The Jensen Interceptor was the first model produced by Jensen Motors after the founders left – and, in fact, their leave-taking had a lot to do with the design of this car. The breach was incited by their board’s appointment of Carrozzeria Touring to style the Interceptor – not only was this an outside firm, it wasn’t even a British firm. Worse, the construction was outsourced to Vignale at first. Adding momentum to the breakup, Richard Jensen was experiencing health problems. Amidst this chaos, Jensen managed to launch what was to become its best-seller to date, favored by celebrities and lesser-known but still well-heeled buyers alike. Here on eBay is a Jensen Interceptor Mk III, produced in the transition month of August 1971, when an update to the engine was executed. Bidding has reached $10,099, with a Buy-It-Now still in play at $14,800. The car is located in Worland, Wyoming, and it does run and drive. Curvette, we appreciate the great tip!
Thanks to US regulations issued in the late 1960s, Jensen had to either install horsepower-sapping emissions controls on the Chrysler 383 cu. in. V8 it had been using, or shift to a more potent option that could wear smog equipment without petering out. The company tried detuning the 383 by reducing the compression ratio, but the Interceptor tipped the scales at about 4000 lbs: the loss of horsepower made the big sedan unbearably slow. So the company stepped up to Chrysler’s 300+ horsepower 440 cu. in. V8, thereby retaining the performance that helped make the Interceptor a best seller. The 440 was installed starting in August 1971, the production date of this car. The seller indicates that what we see in this engine bay is a 383, leaving us to wonder if it’s one of the lesser 383s that Jensen tried to pass off as good enough. The engine’s compression test results are “very good” and the master cylinder and brakes are new. The tires are five years old but have almost no miles – a hint that the car hasn’t been used much. Almost all US cars were delivered with Chrysler’s three-speed Torqueflite automatic.
The interior is a reminder that the Jensen is a hand-built luxury car, swathed in Wilton wool and Connolly leather. Kudos to the owners of this car for keeping the light-colored upholstery in good condition – not an easy task and a big favor to the next owner since there are about seven hides in here. I particularly like the rear seats, which, if anything, are more “bucket-y” than the fronts. The seller notes that the power windows are “slow or not working”.
The hatchback is not everyone’s cup of tea, but whether the shape is appealing to you or not, the cosmetics here seem solid. The paint is decent, the trim is bright and intact, those wheels are factory-correct, and as we’ve seen, the interior is spiffy. Good examples powered by the 383 sell in the mid $20s, while 440-equipped cars can easily breach $60k. If I were considering this car, I would get myself to Wyoming to drive it and test the electric accessories. These are complicated cars despite the American drivetrain, and even a give-away price like the current bid can lead the buyer down a ruinous path.
Might be wrong but the front seats are far too nice to be leather. Compared to the rear, which usually have worn much less, they are too shiny. Front seats probably have had a retrim in vinyl.
for anyone who knows this marque, they were notoriously wonderful new, and extremely problematic. parts are tough to source, costs are outrageously high. run will robinson! run!
Owned one while living in the UK, great car when not breaking down caused by electrical gremlins, anyhow it had the 383 and was a tad slow especially if overtaking on narrow British roads. This seems a good buy but buyer beware and Matthew is right when mentioning parts availability and costly.
I have admired these since the 70s. A friend regularly drove one to high school while his dad was “away” (for embezzling), and I got a few wild rides.
Over the years I have been tempted to take on several “barn find” Interceptors, but all were too far gone to be saved. These cars are absolutely notorious for rust & rot in the unibody, subframe and torque boxes. Much of the rot can be hidden…. Very difficult and expensive to repair.
The car here looks like a potentially good driver, although the lack of decent undercarriage photos gives me great concern. If it were local, I would want to closely inspect this car on a lift before making an offer. While I’m not particularly fond of the “resale red” paint job (it is probably not the original colour), I might make an offer if the price was right.
These remind me of Jag XJS models (I owned several) in that they can easily cost far more to restore than they will ever be worth.
I have been fortunate to have owned most of the cars on my bucket list. The Interceptor is one of a few left on the list. By now I have learned to buy very carefully.