions late 1981 and then ended up in a private collection on the IOM. Unfortunately the owners wasn't keen on anyone seeing the car or talking about it so there it stayed hidden away for nearly 40 years when that owner died and his wife sold it to his friend in NI. I've run an Internet club for the 7/8 for many years www.tr7tr8.com earlier 90s it was on other domain names and it was with Connew. com I think when an ex manager from Solihull gave me a collection of documents on the cars history so I'd been trying to track it down for many years. Eventually I did find where it was but was firmly told it would never be for sale. Only chance and a program I run on my PC looking for TR8's allowed me to find it in a remote Irish farmers auction. So if you did see the car it must have been before Measham as it pretty much vanished after that.

Was given this photo today

Just ordered it. Thanks

Thanks that's the one I now own. Elsewhere I read there were press photos but I've never been able to find any. Posidon Green is the colour a dark metallic green. Oddly enough there is info in the latest mag I've just seen.

I recently bought a Green rhd Factory TR8 NWK988W one of only a tiny handful (23-34 depending on what you class as a factory RHD) and this car along with a Silver rhd one MHP404V did a run with the Triumph Club in 1980. "The car was used by the factory on the Round Britain Rally in 1980 along with a Silver TR8 MHP404V. At the time it was done there had been no decision to not launch in the UK and it was still an active project. The tour was through the Triumph Club in London and it was setting off on a Friday night up to “John O’Groats” then “Lands’ End” and back to London on the Sunday night. It was done with the intention of getting some publicity for the RHD TR8 yet to be launched in the UK, and for club members to see the cars." I have no more information than that and wondered if anyone knew any more and or there were pictures of the cars on the run? Many Thanks Richard