Britain's Most Unjust Failure - The Jensen Interceptor
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2022
- The British Car industry made some terrible cars in the 70s.. the Jensen Interceptor is not one of them but still the story does not end well. The car has a huge Chrysler 7.2L V8 that was also on the Dodge Challenger and it is a well made and luxurious car with serious performance.. and yet it still failed!
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to me looks like a british Capri
What a car a iconic car some even had 4wd drive and anti lock brakes in the 1960s. Mmmmm
I was a trainee at jensen West Bromwich age 16 to 21 at which time they closed. During my employment I worked in all departments of production . fibreglass section . White line .Trim .Engine Paint .Assembly. But the experimental department was amazing. Also worked in their service centre. Yet around the age of 20 I worked with a guy called Stan on emissions for state cars lhd where I had to drive them to Luton for emissions test. Imagine that a brand new car age 20 .I am now 66 and still love jensen
One of the most distinct and beautiful things on 4 wheels, and so period correct as well.
That's err....Not a Job! ;)
7.2
Pitty about the electrics...my only experience is using my ute to jump start an old blokes interceptor down the road from me. He had it in and out of the autolecies but it would leach power when parked up even for a few days....got him setup with a trickle charger and that helped, but did not solve the issue, then indicators, then the horns, blower and headlamps yada, yada, you get the idea. But nice ride otherwise.
@@mrkim3257 yes there's a lot of additions to the original wiring loom. Old bullet connectors etc which don't stand the test of time. However when you started it I bet you 😏. Cheers
My neighbor.growing up had one of these.
She was a lady car enthusiast and even had a couple of cars she owned and restored competing in The Great American Race and some European rallies.
Her father and uncle started a business that supplied components to the Big Three American automakers.
She inherited more than enough money to live comfortably her whole life but she owned a flower shop and financially funded a no-kill animal shelter to stay busy.
She had a Jensen Interceptor in her automotive stable.
It was a beautiful car but she only used it occasionally because it left her stranded several times due to electrical niggles and even when relatively new parts were difficult to come by and the nearest dealer was over a hundred miles away in Chicago.
I remember riding in it a couple times as a child and sitting in the backseat with that enormous glass area at my back wondering was the air conditioning even working in 75° weather.
The owner even complained about the fuel consumption.
She said on a leisurely trip at 55 to 60 mph and the A/C off it only got around 15 mpg and in city driving it only got 8 to 10 mpg.
She kept it until she passed away in 2019 and a collector from the UK bought it and exported it back
It only had 19,800 miles and was in immaculate condition with stacks of maintenance and repair receipts.
You do understand there is a reason Lucas electric is referred to as the Lord of darkness!! 🤨
@@worldtraveler930 And British car manufacturers, BMC in particular, persisted in using Lucas electrics, SU carburetors & Armstrong lever dampers for decades.
William Egler Thank you for sharing your experiences about this car!
That she funded a No-Kill animal shelter says a lot about this lovely lady. Sounds like you had a wonderful neighbor! Great story and a great memory from your past!
Ooh, a lady car enthusiast, fancy that.
My mum used to work for Jensen in the 70s, she brought the sales brochures home for me, I crayoned all over them and cut the pictures out of them...... I wish I hadn't! Great video, beautiful car, thank you
Ha!! Brilliant to hear and I’m sure many other brochures will have had the same fate!
I still have a brochure from when I was a kid. Should be in great condition as its just been stashed away .
@@bertram256 I feel my wounds have just been salted
@@bertram256 aaaaaaaaswaaawa a aaaaaaaaswaaawa a pH ft,
I have a RR Silver Spirit brochure that got given to me when I was 12 or so... I salivated over it for years!
The Jensen Interceptor was such a beautiful car! I remember having a Corgi die-cast model of it when I was a kid. As you said, A mix of Italian styling, British mechanicals, and an American V-8.
Hey Jack,
Great video.
My Dad bought his Interceptor 3 directly from the factory (receiver) when that went bust. It was the One of the press road test cars. He owned it for 40 years and sold it about 8 years ago.
I was lucky enough to drive it. For a 74 car it drive really well and the engine gearbox combo were tremendously smooth and refined.
A true British muscle car. The performance statistics still looked pretty impressive in the early 1990’s so imagine how this beast would have felt to people in 74 when new!
In my opinion the interceptor was one of the most beautiful cars ever produced , always loved the look of them since I was a child and I'm now 56 years of age .
Thank you for sharing this has been a joy to watch and I love your videos 👏👏👏
Mk2 jag Daimler v8 is probably best looker ever
As a young boy in the 1970s I idolised the Jensen Interceptor. You saw them on the road every now and then. I've never even sat in one but it brings back memories of car spotting as our family drove on holiday in our red Fiat van.
I remember Harold Robbins being a hero just for owning one, they're beautiful!
