"It’s not often when a car company is started with the help of a movie star, but when in 1935 Clark Gable sent the Jensen brothers a new Ford chassis to fit one of their sleek four-seat bodies too, as they say the rest was history. After the war Jensen resumed low volume car production but prospered as the coachbuilder for Austin-Healey and others until in 1963 they introduced the C-V8 with a Chrysler V8 engine, succeeding it with the Interceptor in 1967 with a Touring-designed body and power from a 383 Chrysler V8 unit. A modified and updated Interceptor II followed in late 1969 and was succeeded in 1971 by the Interceptor III which was joined in 1974 by a convertible version both powered by Chrysler’s 440 cubic inch engine. The Jensen Interceptor combined powerful, reliable American V8 power and smooth-shifting automatic gearboxes with British coachbuilt quality and luxury. They were built for a discerning clientele willing to pay a premium for their performance and exclusivity. In 1974 and Interceptor III cost 60% more than a Jaguar Series III E-Type roadster.
Originally registered on 1st August 1974 this Jensen Interceptor has only had one owner from new. It has covered a mere 25,000 miles throughout its 48 years on British roads and having been restored, presents in beautiful condition. It was dry stored since 1981, hence the low mileage, prior to the restoration. The bodywork was stripped to bare metal before the body was put on a rotisserie, clearly no stone was left unturned. The bronze metallic paintwork is to a very high standard and the tan leather interior, to be expected is unmarked. One of the best ways to tell the quality of restoration work is by the panel gaps, the ones on this Jensen are exceptional. Fire-up the 7212cc V8 engine and the smoothness of this engine is immediately apparent. With everything working as it should, including the air conditioning, this Jensen is as close to being faultless as one could expect. Whilst the odometer currently reads 04,167 the speedometer was changed and the old one is supplied with the car to confirm the mileage. Supplied with a V5 document, confirming the one owner and a history folder with several invoices. There is also a USB stick with full details of the restoration. These iconic cars of the seventies are aesthetically superb, this magnificent example must surely be one of the best available in the world anywhere today.
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