Jensen
(1937 - 1993)
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United Kingdom
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In October 1953, brothers Richard and Alan Jensen presented the new 541 sports car at the London Motor Show and were thus able to offer one of the first series-produced coupés with a plastic body. The car met high standards and was technically of the highest level, as evidenced by the use of disc brakes, automatic transmission and seat belts as standard during the eight years of production. This driving report portrays a Jensen 541 from 1956 and shows the various versions on historical images and brochures, supplemented by a sound sample.
Between 1962 and 1966, the Jensen company built 499 examples of the C-V8 sports car with a Chrysler V8 engine and plastic bodywork. Peter Monteverdi, himself a sports car builder, imported the English coupés to Switzerland and even drove one vehicle himself. It is precisely this car that is described in this article and shown in many pictures, supplemented by archive photos and sales brochures.
In 1965, two new Jensen cars attracted the public's attention at the Motor Show in London. The first was the Jensen Interceptor (exhibited in convertible form); the second Jensen even represented a technical world first. It was the prototype P66 C-V8 Mk III FF. Apart from the air outlet grilles set into the front fenders, this car resembled the standard C-V8 model. However, it was the first passenger car in the world to feature four-wheel drive based on the Ferguson system. From 1968 to 1971, the FF was then built and sold with the body of the Interceptor. This report goes into the history of the Jensen FF and its technology and shows the Quattro forerunner in many historical illustrations and in six rare sales brochures, including the particularly rare prototype brochure.
The Jensen FF was probably the most advanced car of its time; no other production sports car before it could boast 4x4 drive and ABS. The technology boost was packed into the slightly modified body of the Jensen Interceptor. The fact that the four-seater coupé was nevertheless not a great success was due to the high price and the not exactly simple technology, as well as the fact that Jensen did not actually want to export the car. This report shows one of the few Jensen FFs still on the European mainland and tells the story of the unusual 4x4 coupé, supplemented by original documents and many pictures.
The Jensen Interceptor is neither a classic sports car nor a pure luxury glider. It is also not purely British, but combines Italian, American and British aspects of car construction. The recipe was well received, and over 6000 of these 300 hp coupés with a large glass tailgate were produced, a number of units that Aston Martin, for example, could only dream of. This driving report looks back and shows the Jensen Interceptor in current and historical images and sales material.
The Jensen Interceptor was perfect for anyone who had high expectations of a sporty car, but at the same time did not necessarily want to stand out and did not want to compromise on luxury or space. As a convertible, it cost as much as a Ferrari, but offered affordable American technology and Italian design crafted by British hands. Anyone who bought an Interceptor Convertible remained exclusive, as only a few hundred were built. This driving report is about an early Jensen Interceptor Convertible and shows it and its predecessors in current and historical pictures, supplemented by sales documents from the time.
The choice of full convertibles in the mid-seventies was not exactly huge. There was the Alfa Romeo Spider, the Fiat 124 Spider, the Triumph TR6 and the MG B. If you were looking for a really open and at the same time lively convertible without a bar at a reasonable cost, you didn't have many other alternatives. So a new release like the Jensen-Healey made perfect sense! The fact that the Jensen remained the rarest of the vehicles mentioned was due to various factors, but it was not due to its appearance or design, even though the car was anything but revolutionary. Nevertheless, the car had a lot of charm and as many as 10,502 examples were built between 1972 and 1975, mainly for the American market. This report celebrates a reunion with the Jensen-Healey and shows the vehicle in many new and old pictures and two sales brochures. And for people who like to listen to engine noises, a sound sample is also included.
Only 511 of the Jensen GT were built between 1975 and 1976, around a tenth of which are likely to have survived. Developed from the Jensen Healey, the estate coupé was intended to build a bridge to the Jensen Interceptor. But the practical sports car came too late to save the manufacturer. This driving report tells the story of the Jensen GT and shows it in current and historical images.
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All 19 Jensen models
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