The father of a lady I worked with in the 1970s had one of these and the family went to Wales for a weekend. Halfway home she realised she'd left her expensive fur coat (it was the 70s, what can I say?) behind but they worked out it was cheaper to buy a new coat than pay for the petrol to go back and and get it! Good news on the sponsorship, my last two batteries came from Tayna (but why do some people insist on calling them Tanya?)
As a kid, working in a service station. (yes a service station) where I filled the petrol, checked the oil and tyres. We would have a lot of very interesting vehicles drop in. I saw an Australian celebrity with one of these, and I always hoped I could check his oil. I loved the different and fairly unique motors the best, of course. However, I never had the chance with the Jensen.
I managed, via that night-shift job, to save enough to get my first motorcycle. So very fond memories. The Jensen had a unique style, with the rear glass being the most notable. I can only imagine the cost and the difficulty of getting a replacement now. In the UK at present, the fuel gauge should probably be converted to Pounds instead of gallons.
I remember the oil crisis of the 70’s and these Interceptor’s were clogging up the secondhand car dealers at ridiculously low prices and many were in a tatty state and not kept well as money got tight, it’s good to still see so many saved ones this is the first review I’ve seen of one, thank you.
Correct. I remember tatty Interceptors going through car auctions for a couple of hundred quid.
@@raypurchase801 and db4 and 5's .
Still a very good looking car today and every time I see one it brings a big smile to my face. They were plagued with unreliability when new and were also prone to catching fire. I still love them !
Well said. I have always loved these cars. Thanks for another great video!
The uploader mention’s picturing driving to Monaco as an interceptor owner but as you rightly point out- reliability was a massive issue with these cars. He’d never get to Monaco!
@@tonylee-UK We took 29 to Turin and back in 2016. Only one failed due to a badly reconditioned gearbox. We took over 70 to Dresden in 2017. Only one failed with a broken exhaust manifold after hitting the exhaust too hard going over a kerb. Mine did both trips without problem. One day I did almost 700 miles across 3 countries. I'd say that shows good reliability.
That must have been the Italian influence 😆
@@chrisreed4246 That's fantastic Tony. I took a 6 day road trip to the Ferrari factory via France and Switzerland, but that was in a diesel. I bet your fuel bill was something to behold.
I think it’s brilliant you have a company that wants to sponsor the channel, as you should be paid as much as possible for the hard work you put into the brilliant films you produce ! ❤
Good video, thanks! A few years back I rented a '73 Mark III for a couple of days, and my experience was very similar to your description: very good ride quality, you waft along accompanied by the subsonic woofle of the big 440cui V8 and the occasional gentle creak from the leather trim. Very relaxing. And when you plant your foot into the Wilton, the nose of the bonnet lifts like a speedboat and the car catapults forward on a huge wave of torque. Despite the hefty weight, they really can get a move on.
I drove it over the Staffs moorland roads and the handling is good and predictable up to a point, but you're always aware of the sheer mass on the relatively skinny tyres. I actually got 13.5mpg in my time with the car, which wasn't too bad considering it was being driven, er, enthusiastically.
It had been my dream to drive an Interceptor ever since I was a boy, and it didn't disappoint. Fabulous car.
Mirrors my experience of ownership in the early eighties.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Where can you hire one & at what cost please ? I used to own one , wishing I’d never sold it !
@@nicholaswestover7362 You'd have to have a search, the place I rented mine from stopped offering its Interceptor for insurance reasons, because the values of decent driving cars shot up so much.
Really loved the looks of this car. You mentioned the FF…it was always my impression that the cost of developing the FF and lack of any tangible sales sunk Jensen. Your input regarding the Jensen-Healey cost and unreliability was helpful to know. Thanks.
The FF system was also put in an Early Ford Mustang. I guess the public just weren’t ready for 4x4 at that time.
Great to see such a positive review on this great car! I’ve owned my Series II for 26 years and I’ve loved every second of it. Keep up the good work Jack!
As a car-crazy teen in the US in the '70s I recall an automotive magazine article about the FF. The text centered around a fast drive through the English countryside in the rain but it was the photos of the car that lit my imagination. The extra length just seemed right for the car. Today I finally know why I have never seen one over here.
My backup dream car from that era was the Maserati Bora. Perhaps you can drive one of those for us some day.
Q should have DEFINITELY furnished James Bond with a Jensen Interceptor!
Absolutely a 007 motor.
Oh man, cannot believe this!!! I just finished watching Steph's video on the Jensen!!! One of my top favourite cars!! Frua came up with such a classy, elegant, time-less design.. (reminds me of the Mistral, doesn't it?) . Glorious, opulent, decadent car.
Touring Superleggera design, prototyped by Vignale. Frua not involved.
I think Frua did the equivalent AC tourers from that time....
