Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness Monster, and the theory of Atlantis?  If you believe in any of those, then I have something for you that may be even more off the wall.  Reader Todd K. has located for us a 1971 Jensen Interceptor for sale on Craigslist in Yuba City, California that has a unique feature.  Can you believe this Chrysler-powered British touring car appears to be rust-free?  Have you ever seen a Jensen Interceptor that wasn’t plagued by the tin worm?  Even better, this British Racing Green beauty is fresh out of storage and still runs and drives to an extent.  Would you believe it is even priced right with a reasonable $18,000 asking price?  Do you think this is the bargain of the year or just another fairy tale?

Before the comments fill with angry Jensen Interceptor fans calling for my head, take a look at Classic and Sportscar Magazine’s Buyer’s Guide for this unique vehicle.  In this write-up, one of their most stern admonishments is that the complex bodyshell of these cars can rot anywhere.  The bottom six inches of said bodywork is the area most prone to damage.  They go on to claim that several surviving cars have a large amount of plastic filler embedded in them.  That filler is often in places that hide the extent of the problems under these spackling jobs.  Finding a good example can pay great dividends, as properly repairing any damage can easily exceed the value of the car.

So why do people even bother with the Jensen Interceptor?  The answer lies in the design itself.  Grand touring coupes are one of the great pleasures in life for those who have the means to afford them.  The concept is simple: take a handsome coupe body, insert a large engine, add tall gearing and a luxurious interior, and top it all off with impeccable high-speed road manners.  Cars like this were meant for sustained high-speed touring at a luxury level appropriate for royalty, captains of industry, and the idle rich.  Most grand touring cars of note came out of England.  It seems that the home of Aston Martins, Purdey shotguns, and Grey Poupon Mustard is simply the best at making nice stuff.

With that in mind, Jensen Motors gets extra points for building a grand touring car that is still admired for its innovation decades later.  The cars were designed by Carozerria Touring of Italy and were powered by Chrysler 383 and, later, 440 cubic inch V-8s.  Power went through either a four-speed manual transmission or a Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic and a Salisbury rear axle with a limited-slip differential.  The company produced a four-wheel drive version of the car and offered one of the first anti-lock brake setups in commercial production.  They manufactured the Interceptor from 1966 through 1976 and the car became relatively popular on both sides of the Atlantic.  Not bad for a company with a fraction of the resources of more established manufacturers.

As for the Interceptor you see in the ad, there is not much in the way of a description.  All we know is that the car has emerged from long-term storage and that it runs.  It just doesn’t run well right now.  The seller suspects that it will need a carburetor and a tune-up.  You can likely add to that a full fuel system cleanout, a refurbishment of the braking system, and a first-rate air freshener.  Looking carefully at the interior and exterior reveals a car that was either babied throughout its life or it is an older restoration.  Looking even closer at the bottom six inches of the car reveals no obvious corrosion or signs that Bondo had entered the picture.  The only issue that sticks out is the peeling paint in the picture above.  My gut tells me that this is paint coming up over a patch of Bondo, but I defer to more experienced readers if they will chime in.

The seller tells us that a 383 cubic inch Chrysler engine powers the car.  This is rather curious, as some sources say that Jensen switched to the 440 cubic inch engine in 1971 due to the 383’s emissions hobbled horsepower numbers.  We can also see that the car was equipped with air conditioning.  There are telltale signs that whoever had this car on the road last was trying to sort everything out.  While the Edelbrock air cleaner stands out, a closer look reveals a pair of electric cooling fans.  I don’t think these were in common use at that time.  They are, however, likely a blessing on warm days with the air conditioning on.

While an in-person inspection of this Interceptor would be a wise idea, this may be that rust-free Southern California Jensen Interceptor that everyone in the mother country is looking for to re-import.  Regardless of the value of these cars, an Interceptor would be a fine vehicle to own.  The combination of British luxury and handling with a Chrysler powerplant and transmission is a heady one if you like to go fast and look good.  Hopefully one of our readers will take the time to inspect this one and report back.  It may be a great buy.

Do you believe in the impossible?  Could this 1971 Jensen Interceptor actually be a rust-free example at a reasonable price?  Is Bigfoot real?  Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.