Jensen Interceptor
Discussion
I do a bit of work helping restore Jensen’s locally, IMO they are one of the better cars of their ilk from the time. Not bad to work on, certainly far easier than Aston, Jags etc from that period, the doors are a bit dam fiddly though!
Also, having worked on DB 2 4 5 6 when i was a young man, and Jags of that period [ not E types though ] and driven them all, I would say the Interceptor is a much nicer car to drive on the road, so long as you can afford the fuel
Also, having worked on DB 2 4 5 6 when i was a young man, and Jags of that period [ not E types though ] and driven them all, I would say the Interceptor is a much nicer car to drive on the road, so long as you can afford the fuel
SFTWend said:
Lovely cars.
I'm tempted by the bronze Mk1, which ends today with little interest so far. It's been for sale for ages and failed to sell at a previous auction. So I'm assuming the partial restoration means there it needs rather more than a polish and interior finishing.
Have you a link to this one ? I'm tempted by the bronze Mk1, which ends today with little interest so far. It's been for sale for ages and failed to sell at a previous auction. So I'm assuming the partial restoration means there it needs rather more than a polish and interior finishing.
neutral 3 said:
Have you a link to this one ?
Here it is;https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-jensen-in...
And here, where it failed to sell. Reading this description it needs repainting as well as interior finishing and who knows what else. Thoughts welcome. Could easily swallow £20k to finish?
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
I bid on this S1.5, which I prefer, but thought the best bid was too high given rust coming through. Back with Hexagon now.;
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
Here you go, it's rather nice and I think the colour suits it....
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-jensen-in...
Edit - beat me to it..!
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-jensen-in...
Edit - beat me to it..!
Edited by P5BNij on Tuesday 1st September 11:08
Andy-IM said:
MK1 looks tempting and in a period (or controversial) colour; but every Jensen I've had in the past I've tired of very quickly and moved on - for no particular reason I can put my finger on. Just one of those cars that fails to maintain my interest in any meaningful way.
A friend of mine has a theory that classic cars built by 'live' brands, like Aston Martin, Jag or Porsche, will always command a premium over cars built by 'dead' brands like Jensen or Triumph. I'm not sure it's a valid argument, as Porsche 944s are IMO undervalued, as are old Lotuses.
SFTWend said:
Here it is;
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-jensen-in...
And here, where it failed to sell. Reading this description it needs repainting as well as interior finishing and who knows what else. Thoughts welcome. Could easily swallow £20k to finish?
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
I bid on this S1.5, which I prefer, but thought the best bid was too high given rust coming through. Back with Hexagon now.;
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
The 68 car, looks to tick a fair few boxes, low owners, engine over haul, etc etc. https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-jensen-in...
And here, where it failed to sell. Reading this description it needs repainting as well as interior finishing and who knows what else. Thoughts welcome. Could easily swallow £20k to finish?
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
I bid on this S1.5, which I prefer, but thought the best bid was too high given rust coming through. Back with Hexagon now.;
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/jensen/intercepto...
Shame it’s not in its original Fawn colour ( think it was a Fawn metallic that I recall seeing them in ?? ) says it’s been re trimmed, guessing the current black is non original and that it would have been biscuit when new ? But no mention of a Heritage certificate in the advert.
Without inspecting it with my own eyes and a magnet, it’s impossible to say how good or bad the body is. But it could well be a good buy.
Wonderful cars, but bodywork is key, everything else is simple enough.
The early cars series 1 with the 383 are just as quick, if not quicker, than the later ones with the 440. Probably due to a weight difference of about 250 kg IIRC. But like all big blocks they can be woken up with relatively cheap mods. The way the car twitched when the throttle was blipped, is something I never ever tired of...
I think the later ones look better though, IMHO, and I think the interiors are nicer too.
Off the line, mine (series 3) was nothing special, with the main issue being wheel spin. From 50 mph, off you definitely go.
As long as you aren’t expecting a GT type car with a finely balanced chassis, all is well.
A mate said “every journey in this is an occasion - isn’t it?” Not a car for shrinking violets…
Taking it easy and still only getting 14 mpg wears quickly though…
Still miss it.
The early cars series 1 with the 383 are just as quick, if not quicker, than the later ones with the 440. Probably due to a weight difference of about 250 kg IIRC. But like all big blocks they can be woken up with relatively cheap mods. The way the car twitched when the throttle was blipped, is something I never ever tired of...
I think the later ones look better though, IMHO, and I think the interiors are nicer too.
Off the line, mine (series 3) was nothing special, with the main issue being wheel spin. From 50 mph, off you definitely go.
As long as you aren’t expecting a GT type car with a finely balanced chassis, all is well.
A mate said “every journey in this is an occasion - isn’t it?” Not a car for shrinking violets…
Taking it easy and still only getting 14 mpg wears quickly though…
Still miss it.
My worst ever "One That Got Away" was an Interceptor.
As a young estate agent I was tasked with preparing the particulars of a farm that was being sold by a lady whose husband had died. A nondescript and forgettable place, it was lightened only by my identification of his "old car" in one of the barns: an Interceptor Mk II Coupe in gold.