I owned a Mark II when I lived in London, 1977-80. Great car. Totally impractical but huge fun, and (I was 26 and single when I got the car) an incredible chick magnet. One time I had it up to 145 mph on the M4. Another time I parked next to the Prince of Wales and got an appreciative comment. Parts and service was a hassle and fuel consumption was high, but very fond memories. I get a silly grin every time I see one.
In late 60's worked in Walsall close to where Walsall FC ground now is, and many dinner time breaks spotted a Jenson Interceptor being driving past the factory. It worked out that the road was used as a test run by Jenson so have always had a passing interest in this fantastic British Classic car. Thanks for the video nice work.
Beautiful car especially the convertible in my opinion, late series 3, with the full walnut veneer dash, looks stunning..
Well I never knew they did a convertible until now, what a thing!
@@nstarmore
It's a great looking car, and the Triumph Stag too, but no full convertible on the Stag, because of American safety laws at the time, the possibility of banning convertibles so they did the T top.
Yep, I reckon in either body style, the Interceptor was one of those cars that will always turn heads-even now. Quality.
Lovely lines on the Interceptor along w/ that front-end 'clean chisel look.'
The Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth (Mopar) 383 and the later 440 cu in engines fitted were an uncomplicated 2 valve ohv design. Coupled to these engines was the 'Torque-Flite 727' auto-box. Many U.S. and Canadian law enforcement dept's in the 1960`s and `70's Mopar vehicles were fitted w/these engines & trannies. Yeah, cars w/these big V8's pretty much 'passed everything, but the petrol pumps!' 😊
my dad had one of these when i grew up, i loved it to death. I got to drive it to the guy on the day he finally sold it and i cried a bit.
Good review and a very honest description of these great but misunderstood cars. I’ve owned a few over the years and still own an SP which I’ve driven around Europe a few times. Your assumption that these cars are perfect for a trans-continental trip is correct, they show no faults on a long run and you can get out without any aches after a good trip across countries. I drove the SP from northern Germany to west Cornwall in one go and all was fine.
Lovely vid Jack, must say your videos are head and shoulders above the likes of Jayem's because of your enthusiasm and excellent presentation skills. Hope you're at 100k subscribers very soon, then a mil...
A magnificent car. The only real competition was the Bristol 411. I'd love to see an honest comparison.
- The Jensen-Healy at 08:36 is best looking car in video by far!
A friend of mine had both !
As a kid in the late 60s, I had a little book with stats on every car model. The Jensen Interceptor's top speed stuck in my mind for all these years. 137 mph.
Love these cars Jack and love your videos. Great content and wonderfully presented. Thank you so much.
That’s really kind, thanks John!
Thanks Jack, yes, the 70'S were dire, at least we got to experience cars like these! Must be ripe for a more modern engine though these days. 🙏🙏
The Four wheel drive system in the FF was not a product of the Ferguson Tractor company. It was developed by Harry Ferguson Research Ltd. HFR was started by Harry Ferguson after he left the tractor company. HFR later became FFD (Ferguson Formula Developments). It had a sister company called Tractor Research Ltd., which used to do tractor design for Nuffield. Neither company had any association with Massey Harris Ferguson.
Here is a reason for failure in the auto industry. When I was a teenager, and in no why able to buy any car, let alone a beautiful one like this one, I went to an auto show and stood in wonder at the Jensen Interceptor on display. I asked the sales person if I could sit in it, and he looked me up and down and said, "Are you going to buy one"? I said no, and he refused to let me sit in it.
It's difficult to understand the love Clark Gable (apparently) had for _this_ generation of Jensen Interceptor, given that he died six years before it was first produced.
He was ahead of his time.
That's that story Gone with the wind 😂😂😂😂 but frankly I don't give a damn
Ouch! :)
Yeah, Jack is never backward in coming forward with some clunky hyperbole, and research-free blather.
This channel's commentary and titles leave definite room for improvement. It is miles below Harry's Garage. Despite using the same roads to test the cars on.
I remember that Jensen had a bit of a following where I lived in Oslo, Norway in the 80s. You kept seeing different examples and sometimes even the rare FF model with four-wheel drive. At the time I was driving a Land Rover Series III 88" (swb) and then it all suddenly became quite British and eccentric when you stood next to a Jensen filling up with petrol. The cars couldn't be more different, but still a long way from Great Britain did we have some sort of community and common basic interest in British cars in a world without the internet and other relatively fleeting influences. Quite funny to think about today :)
Great video Jack! Good to learn more about this Jensen which is a car I always admired. Really like these reviews so keep up the good work!
When I was a teenager I had a lot of friends in the car industry. Dealers mainly but also mechanics and general workers. One friend had a couple of Maserati’s, a Ferrari Daytona, and a Lamborghini if I remember right. He also had three Jensen Interceptors. What joy. Another one had 50 Rolls Royces. They were not unusual compared to the Jensens. We loved them. Blue, yellow and red. Stunning and fast. I was too young to have a license. Dammit.
