Jensen Interceptor

Jensen
Jensen Interceptor S3
Interceptor
Production period:	1966-1976
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Combi Coupé , Coupé , Cabriolet
Engines:	Petrol engines : 6.3–7.2 liters (239–283 kW)
Length:	4775 mm
Width:	1750 mm
Height:	1350 mm
Wheelbase :	2670 mm
Empty weight :	1800 kg
Previous model	Jensen C-V8

The Jensen Interceptor was a GT -class sports car that British automobile manufacturer Jensen built between 1966 and 1976. Jensen had already used the name Interceptor (German: interceptor) in 1950 for a predecessor, which today is usually referred to as the "Early Interceptor" . The Interceptor formed the basis for the Jensen SP and for the all-wheel drive model Jensen FF .

History of origin

Jensen Motors was a British bodywork company that primarily produced vehicle bodies for high volume manufacturers on a contract basis. Jensen has manufactured the Austin Healey since the 1950s . In addition, Jensen produced a small number of expensive sports cars under its own name, for which Jensen mostly used large-scale technology. In the early 1960s, this was primarily the Jensen C-V8 , a luxury-class coupé with drive technology from Chrysler (so-called hybrid ). The C-V8 was unsuccessful; One of the main reasons for this was the unusual body, designed by Jensen's designer Eric Neale, which observers perceived as outdated and sometimes ugly.

In 1964, considerations began for a successor to the C-V8, which ultimately resulted in the Interceptor presented in 1966. The development of the Interceptor was preceded by considerable controversy in the Jensen management, with Richard and Alan Jensen, the founders of the company, and the managers of the Norcros group, to which Jensen belonged since 1957, facing each other.

Jensens logo on the front fairing of an Interceptor S3

The Interceptor is considered to be the child of Kevin Beattie, a South African-born engineer who has worked for Jensen since 1960 and has since risen to become Technical Director. On his behalf, Eric Neale initially designed the P66 , a two-door sports car with Richard Jensen , whose market position was below that of the C-V8. This concept could not prevail. Neither Beattie nor the managers of the Norcros Group thought the P66 was suitable for securing the future of the brand. Norcros thought the car was too small, and Beattie disliked, among other things, the too traditionally designed body of the car. Instead, Norcros management opted for an immediate, i.e. H. to develop the successor to the C-V8 positioned in the same market segment, which, like the competing models from Aston Martin and Gordon-Keeble, was to have a body designed in Italy.

Beattie commissioned the Milanese Carrozzeria Touring with a design; At the same time, their Turin competitors Vignale and Ghia were asked for suggestions. Ultimately, the touring design was approved by Norcros. Richard and Alan Jensen, the founders of the company, as well as the longtime head of design Eric Neale rejected Beattie's concept in general and the Touring design in particular. When Norcros decided to produce the Touring model, the Jensen brothers and Neale left the company in a dispute.

The prototype was manufactured at Vignale. The car premiered at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1966.

The Jensen Interceptor stayed in production for 11 years. During this time, around 7,200 vehicles in three series were built. During the production time, the company experienced considerable economic turbulence, which was mainly triggered by the discontinuation of the production order for the Austin Healey without replacement. At the beginning of the 1970s there was a change of ownership; Jensen was taken over by the American entrepreneur Kjell Qvale, who continued the Interceptor production without initiating the development of a successor. As a result of the first oil crisis it went bankrupt in 1975, whereupon Jensen stopped the production of automobiles. A successor company called Jensen Parts and Service took over the supply of spare parts and service for existing vehicles and also manufactured some new vehicles in the late 1980s.

Structure and technology

body

"Goldfish Bowl": panoramic window as a tailgate

The body of the Interceptor was neither externally nor technically similar to the C-V8. While the body of the C-V8 and its predecessor 541 was made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic , the body of the Interceptor was made of steel.

The Interceptor was created in three body versions. The basic version and by far the most frequently produced version was a closed two-door hatchback, known as a saloon, whose outstanding design feature was a large panoramic rear window that also served as a tailgate. In the English-speaking world, it is often referred to as the "goldfish bowl", while German-language descriptions occasionally mention a boat stern. A two-door convertible and finally a two-door notchback coupé were derived from this model in 1974. The saloon was created in three series that differed from each other technically and visually; Cabriolet and Coupé were produced exclusively in the third series configuration.

