Sunday eBay Wouldya: 1979 TVR 3000S

It's Sunday again, which means another tempting morsel from the electronic auction land of eBay.  Last week I showed you a unique 900 Turbo Cabriolet that was unfortunately saddled with an autotragic - this week we're moving back in time and up in price.  Like, a lot.  For your consideration today, we have a 1979 TVR 3000S Roadster.

The last TVR's that rolled out of the Blackpool plant a few years ago were the epitome of funky individuality.  Impossible looking curves, bespoke hand-built straight sixes and V8's, hidden door handles, tachs that went the wrong way, and paint that was a different color depending on the angle you were looking at it.  They were desperately cool cars, and now they're gone, which is sad - they made the landscape a brighter place.  Of course, that's of questionable relevance to myself and our American readers, as we haven't received TVRs wares in years - the last ones we got were the vaguely TR7-eque Wedge TVR's in the late 80's.

This 3000S hails from an earlier time, when TVR's were a little more conventional.  There is that sexy forward-hinged clamshell hood, but there's no temperamental howling Speed Six under it - no, a much easier to service Ford Essex V6 powers the 3000S.  The 3.0L makes a reasonable 142 horsepower (remember, it's 1979) hooked to a 5-speed gearbox - it doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind that the 3000S only weighs in at 2,300lbs.

The interior carries on the tradition of classic British roadsters - broad, flat instrument panel, low windshield header, with wood and leather everywhere.  More interesting are the detachable windows, reminiscent of pre-war British roadsters.  For a 33 year-old British car, the interior looks fantastic: probably because there's only 53,909 miles showing on the odometer.

Like anything old and British, condition and maintenance are crucial for your ownership experience - and the seller says this TVR comes with a thick stack of maintenance records from the original owners, which is always a good sign.  It's described as having a good clutch, brakes, and runs and drives perfectly.  It also still wears the original alloy wheels, which remind me of the DeTomaso Pantera's rolling stock - they look fab in a period-correct way.

Now, to the price question.  TVR only put together 258 copies of the 3000S, making this a very rare car - and especially so in the states.  At the time of writing, bidding has gone up to $25,000, with the "Buy It Now" price set at $33,800 - a fair chunk of coin for an old British sports car.  Do you think this rare TVR is worth that kind of coin?  Check out the eBay auction here, for sale in Arden NC - right near Tail of the Dragon, if you want to make a vacation out of it!