Love intercepter great looking car, Harry Metcalf did a review of a resto mod version that was a crazy £350k I think 🤔 cracking stuff Jack 👍
They were such fantastic cars, I think ahead of their time a bit really with the design and even the FF drive system. Those old Chrysler lumps, the 383ci (6.3l) and 440ci (7.2l) were both more than capable engines being able to comfortably provide well over 300hp with little stress on the engines themselves. Now, why on Earth they decided to detune them for the British market in the 60's is beyond me. My Dad had a 69/70 Dodge Monaco 2-door with a 383 in it. It would push you into the seat when the throttle was pushed with authority. He and a friend timed it from 0-60mph and they were amazed when it cracked 8 seconds hitting the mark at 7.7 seconds. The 383 was sold at 330hp which Chrysler at the time always downplayed, real horsepower was more likely in the 350hp range and the optional 440ci factory rated at 375hp was more than likely in the low 400's. What they didn't tell you were the torque numbers but some recorded numbers have the 1970 383 at 425lb ft and the 440 at 490 lb ft, and that is safely enough to launch a 1600kg car like the Interceptor from 0-60 in 7.5 seconds with the Detuned version of the 440. Now, had the interceptor survived and lived on to today I could see it with the 707hp Hellcat engine in it, and if I'm honest, if I ever found a Jensen with a blown motor for sale and I could afford it,...that sucker would be getting a Supercharged 6.2l 707hp heart transplant along with that bombproof 8spd TorqueFlight transmission. Man, I have expensive dreams!
If you search RUclips, there's one on there. A big price tag though, but money no object, I'd be ordering one.
They didn't detune them. Jensen fitted them exactly as they came from Chrysler.
@@chrisreed4246 I think if you read up on them, the Chrysler Motors were detuned to run on the English regular gasoline. Remember at that time North America ran fuel with lead additives to reduce knock and friction, the European fuel was already Unleaded by the 60's.
@@canucklehead0 our fuel in the UK also had lead in it. Unleaded fuel wasn’t introduced until the mid to late 1980s. Our fuel ran from 92ish to 97 RON.
@@canucklehead0 In the 1960s and into the 1970 we did not have "regular gasoline". We had 4 grades of fuel - 2 star - 92 to 93 Octane, 3 star - 95 Octane, 4 star - 97 to 99 Octane and 5 star which was - 100 to 101 Octane. All were leaded fuels. You would have to look up a conversion to relate those to US ratings which were different.
Jensen bought the 330hp version of the 383 as fitted to the Dodge Coronet. Jensen had to fit the engine unchanged into the Interceptor otherwise it would invalidate the warranty from Chrysler. I know this for a fact directly from people who actually worked at Jensen at the time.
An Interceptor would do 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds, quite a bit quicker than your Monaco, and go on to a top speed of 137mph and do a standing 1/4 mile in 15 seconds reaching 92mph. At the time only the Monteverdi 375L was quicker at 0-60 (6.3) and standing 1/4 mile (14.6 seconds). An E-Type 2+2 was a full second slower.
I remember Jensen used to run an advert that went something like “Once you step into an Interceptor you become immortal * (no one had ever had a fatal accident in an Interceptor)”
I don’t know if that still holds though !
I've adored these for years, they were so far ahead of their time, particularly the FF version. My late father would continually remind me that Eric Morecambe owned one and had a heart attack whilst driving it. Three door "shooting brakes" have always done it for me. I now own the closest modern equivalent of one of these, also an FF but the one made by Ferrari.
Ha!! Enjoy your FF.. quite apt really
Instantly fell in love with this car when I seen it on top gear it's a beautiful car , sounds awesome is British best .if I was in a position to I'd make electric interceptors with 1000 hp and Also an ls4 option with various levels of brutality .
I used to babysit for Eric Liddell, who was one of the directors Jenscot, the Scottish Jensen distributors. Fond memories of Eric blasting the normal and the six pack Interceptors up & down the backroads to his home. Eric was a very highly experienced racing driver (racing GT40s and Ferraris among other cars all over the world) and one of Jim Clark’s proteges - fabulous to sit alongside him as he pushed these cars to their limits! He also raced a heavily modified Jensen Healey at Ingliston with considerable panache!
I always was drawn to the Jensen Interceptor and in 1972 found the perfect car, it was £1,150. I paid the deposit and organised the insurance. I was staggered to find the insurance was over £900, in my defence I was in my twenties and my driving experience was limited to my Series 1 Land Rover (fully comp was £44). Sadly I had to withdraw my offer on the Interceptor. Now I'm in my 70's, I doubt I would even get insurance for an Interceptor!