A controversy developed over the authorship of the Touring design. The Swiss Jensen importer and later sports car manufacturer Peter Monteverdi ( Automobile Monteverdi ) maintained until the 1970s that he designed the body of the Interceptor for Touring. Monteverdi finally filed a lawsuit in Great Britain, which was unsuccessful.

Instead of the Carrozzeria Touring, which was economically badly hit and was dissolved at the end of 1966, Vignale received the order to manufacture the prototype. The first 50 series bodies were also produced at Vignale. From 1967, however, Jensen manufactured all of the vehicles himself in his plant in West Bromwich .

Chassis and drive technology

Chrysler R383 V8 (6.3 liter displacement) in the Interceptor Saloon Series 2

Jensen took over the tubular frame chassis for the Interceptor from its predecessor , which was largely designed by Kevin Beattie, as well as the basic features of the suspension. As there, the front wheels were individually suspended on double wishbones with coil springs, while Jensen used a rigid axle with leaf springs and a Panhard rod at the rear .

As in the previous model, the drive was an eight-cylinder engine that Jensen obtained from Chrysler . They were so-called big block engines. Initially, Jensen used a 6.3 liter (383 cubic inch ) version of the B series.After Chrysler discontinued production of this engine, which had already been introduced in 1958, in the fall of 1971, Jensen switched to a 7.2 liter (440 cubic inch) eight-cylinder from the RB series . Comparable engines were also used by Jensen's competitors Bristol and Monteverdi. The fourth series of the Interceptor, which was manufactured in small numbers by a successor company from 1983, had a smaller eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 5.9 liters.

The power was transmitted by an automatic three-speed transmission from Chrysler (type Torque Flite). For the saloons of the first series, a fully synchronized, manually shifted four-speed gearbox was initially available, although this was only ordered 23 times.

Body styles

Saloon (GT)

The first and by far the best-selling version of the Interceptor is the closed two-door, which is usually referred to as a saloon in English . From 1966 to early 1974 it was the only version. In the total of eleven years of construction there were three series (Mark 1, 2 and 3), with the third series being subdivided again. Over the course of time, the series underwent numerous changes in detail, relating to the drive technology as well as the body design and the interior.

Interceptor Mk. 1

Low bumpers: Front section of the Jensen Interceptor Mk. 1

As in the predecessor C-V8, Jensen used a 6.3 liter eight-cylinder engine from Chrysler for the models of the first series . It developed 325 hp (239 kW). A standard three-speed automatic transmission of the TorqueFlite type , also built by Chrysler, served as power transmission ; In deviation from this, 23 vehicles were equipped with a manually shifted four-speed gearbox at the customer's request. The vehicles of the first series were not yet equipped with power steering . Externally, the first series can be recognized by narrow, low-lying bumpers; the front turn signals were installed above the bumper.

Interceptor Mk. 2

Jensen Interceptor Mk. 2

The second series, introduced in October 1969, received higher bumpers in view of American safety regulations; the front indicators were now below the bumper. The grille has been redesigned as has the dashboard. The engine, however, remained unchanged.

Interceptor Mk. 3

From October 1971 the third series of the Interceptor was produced. The body largely corresponded to the Mk. 2; However, the car received light alloy wheels and a modified interior as standard. From November 1971, Jensen also replaced the 6.3-liter engine with an eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 7.2 liters, which was still obtained from Chrysler. Right-hand drive vehicles received the engine of the previous model until May 1972. The reason for the change was the reduced performance of the engines due to the American emission laws. Ever stricter laws required a lower compression ratio, which led to a significant loss of performance. To compensate for this, Jensen, like other Chrysler customers, was forced to use larger displacement engines. But even with the 7.2 liter engine, which delivered 285 hp (210 kW), the Mk. 3 was less sporty than the early Mk. 1 models, because the larger engines were heavier and restricted the maneuverability of the vehicles a.

Convertible (Cabriolet)

Jensen Interceptor Convertible

In 1974 Jensen presented a convertible version of the Interceptor with a view to the US market and the success of the Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible there. The company worked against the trend. The general expectation in the automotive industry was that American safety regulations would prevent the approval of full convertibles in the foreseeable future. This is why most American manufacturers withdrew their convertible models from their ranges by the mid-1970s. In fact, no such regulation was ever enacted.

The Interceptor Convertible technically corresponded to the Saloon Mk. 3. The chassis of the Saloon was only reinforced in a few places - especially on the frame of the windshield and the rear wheel cutouts; apart from that, it remained unchanged. The fabric roof was opened and closed using hydraulics; the process only worked when the vehicle was stationary.

