At a time when a Corvette cost just $8,000, convertible Interceptors were $25,000. It’s no wonder Jensen Motors Ltd. bit the dust.
In 1931 brothers Alan and Richard Jensen opened a coachwork factory in West Bromwich, U.K., which supplied many British car manufacturers. Four years later, they built the first Jensen on a Wolseley Hornet chassis. Edsel Ford was enthused at the car and authorized the sale of a Ford V8 for fitting in the “White Lady,” as the car was known.
Jensen would continue to use American powerplants on through the Interceptor of 1966. The cabriolet version on offer here was one of the few built, fitted with a 7.2-liter V8 Chrysler motor. Despite the extraordinary quality of these automobiles, Jensen went bankrupt in 1976.
This is a 1975 Mark III model equipped with its original Chrysler engine and a high-performance, three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission. Restoration was completed in December 2003. The Jensen is presented in bright red with a Connolly Havana leather interior, Reuters power seats, an electric top and air conditioning. The odometer reads 36,153 miles.
This rare and elegant cabriolet should be considered a masterpiece, with its original Italian Vignale coachwork, its simple American mechanicals, and a measure of British savoir faire.