An absolutely corker, a dependable motor together with the gorgeous styling. To top it all it must be the best name of any car ever produced, 'Jensen Interceptor', it said everything, and made in West Bromwich too, the days when we had a car industry, and lots of strikes! The back window always reminds me of the TVR 3000M, I once owned. Such a shame we now only produce bland, boring and often grotesque cars such as the 'Joke'. Sorry Sunderland.
Gorgeous styling I agree with, but weren't they notoriously UNreliable?
Brilliant things... loved the way it drove, I had a 3, it was the one Mike and Ed messed around with on season 7 ep1 wheeler dealers. What a car, almost the same year as my Etype, and yet a world of difference in terms of equipment and comfort - the Jensen always felt like it was about a decade newer. Loved it, was sorry to see it go but one day maybe, I'll look for another.
@10:53 Your editing skills are improving. I like how you brought the sound of the driving car in over the video of you driving before showing what the sound of the driving car was associated with. And then you kept the sound of the car driving into your next cabin shit. Nice sound transitions!
My dad's squillionaire mate had one of these in the early 70s. I can still recall him taking me out in it and cruising around the streets of Luton sounding the horn and waving at random people then flooring it. You can imagine the impression that had on a 10 year old me. 😁
Quite right to mention 1973......
I believe that the second Oil Crises of 1976 was the final nail in the ⚰ as that was the year that Jensen went into liquidation.
I'm old enough to remember 5 star Petrol - and 59.9p/gallon.....
Yes..... gallon.
A sad loss to the Automotive 🌍.
One of the main problems at that time there were there were many great GTs and sportscars for the wealthy: From Iso Rivolta to Monteverdi, Aston Martin, Bristol, Maserati, Bitter, just to name a few.
And most of these companies went under as well. Which is actually a pity. Most of those cars were gorgeous. And shame on me: I actually thought that the Interceptor was also 4 wheel drive.
the strength of the jensen from the myriad of famous people who owned one was to put it simply the only one with the possible exception of the bristol that you name that was a supercar you could use every day.the rest were highly tempremental beasts more suitable as a sunday second car than everyday transport.the bristol was a very niche car and closer in image to the bentley than was the futuristic interceptor.jeremy clarkson an aston martin devotee said on a top gear once that the jensen was price and power wise the nearest competitor the then new aston db had both had outstanding looks comfort etc.thing was as he was honest enough to admit after owning a lot of astons and testing even more long term the car never had enough electricity.youd drive one today then tomorrow it would be stuck on your drive waiting for the aa to fix it! so id pick the jensen because compared to the rest it was so reliable.it didnt need coddling.the beatles said similar as did cliff richard .cliff said you didnt want a rolls or a bentley as in the 60s they were middle aged mens cars the jenson was hip.you could drive it though! ringo and george had bought incredibly sophisticated cars like facel vegas de tomasos and the like very fashionable but they were always in the garage! ringo phoned me one day and said hows the jensen? great i said he said ive been through a facel vega a ferrari and two de tomasos but i go everywhere by taxi as they always blow up! he bought a jensen !!
@@mikekemp9877 I know most of the cars I have mentionned have their flaws. But Jay Leno claims his Monteverdi is extremely reliable and easy to maintain.
The customers who could afford a car like an Interceptor or any of it's competitors had money galore and they often owned more than one car. They were not scared of huge maintanance costs and repair bills. If you mentionned the Facel Vega: Those were wonderful and exotic beauties and I love them. But they were produced a few years before the Interceptor. Interesting enough: Facel Vegas, Interceptors and Monteverdis all had very powerful Chrysler engines.
@@beatglauser9444 at the time the monteverdi was the most expensive car in the world equivalent of a veyron today.very limited production 4 times the price of an interceptor and spares service etc had to be done in switzerland.no right hand drive either when they started.like bristols it was also extremely hard to buy one as waiting lists low production and sold out for years made them impossible to get.despite the chrysler engine warranty was nullified if you went anywhere but monteverdi in switzerland a bit like maclaren today.hardly a showroom car rarely availble and an esoteric not practical buy.many celebs tried to buy one and tears later still didnt have a car.hardly useful for reliable everyday transport whic was the big selling point of the jensen.the point about the facel was it was great on paper but a pig to own one like most exotic cars of the period.the jensen wasnt which made it popular.
I was born 1967 and has a young boy I remember my uncle having one of these, I think he actually had 3 in succession.
A story I remember is he drove from Liverpool to Norfolk at some ridiculous speed ,and when he got there the paint on the bonnet had turned brown from the heat of the engine.
I'm glad you have Tayna Batteries as a sponsor. They have served us with excellence over the past two years. We are motorcycle engineers, so give a mention that they supply other batteries. Jensen deserve greater recognition for their fabulous cars. Jensen Healey being my personal favourite. Keep up the good work guys, burn petrol while we still can! 👍👍
Thanks chap and glad you approve of Tayna!