The car was shabby but complete, a bit rusty around the edges and with a dent in the front wing, but certainly looked complete and original. It apparently didn't start and the widow was unsure what she was going to do with it at the time of my visit.
Time passed, we sold the farm and I lost track of the car, until by chance a few years later, now in the motor trade, a new line manage regaled me of the time he was offered an Interceptor out of a barn as a non-runner for £5,000. He went to look, kicked the tyres and sucked his teeth a bit, before stealing it for £1,800!
With fresh fuel, plugs, points and a battery it apparently started right up and was sold for a tidy profit.
As I said, the One That Got Away.
As a young estate agent I was tasked with preparing the particulars of a farm that was being sold by a lady whose husband had died. A nondescript and forgettable place, it was lightened only by my identification of his "old car" in one of the barns: an Interceptor Mk II Coupe in gold.
The car was shabby but complete, a bit rusty around the edges and with a dent in the front wing, but certainly looked complete and original. It apparently didn't start and the widow was unsure what she was going to do with it at the time of my visit.
Time passed, we sold the farm and I lost track of the car, until by chance a few years later, now in the motor trade, a new line manage regaled me of the time he was offered an Interceptor out of a barn as a non-runner for £5,000. He went to look, kicked the tyres and sucked his teeth a bit, before stealing it for £1,800!
With fresh fuel, plugs, points and a battery it apparently started right up and was sold for a tidy profit.
As I said, the One That Got Away.
I've always been drawn to them, to me they epitomised glamour when I was growing up in the '70s, I wasn't the slightest bit interested in how much they cost to run or that they rusted just as much as everything else at the time, I just wanted one and that was all that mattered. I still do, but the realistic prospect of buying one is further away than it was not that many years ago. A Series 1 would hit the right spot but I'd be happy with a solid reliable later car given half a chance. Part of the attraction for me when they were new was their appearance in TV shows like The Protectors etc, and I sometimes wondered why Roger Moore drove an Aston DBS in The Persuaders rather than an Interceptor (not that there's anything wrong with the DBS of course). It's nice to reflect that Tony Curtis had one while he was working on the show, he ordered a new one after Jensen sent their demonstrator down to Elstree for him to try out....
IIRC Ginger Baker had three FFs, one after the other....
IIRC Ginger Baker had three FFs, one after the other....
t poured paint stripper all over the bonnet when it was parked up in Manchester city centre. It was less than a month old. 
neutral 3 said:
The 68 car, looks to tick a fair few boxes, low owners, engine over haul, etc etc.
Shame it’s not in its original Fawn colour ( think it was a Fawn metallic that I recall seeing them in ?? ) says it’s been re trimmed, guessing the current black is non original and that it would have been biscuit when new ? But no mention of a Heritage certificate in the advert.
Without inspecting it with my own eyes and a magnet, it’s impossible to say how good or bad the body is. But it could well be a good buy.
I've been to enough classic car auctions to know that there are more poorly restored cars out there than good ones. They all look nice online. Buying sight unseen would, for me, therefore be a bit of a gamble.Shame it’s not in its original Fawn colour ( think it was a Fawn metallic that I recall seeing them in ?? ) says it’s been re trimmed, guessing the current black is non original and that it would have been biscuit when new ? But no mention of a Heritage certificate in the advert.
Without inspecting it with my own eyes and a magnet, it’s impossible to say how good or bad the body is. But it could well be a good buy.
That said, I've just placed a bid!
aeropilot said:
P5BNij said:
IIRC Ginger Baker had three FFs, one after the other....
Must have not kept each one very long then......as he no longer had one when I knew him in 1978/9. He was spending most of his time in Italy with his horses by then.
More Jensen nostalgia....
Edited by P5BNij on Tuesday 1st September 19:33
I owned an S3 J Series for a couple of years a decade or so ago.
It had been very well restored by Cropredy Bridge in the mid 90's and hadn't seen much use after that so I dodged the infamous bodywork bullet!
It was a truly fantastic car, everything worked, it looked a million dollars, was great to drive in a slightly lazy, torquey way and my ex wife hated it, which was an unexpected bonus.
Only downsides (for me anyway) were that it drew attention absolutely everywhere I went, I was always slightly aware that the S1 & S2 interiors were MUCH nicer and the monumentally catastrophic fuel consumption.
A good friend, who had previously owned a DBS V8, eventually persuaded me to part with it and in his opinion it was a better vehicle all round than the Aston. He sold it a few years ago when prices were rocketing. He's since bought another as a retirement project!
It had been very well restored by Cropredy Bridge in the mid 90's and hadn't seen much use after that so I dodged the infamous bodywork bullet!
It was a truly fantastic car, everything worked, it looked a million dollars, was great to drive in a slightly lazy, torquey way and my ex wife hated it, which was an unexpected bonus.
Only downsides (for me anyway) were that it drew attention absolutely everywhere I went, I was always slightly aware that the S1 & S2 interiors were MUCH nicer and the monumentally catastrophic fuel consumption.
A good friend, who had previously owned a DBS V8, eventually persuaded me to part with it and in his opinion it was a better vehicle all round than the Aston. He sold it a few years ago when prices were rocketing. He's since bought another as a retirement project!
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