<VV> Interesting car for sale - NO CORVAIR

[Bill Elliott]

No, same company but two completely different cars and two different concepts.

Jensen was always a high end basically hand built car, competing above Jaguar and just below Aston 
Martin, Ferrari, Maserati. (They also had a pretty awesome manufacturing facility, building car bodies for 
others...such as the Volvo P1800 sports car).

 Through the 60's and 70's the Interceptor always maintained a price advantage (with a slight 
performance/handling disadvantage) by using Chrsyler V8's (383 and 440 in the 70's cars). The 
Intercept FF was jointly developed with Fergueson Formula (race team) and had full time all wheel drive 
(the first performance fitting ever, over a decade before the quattro) and antilock brakes (another 
automotive first). The interceptor was available as a hatchback with wraparound rear glass (most 
common), notchback coupe (very rare), convertible (VERY desirable), and the FF hatchback (almost 
unheard of in the US).

The Jensen Healey came about as a joint project with Jensen, Donald Healey, and Lotus (who was 
looking for someone to use their first "in house" engine (DOHC 2.0 ) that was being developed for the 
new higher end Lotuses (Elite, Eclat, Esprit).  The big block Jensens were selling rather well, but got 
killed by the fuel crunch.  The car hit at the wrong time and at a premium price, had attractive but 
uninspiring styling, front engine when the industry was going mid-engine, a solid rear axle when everyone 
wanted IRS,  convertible when everytone was going targa or FHC,  serious teething problems with the 
early engines (by the time Lotus used it in their own cars, most of the development had been done by J-
H customers!), brake issues, gearbox issues, early corrosion problems, etc, etc... to the point that 
Donald Healey withdrew from the project making the last model (a 2 door sport wagon) simply the 
Jensen GT.

The combination of the fuel cruch and the failure of the J-H killed Jensen...

Bill 

>I remember the Jenson Interceptor, was it also known as the Jenson Healey? 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Rt66Vairs at aol.com
>Sent: Oct 24, 2005 9:35 AM
>To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>Subject: <VV> Interesting car for sale - NO CORVAIR


>1974 Jensen Interceptor.

>Talk  about FAST!

>Owned by a an old radio buddy... Roger Carroll of KMPC and  AFRTS fame. He 
>also was
>the announcer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour  (musta been a cool job) 
>Says he's 
>getting too old for it... Still flys... I  think it's too slow for him.

>Haven't got a price yet but lemme tell  ya....

>Cool car... Chrysler drive line.... Look it up on  google

>Tim Abney
>IECC  

>