Jack you should do a reliant Scimitar GTE S5A. Has some design cues from this Jensen. Looks beautiful and is a bit from the same era
Ah the Scimitar. As driven by Princess Anne, who chose a colour that Reliant subsequently refused to supply to anyone else (they'd let you have any other colour, of course).
not sure if it's your mic but those big blocks should make a massive rumble - I've driven that engine in a Dakar 4x4 (range rover classic) and it was setting car alarms off.
Love these reviews, Jack, they are delivered in such an enthusiastic way; clear and easy to understand with tons of information about each and every car. I have driven MGs and now own an XK, but would love to try out a Jensen, such power and luxury all in one fantastic car.
Superb video,love these .When I was a boy in the seventies,my dear old mum used to be a bookeeper for a lift firm.Sometimes in the summer hols she would take me to work with her.Her boss,a Mr Barr,was a nice bloke,who was car mad and had a legendary processsion of cars,including a series 3 like this,gold mk1 Granada Ghia,series 2 Daimler double six VDP, an early XJS,and my least favourite a Rolls Corniche convertible,which he changed each year!
To this day the Jensen is still a beautiful, classy looking car. I remember as a kid in Manchester seeing Georgie Best knocking about in one, always with a very tasty female companion ;)
@@terrymurphy2032 If I had a pound for every time I have heard that story I would be able to buy Ferrari and Lamborghini combined!!
@@terrymurphy2032 It's a great story and a truthful one, George was a genuine superstar RIP
I loved the Interceptor when they came out - stunning looking car. And they still look so good today. Sadly the oil crisis in the early 70's must have put a lot of people off from buying one. In my eyes it was a much nicer looking car to the Jaguar XJ-S that launched a few years later. Such a shame it did not become a much bigger success.
A beautiful car, and one made in my neck of the woods (sort of) - West Brom! Steph featured one on I Drive A Classic at the weekend too.
My Dad and uncle were Steel Erectors and roofers in the Blackcountry. And the boss man pulled up in one one day when I was on the job with my Dad. ( it was the mid 70s you could take your kids to the construction site in them days. Lol). I was only 11 years old. It was the greatest thing I ever seen. To this day I still have the image in my head. Only car I ever wanted if I become rich. I never become rich. Lol. And never owned one. ..lol. but I've owned some cool cars. 57 Chevy convertible. 51 Pontiac Cheifton. Plenty more big Americans. But never run across a Jenson even to restore. I'm still looking. I live in Sweden now. Plenty classics here. Good video. Thanks.
During the late 1980s, in Vancouver, my boss had one of these as his daily driver. I was a Mopar guy, and ended up ditching most of the California emissions BS, to let her breathe. What a magnificent beast!
As a Canadian, i only seen a few Interceptors in person here in Canada. They’re beautiful cars and i love the Mopar drivetrain. It’s on my wishlist for test drive.
I remember as a child growing up in Sydney, Australia, someone just up the road had one of these. Bright yellow with a white roof and c pillar from memory. I used to ride my bike around and occasionally this would drive past and pull in to their house. It always made me look.
I grew up around (more minor) film and TV actors near the studios in Los Angeles. I remember seeing a fair number of these driven around my part of town in the 70s and 80s. They always struck me. What a presence, a real iron fist in a velvet glove. Always a thrill to see one, even in a car obsessed city.
John Bonham's 1971 FF is up for sale on eBay at the moment, near Dorking. £125k, but quite a motor especially with that provenance!
Quickly becoming an addict of this channel. Lovely stuff.
I just watched your Interceptor video and as it went past I heard the slight whistling in the exhaust note which reminded me of my cars. I had my first Interceptor MKIII in 1975. It's first owner was a Lynsey De Paul but I sold it when Jensen went bust as I got nervous about parts and servicing. A few years later I bought another which I kept for 19 years. I decided to let it go when the rust became a serious problem.
Great review, Jack. Amazing how similar the headlining is to the Alfa Romeo Montreal you drove recently!
Legend Ginger Baker from Cream had one and he use to race Eric Clapton in his Ferrari with it. There was a wonderful article in one of the classic cars magazine about Baker and his Jensen
At one time Ginger had three! Great story behind this.
Worked at a Jensen dealer for a summer job in 73 as a cleaner driver. Got to drive a few of these aged 19. The kick down when you put your right foot to the floor was an experience that has lasted, as was being towed by a bedford beagle van ( Viva van) when one broke down in the Luton one way system. Without the engine the steering and breaks were heavy and we snapped the tow rope a couple of times. Did get to drive the sprite as well. Happy days
I used to work for a Jensen dealer in Sussex - It was my job to collect them from the factory having hitched up there on trade plates. Also I might return one for some reason. Regarding fuel consumption I once ran out of fuel with 7 miles to go to the factory - I put a gallon in and didn't maker it!
