The Jensen-Healey brought together two of the great names of British sports and grand touring design and manufacturing, and the result was a sports car whose performance belied its modest engine size. Early examples experienced more than their share of teething problems, but these issues were soon addressed, and the car went on to be a marketing and sales success for the company. Finding a good one today opens the door to a potentially rewarding motoring experience, and this 1974 model does look like it could be just such a vehicle. Barn Finder Robert T referred the little Jensen to us, so thank you so much for that Robert. It is located in Chula Vista, California, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. If you would like to park this little beauty in your driveway, then simply hand the owner $3,700, and that dream will come true.

The styling story of the Jensen-Healey is an interesting one in itself. Originally penned by Hugo Poole, his work was completed before the company had secured an engine supply deal. When the supply deal was finally negotiated, it was discovered that the chosen engine was going to allow the hood-line of the vehicle to be significantly lower than was originally envisaged. As a result, some restyling work was undertaken by a gentleman by the name of William Town. For those of you who find that name vaguely familiar, his most visible piece of automotive design work was the, er, “distinctive” Aston Martin Lagonda. I have to say that his penmanship on the Jensen was both far more restrained, and definitely more elegant than the Lagonda. Early examples of the Jensen did have their share of quality issues, and the worst of these included very poor weather sealing. Being of unitary construction, rust could be a major problem, and it wasn’t unusual to see very early examples beginning to sag in the middle as moisture that had found its way into the cars and under the carpet caused those vehicles to rust through the footwell area. It didn’t take Jensen long to identify this issue, and by the time this car rolled off the line, it had been largely addressed. Overall, this is a car that shows a lot of promise. It is finished in Black, and the owner does acknowledge that the Jensen did receive a repaint at some point in the past. The photos make it a bit difficult to make a definitive assessment of the car’s condition, but there are no obvious rust problems visible. The fact that the panel alignment, especially those of the doors, is so consistent can be taken as a very positive sign. The owner makes no mention of any problems with rust, and when you couple the alignment with a life spent in California, that gives us cause to be optimistic. The chrome bumpers indicate that this Jensen was produced in early 1974 because later cars did receive rubber items to comply with changing regulations. Those bumpers appear to be in good condition, as does the rest of the trim and chrome. The soft-top looks okay, but it isn’t in pristine condition. The rear window is extremely cloudy, and while that could be replaced, new tops are available for between $400 and $650, depending on the choice of material. If a flawless level of presentation is eventually going to be required, then this could prove to be a sound investment.

The interior of the little Healey generally seems to be in good condition, and before I would consider spending any money in there, I would be inclined to treat it to a thorough clean. I think that it could be returned to a very presentable state with that simple task alone, although there are some items that might rate attention at some point. There are some seam separations and a small hole in the driver’s seat, and while these might be able to be repaired, I suspect that new covers might be on the shopping list. The rest of the upholstery looks to be in good condition, while I don’t see any obvious problems with the dash. Beyond that issue with the seat cover, there is a small but repairable crack in the console, and while it is hard to be certain, the carpet looks like it has become stained and dirty over time. If it doesn’t respond to the cleaning process, then a new carpet set can be found for around $300, which should have the interior presenting quite nicely.

Jensen investigated a raft of engine options for the Healey during the design phase, but all of them came to a dead end. That was until they struck up a conversation with the legendary Colin Chapman. He offered the company the option of utilizing his 1,973cc “Lotus 907” 4-cylinder engine. This all-alloy DOHC engine was capable of producing 140hp, which was in excess of Jensen’s stated minimum figure of 130hp. The canted design of this engine also allowed for better hood clearance than expected, and this was the motivation behind the redesign that I mentioned earlier. Bolted to the back of the “907” is a 4-speed manual transmission, and with a total weight of a mere 2,116lbs, this little car was capable of covering the ¼ mile in a very respectable 16.2 seconds. I have to say that the engine of this Jensen looks very clean, with no signs of any long-term leaks or problems. The owner states that it runs and drives, but he isn’t specific about how well it achieves either feat. I tend to believe that the original Zenith Stromberg carburetors may need a rebuild because the owner is including kits for these in the sale. Beyond that, the car has recently been fitted with new tires and a new battery.

If this 1974 Jensen-Healey is a solid and clean car that drives fairly well, then it could make a pretty respectable sort of a project car. Values on these little British classics haven’t gone stratospheric, and it is possible to buy some really nice examples for less than $20,000. If this one is rust-free and is in need of little more than a fresh coat of paint and those few detail items that we’ve mentioned so far, then it could be a very good guy at the asking price. Of course, I would always recommend some form of personal inspection to confirm that all is well. However, if it does check out, then this is a car that could potentially provide its owner with plenty of Summer fun.