If you take a bird’s eye view of the automotive marketplace post-WWII, you notice some interesting patterns. One of the most fascinating is the rise and fall of the British sports car. These fun-to-drive convertibles arrived on these shores in the late 1940s after our servicemen and women were exposed to their charms during the war. It wasn’t long before several British manufacturers offered this type of vehicle to Americans. After a few decades of impressive sales, this type of vehicle slowly faded away only to return yet again in spirit if not origin as the Mazda Miata. While MG and Triumph were the most common manufacturers of such vehicles in their heyday, the upstart manufacturer Jensen Motors Limited offered a somewhat upmarket British sports car from 1972 through 1976 with the help of famed sports car designer Donald Healey and his son Geoffrey. The 1974 Jensen-Healey you see here may be the nicest example left of this unique partnership.
After the Austin-Healey 3000 went out of production due in part to ever-tightening emissions and crash regulations, Donald Healey was looking for a way to create a successor to his “Big Healey.” These cars were very popular over their long production run and having an equally popular successor would surely bring financial success to whatever company that managed to make lightning strike twice. An arrangement was made with Jensen Motors and U.S. importer Kjell Qvale to produce a simple, low sports car with bolt-on body panels to its unit-body structure that utilized many off-the-shelf components.
The Jensen-Healey was powered by a 1,972 cc Lotus-built inline four-cylinder engine with a 16-valve double overhead cam head. Earlier cars pushed that power through a four-speed manual transmission, while Mark II cars made from 1975 until production ceased offered a five-speed transmission. One curious aspect of this transmission is that the fifth gear was not an overdrive, but a true 1:1 as most four-speed transmissions are when in top gear. The Lotus engine put out a respectable 144 horsepower and could push the car to 119 MPH flat out. This was an exceptional performance for a British sports car at the time, with only Jaguar and Lotus’s offerings being faster. Sadly, Jensen’s fortunes waned in a very difficult automotive market and the company slid into liquidation in 1975 and disappeared completely by 1976.
All these years later, there aren’t many Jensen-Healeys left despite 10,503 examples built across the production run. Jensen’s exit from the marketplace didn’t help parts availability, and the styling never matched the flowing beauty of the Big Healey. Add to that the usual low survival percentages of convertibles in general and the rarity of the Lotus powerplant. The 1974 Jensen-Healey seen in this ad is perhaps one of the nicest examples left. The seller’s rather short ad tells us that it is in great condition, has always been stored inside, and has just 75,000 miles on the odometer. It will also come with a lift-off hard top.
Overall, this is a very well-kept British sportscar with just a few period-correct enhancements to detract from its originality. While MGs and Triumphs are quite common, a Jensen-Healey is a rare bird indeed. The price for that exclusivity is that parts are not as easily found as they are for the car’s more famous competition. Looking at the Jensen-Healey and its contemporaries, you have to wonder what these cars would be like if the designs evolved and they were still offered for sale today. It is hard to fathom why demand for two-seat convertible sports cars vanished, perhaps history will repeat itself soon.
If you are seeking a seldom-seen ride for your local British car day event, this 1974 Jensen Healey for sale on Facebook Marketplace in West Ossipee, New Hampshire may be worth investigating. With 75,000 miles on the odometer, this always-garaged convertible can be yours for $18,000. Thanks to Richard in Maine for the tip!
Hmm, there’s a West Ossipee now? Proof positive, regardless of the obscurity of the car, SOMEONE has a nice one. Dude, look out, the cam belt, she is going to break,,nah, that cam belt ain’t goin’ nowhere,,,PING, oh dang, there goes the belt after all, and the ensuing scrambled eggs it leaves behind. Obviuosly a huge anxiety for me, not unlike the “failing electric fuel pump in the middle of nowhere” anxiety. I was surprised too 5th is not an OD, but checking on that, apparently, they had a different axle ratio( 3:54) than the 4 speed,( 3:73) and 1st was actually lowered. Time bomb engine aside, they were, um, okay cars, I think the last thing Americans wanted, or needed, was another British roadster of no particular difference. And US had the decency to at least hide the belt from view. Here this thing going round and round, may have been the British way, but we didn’t want to see it. The car was a dismal failure. The “antique” plate is worth the price alone.
Howard
At your age I would have thought that you have figured out that “Americans” are not a homogeneous group. That’s kind of why we did the whole 4th of July thing. Different strokes for different folks, and depending on where you lived, you could usually find a group of fans for the British Invasion (this one started before the Beatles.
I enjoy your comments…. I know that whatever car I look at, I can usually find your thoughts about it.
Enjoy your life
I owned one back in 1985-86 and it was terribly rusty. So one without rust another 40 years later is indeed a rarity. But the price must really be at the top end of the market. Probably not a lot of buyers at that level, but then again the seller only needs one.
Price . Now $15K
Years ago i had one, $18k the seller is dreaming!!
New price on ad is $15K . . . looks like a nice example with low miles.
I owned one for a day. I asked about it and was told “if you get it out of here today, you can have it”.
I have a friend that had another one, so I dropped it off at his house. They eventually were shipped to Norway. New owner’s name was Jensen.
I have long wanted to find a solid example of one of these cars and transplant something more reliable and more powerful under the bonnet. This one is too nice to do that to, but it’s still fun to look at the pictures and dream.
My oldest brother had on , it wound up with a hemi in it … What a blast. He took it to our grandads home in Messina Sicily.