I also collected the very first Jensen Healy the dealer had - it might have been the first anyone had? - It was a wet night and I nearly spun it in Park Lane driving back
I’ve been lucky enough to own one, wish I still had it now. It was only about 12 years ago and they’ve gone crazy on the price now. My neighbour had several whilst I was growing up. Everyone needs to go inside a single prefab garage and start one up. Amazing
Nice video. Well done hooking up with Tayna, I believe I suggested them to you for one of your videos.
Yes!! Thanks Steve!
Fabulous looking car, have loved them since I was a kid thanks for bringing this jack 😀👌
What a smashing video from beginning to end -- thank you!
I've seen maybe 3 or 4 of these in my life and one single FF. I always loved the looks and think it still doesn't look dated. Thanks for making this video and bringing the Interceptor alive for us. I wonder how this would sell if someone made a new run with Chrysler's Hemi engines.
In 1973 two friends and I drove a SAAB from college in Florida to the Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Our driver after a few hurricanes unfortunately walked back to his car to try to move it to a better parking space and ended up running into a bridge abutment. He was unhurt but the SAAB was totaled . His parents flew him back to FL and my friend and I ( no cellphones) had no idea what happened he never returned to Bourbon Street !! Since our parents did not approve our trip we hitchhiked from Louisiana back to college in FL it took 3 days ! After an all night stint in FL with no pickup at 7 am a doctor in a new Jensen Interceptor picked us up . He said he knew that we were college students and dropped us off right at our dorm ! It was a miracle what a ride . Since then I have wanted a JI but have always been afraid to pull the trigger. I drive a relatively trouble free 911 . At age 69 the dream has faded - Do you think they have Jensen’s in the afterlife !!?? I hope so ❤
A mate of my dad who ran a garage in the mid 70s into the late 80s had a saying.
'They don't make cars like they used to, ........ Thank god!'
Not sure that's true these days.
The best cars have already been built. More infotainment systems on wheels now.
Absolutely in agreement with your assesment of the Interceptor. Wish there were more about, would love to get my hands on one.
Absolutely marvellous motor car. Wonderful engine soundtrack and easy torquey performance. Some people missed the point with the Jensen . The performances are more usable that the highly strung Italian super cars where the greater urge is when you rev the knackers off em! People say Interceptors aren’t fast? Well 30-50 mph in kick down in a mere 2.3 secs should do the job just nicely . It all happens at comparatively low revs , unstressed, in a perfectly civilised manner. And here’s the icing on the cake. Yes, it burns fuel big time , but an engine rebuild on one of these £5-6 grand, that would just cover a timing chain service on a V12 Ferrari ! So if you look at the classic car cost holistically you can see why the The Big Interceptor makes so much sense. ( Especially when Ferraris and the like seemed to get rebuilt every few years so it seems) But do you know what? I think I’d prefer one of these to any Ferrari, no matter how old, how new or how rare . You’ve made my evening Jack , Thank You 😊
Yes that's right, I had a mk1 6.3 and you weren't rebuilding the engine every year, bit more thirsty but no real problems, in America the 383 and 440 are highly thought of.
Am old enough to remember these when they were new. There were a couple local to where I lived and you always heard them before you saw them. Stunning looking car inside and out !
I hope you're one day able to find an FF and be able to review it. Getting into the history of Subaru it was amazing to learn that this "little" car brand from the UK had a model that was so technologically advanced it would have features that only became more common decades later (AWD and ABS), way before Subaru, AMC and Audi came up with their models containing one of the systems, never mind both of them.
In the same way I'd love to get a chance to experience a well sorted AMC Eagle(a much more achievable objective), I'd love to experience an FF one day, just briefly since I'd go mad trying to sort parts for it haha.
Grazie Giaco!
In the 1972-1973 television series SEARCH, agent Nick Bianco (played by Tony Franciosa), drove a 1972 Interceptor III. The car was furnished by Jensen.
480 pound-feet of torque always puts a smile on your face.
The best sounding name ever for a beautiful car "Jensen Interceptor", you just can't better that !
I've owned a 928 S 5 Speed for thirty years now and I'd swap in a heartbeat for an Interceptor!
Porsche studied the Jensen FF while developing their AWD system (which eventually launched on the 1989.5 Carrera 4). A company now builds restomods as can be seen on Harry's Garage.
Excellent vid.
Until I saw a BBC programme on the Interceptor some years ago I didn't even know of this model. Then, as with many other identifications, I started to notice them - even once on a summer's evening on a country road in Ireland.
