Jensen Interceptor, the coolest name for a car ever? | Drive Flashback

The world’s first 4WD performance car was a blend of V8 brutishness and British opulence along with innovation and a very, very cool name.

Original story by Tony Davis published in Drive on 29 May, 1998

By the time the Jensen Interceptor appeared in 1966, the practice of cramming large American engines into English sports cars was firmly established. When it came to large pieces of US iron, Jensen – a coach-building firm with a heritage going back to the 1920s – started with a 6.2-litre Chrysler V8 and soon moved up to a 7.2-litre.

The Interceptor was handsome, quick (the fastest version touched 225 km/h) and luxuriously appointed. Promoting it from interesting to remarkable was the four-wheel-drive FF version.

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Using an innovative centre differential system developed by tractor magnate Harry Ferguson, the Interceptor FF (pictured below) was the world’s first 4WD performance car. It also had Dunlop anti-skid brakes, originally developed for jet planes.

Despite the innovations (described by Jensen as “mechanical guardian angels”), the FF was as dear as it was complicated (in both cases, far too).

In 1969, the Interceptor had a price tag of $16,900 and the FF was $20,000. Both had a three-speed Chrysler auto and four seats, although the rear two were not suitable for people with legs. Production of the FF ceased in 1971 with just 318 examples built (one or two of which came to Australia).

The Jensen’s huge curved rear window was famously expensive to replace; when the fuel-gulping Interceptor rivalled the Jaguar V12 as Australia’s most unpopular second-hand car in the early 1980s, an example with the rear window intact was worth about twice as much as one with it damaged.

Like so many British cars, the Jensen suffered a litany of electrical woes, suspension problems and overheating (with resulting melting of under-bonnet hoses and wires). Its engine capacity also guaranteed prolific fuel use.

By 1974, Interceptor production had topped 5000 but Jensen was in financial trouble. Convertible and coupe models were launched respectively in 1974 and 1975, by which time Jensen was in receivership.

It was a victim of a changing market, British industrial relations, the oil crisis and the disastrous Jensen-Healey.

In 1976 Jensen experienced the first of several closures; in 1983 it climbed onto its elbows and, amazingly, crawled forward for another 10 years before succumbing to the inevitable. Tony Davis

So, what happened next?

A short Jensen revival in 1998, a rebirth co-funded by the Liverpool City Council and UK’s Department of Trade and Industry, resulted in a two-seat convertible, the Jensen S-V8.

Production began in 2001 and ended a year later after just 20 cars had been completed with a further 18 left unfinished, well short of the 110 orders the new entity had claimed it had received.

The aesthetically-challenged Jensen S-V8 (pictured, above) remained true to the brand’s philosophy, with an off-the-shelf V8 (in this instance a Mustang-sourced 4.6-litre Ford) under the bonnet of a two-door convertible. A hardtop was also in the planning but never saw the light of day following the appointment of administrators in 2002.

Several more attempts to revive the Jensen brand – in 2010 (Jensen International Automotive) and again in 2015 (The Jensen Group) – have so far come to nothing, despite lofty promises including what was billed as a successor to the original Interceptor.

Those attempted revivals speak to an enduring loyalty for this odd-ball, low-volume manufacturer whose history dates back to 1922. Even today, the original Interceptor V8 remains revered and good examples fetch decent prices.

A quick scan of on popular Australia classified site reveals there are currently five for sale in Australia, with prices ranging from$70,000 to $98,500.

That’s on the low side when compared with other markets, with well-maintained Interceptors in the UK asking for anywhere between the equivalent of $80,000 to $165,000. Keeping owners connected to each other, Jensen car clubs have sprouted all over the world, a loyal following for a cult car with, arguably, the coolest name ever.

As for that huge, curved rear window? Modern manufacturing technologies mean that today owners can replace the glass complexity for far less money than previously. A Lexan polycarbonate moulded rear window will set you back around $1250, well short of the $2850 an original glass pane commands today. RM

So, what do you think? Jensen Interceptor; cool or not? Let us know in the comments below.

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