We’ve all got a car in mind for a money-no-object restomod project. And being the broad church that is PH, you can bet your bottom dollar that no two ideas will be the same. Obviously, Singer et al have the 911 side of things well catered for (perhaps a little too well depending on who you ask), but there are plenty of makes and models ripe for a restomodding that have yet to be considered for one. I mean, why has nobody thrown some modern bits at a TVR Tuscan or Cerbera yet?
A mix of money, patience and time are the likely culprits, but don’t think it’s due to a lack of appetite. Because while a restomod TVR may seem a tad left-field, it’s the niche stuff that makes this wonderful corner of the market so fascinating to watch. Who’d have thought there was a market for a six-figure Peugeot 205 GTI? Tolman certainly did, and it doesn’t seem to have any problems finding buyers. TWR, meanwhile, seems to be off to a strong start with its XJS-based Supercat, and don’t forget the Frontline LE60 MGB we drove back in 2023. All skew more towards the boutique side of the restomod market, but they don’t come more, er, specialist than the Jensen Interceptor R we have for sale here.
This is the work of Jensen International Automotive (or JIA), which scooped up the rights to the legendary British carmaker after it shuttered operations in 2011. Rather than set about building an all-new model and forking out obscene amounts of money on development and tooling in the process (cough, TVR, cough), it instead decided to continue the Interceptor bloodline as if the last 50 years had never happened. From the outside, then, it’s business as usual, with the Interceptor R retaining the distinctive look penned by Carrozzeria Touring in the '60s, just with a few small modern touches like 17-inch alloy wheels and an ever so slightly meaner front end.
Underneath, however, it’s a whole other story. The shell, while plucked from a genuine Interceptor donor car, gets stripped back to bare metal and subjected to a full refurb. From there, JIA adds adjustable dampers, AP Racing brakes, a Jaguar-sourced independent rear end and, like the original, a limited-slip differential. There’s also a massive V8 up front - but while the Interceptor of yesteryear was powered by a naturally-aspired Chrysler unit, the car we have here gets a 6.3-litre, supercharged Chevy LSA with 564hp under your right foot - or around 230hp more than the old car.
This particular model is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing, too, finished in superb Sepang Bronze Metallic which, naturally, has been specced with a chocolate brown leather interior. It doesn’t get more '70s than that. The interior appears period correct, though the steering wheel has been lightly tweaked, the switchgear upgraded to metal knobs and dials, and, of course, almost every surface is wrapped in leather. Granted, the touchscreen in the centre console looks a touch out of place, though it’ll come in handy when you take the ‘R’ for a long weekend away touring Europe. Might want to find a fancier gear knob for the six-speed manual ‘box, mind.
Not all restomods strike the right balance between old and new, but we'd argue JIA has found it with the Interceptor R. Finding a price on a ‘new’ example is always difficult in the boutique world, with recent reports putting the figure at £390k for a Supercharged example. That makes the £129,995 asking price of this 2019 car seem much more palatable, and means you won’t have to go through the bother of sourcing a donor car. Naturally, that does mean you’re stuck with the spec, but is there a better colour combo for a late '60s/ early '70s GT than brown over brown? Thought not.
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