On the BBC programme notable Jensen Interceptor owners spoke of their experience with this car. Henry Cooper got one after becoming European Heavyweight Champion in the mid-60s. He'd originally wanted to get a Ferrari but on Question of Sport one evening he asked John Surtees (F1 World Champion for Ferrari at the time) which would be better for him: Surtees said the Jensen.
I didn't know Ferguson designed a car usable 4WD system. I suppose their "design oversight" has been used in case studies illustrating the importance of market considerations for not just styling design but product/operational design too.
I so agree with your lamenting of narrowly missed opportunities in the UK motor industry in the 60s and 70s 😢
I was passed by one of these in my younger years (I was a mad race motorcyclist), I managed to keep up with it (around 106-108mph 1970s) on a two lane road. I gave up when I noticed the driver was more concerned with the tape deck than driving the car. Always respected and admired them.
Wow, I just commented under your Pantera video you should review this and here you did!👏
Amazing Machine, I have loved Jensen Interceptors since I saw one in an underground parking garage in Manhattan, NYC back in the 70s..next to another favorite a Citroen SM..
The Interceptor and the SM were the two cars I always dreamed of owning.
A family friend kindly chauffeured my wife and I from our wedding chapel in his Jensen Interceptor, an earlier model than the one in this video.
We had a straight country road going up a hill in front of the chapel and he floored it with a very satisfying grunty roar and we had the kind g-forces I normally associate with accelerating motorbikes or aeroplanes trying to leave the ground.
Always been a car that I have loved and the FF was just the coolest.
Excellent review and love the new sponsor. I know where to go when I need a new battery 👍👍
You are so right. I never understood why this failed. Many famous Australians owned these, so I very much expected Jensen to succeed. The previous model, with the all-wheel drive system and other high-tech components, should have been enough to carry the brand over the line. I always thought of them as an Aston Martin competitor.
Light sponsorship touch seems like the sensible way to do it, rather than some RUclipsrs who bang on for 90 seconds as you say. Cheers.
My absolute all time bucket list car. I was lucky enough to deviver one to London from Birmingham after a small damage repair. My greatest joy behing a steering wheel.
My God these things rust. This particular looks wonderful. As an aside, I am so pleased to see contemporary number plates rather than the odd looking black and silver ones that seem so popular now.
They do, but everything did in the 60s and 70s.
I learned how to ‘drive’ in an interceptor when I was 10. Sitting behind the wheel imagining the roar of that 5.7l V8 was so cool. I was dead set on getting it running, but it was sold as a project before I could get hold of it. Ah, what might have been!
Greeting from across the pond! Very cool car. Very unfortunate demise. I always got this “Interceptor” confused with the original Mad Max “Interceptor”. The Brits being Jensen and the Aussie version being a Ford Falcon. I like them both for different reasons. Too bad we never got many (if any) on our shores. Thanks for the drive.
Jack, it is sad that this car, like several others from your country, which I always thought great in design in some ways, failed, in my opinion, because they seem to not have the same financial imput that the German industry had , who also strived for better engineering and usually better durability. But even considering my favorite and sometimes unreiiable Fiats back then, I considered most English brands behind the times on several levels, like engine, suspension, brakes, and durability, that let the brand down. I'm sure the financial weight to improve back then was huge, but somehow the Germans continued forward. Remember, back then, most Americans, who drove an import, drove one from the UK. Then things went downhill, just like with Fiat, and American attitude changed because of reliability and durability issues the brands never improved on. This car is brilliant in many ways. Thanks for showing this true classic. Peace.
While we were living in Blackpool and trying to make a living repairing classic cars and classic bikes [and still are] but are now on the Derbyshire border . Our regular buyer and supplier had bought a MK 111 off a celebrity who he knew off the lads mags scene ,as he dabbled a bit in everything,a sort of Arfur Daley from the Yorkshire dales . We picked it up from London as it was a non runner ,but it would have cost the annual debt to drive it back to Lancashire - anyway . A sill ,four replaced rusty headlights ,a rear silencer ,a battery and a new distributor cos the original had sheared and a M.O.T. was acquired . Put in a full fuel can of petrol in to travel 3 or 4 miles to the M.O.T. station and it ran out of fuel on the way back ?. I was going to buy the car but the fuel consumption slightly put my Brother & me ,off . Our friend who owned the car only bought it for the great reg. - JEN 35 and he sold it with full M.O.T. in the early 80s for - wait for it £600 ! . It was a sort of Maroon ,with black leather interior ,quite tidy ,drove horribly like a old Bedford truck and I don"t think the adjustable ride not working didn"t help.
But even when stood it looked a million Dollars ,we would probably own the Jensen now it it wasn"t for the fuel consumption ,but it was always a question of room ,lots of vehicles ,money no problem and big cars were super cheap ,but our outhouses were full and all the land around the farmhouse was crammed . Good site and worth a look ! .
I ove your new format trying out different cars