The convertible is considered to be particularly elegant and is one of the brand's most sought-after, but also most expensive models today. Unlike the saloon, the cabriolet with its design was mainly sold as a left-hand drive on the American market.

When it was launched in 1974, the convertible cost £ 9,863, a little more than half that of a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible. The Bristol 412 , which was presented at the same time, reached a price level comparable to that of the Interceptor, although it was manufactured in significantly lower numbers.

By 1976, depending on the source, 467 or 508 copies were produced, most of which were sold in the USA.

Coupe

Jensen Interceptor Coupe

The rarest version of the Interceptor is the Coupé, which was presented in October 1975, shortly before the company's bankruptcy, at the Earls Court Motor Show in London. Unlike the saloon, the coupé was notchback . It was based on the body shell of the Interceptor Convertible, but got a hardtop instead of the convertible top. The hardtop was not manufactured by Jensen itself, but by the British small series manufacturer Panther Westwinds .

From three different prototypes created by Panther, a hardtop was selected for series production, which was equipped with a window made of tinted polymethyl methacrylate (Plexiglas) behind the doors . The window ran like a roll bar through the roof, which is otherwise covered with synthetic leather . The rear window corresponded to that of the Jaguar XJ-C , the chrome-plated "Coupé" lettering on the rear fenders was taken from the Morris Marina . Until the final production stop in 1976, 46, according to other sources 47 or 54 vehicles, left the West Bromwich plant, of which around 40 still exist today.

Related models

Jensen FF

→ Main article : Jensen FF

The Jensen FF was the first production car with all-wheel drive and a mechanical anti-lock braking system (ABS). Formally, the FF was not an interceptor, but its own series. The all-wheel drive required more space, so the entire stem had to be extended. Even if the FF looks quite similar to an Interceptor, it can be easily recognized by the modified front section with double side ventilation slots. It was built until 1971.

Jensen SP

→ Main article : Jensen SP

Standard with vinyl roof: Jensen SP

The Jensen SP was presented in 1971 as the successor to the FF. The designation SP stood for "Six Pack"; it referred to the carburetor combination.

Externally and technically, the SP corresponded completely to the Interceptor Mk. 3. The main difference was a significantly more powerful engine. For the SP, Jensen used a 7.2 liter eight-cylinder engine equipped with three Holley double carburetors . The power was given as 385 PS (gross) or 330 PS (net), the maximum torque was 556 Nm and occurred at 3,600 revolutions per minute. The car was powerful, but had a very high consumption, which averaged 28 or 35 liters per 100 km, depending on the source. The car was also very maintenance-intensive; the carburetors had to be readjusted on average once a month (or every 500 km). The very expensive SP could not be exported to the United States because it did not meet American emissions legislation, so it was primarily reserved for the British market. By 1973 232 copies had been made, most of which had right-hand drive.

The production

Taking into account pre-series vehicles and vehicles of the type SP, a total of 6640 units were produced.

construction	Interceptor Mk.1 1966-1969	Interceptor Mk.2 1969-1971	Interceptor Mk.3 1971-1976	SP 1971-1972
saloon	1024	1128	3701	232
Convertible	-	-	509	-
Coupe	-	-	46	-

Interceptor IV

→ Main article : Jensen Parts and Service

Jensen Parts and Service, a successor to Jensen Motors, produced a double-digit number of other Interceptor vehicles from 1984 to 1993, which were called the Interceptor Mark IV and were powered by a 5.9 liter Chrysler eight-cylinder.

Interceptor S / R

In 2007, the small series manufacturer V Eight Ltd presented a revised version of the Interceptor with the model name Interceptor S in cooperation with the restoration company Cropredy Bridge Garage, which specializes in Jensen . The vehicles were rebuilt on the basis of original bodies with modern manufacturing processes using new components. In addition to a modern V8 engine with 305 kW from General Motors, other brakes, 17-inch wheels and a modified chassis with individually suspended rear wheels were used to improve performance and handling. Except for a modified front apron, the design largely corresponded to the original vehicles.

A new vehicle announced by V Eight Ltd, model name Interceptor SX , was never completed and the company filed for bankruptcy. Jensen International Automotive, founded in 2010, took over the rights to the Interceptor S. Sir Charles Dunstone holds a stake in the company. Since then, the vehicle has been offered as the Interceptor R with further changes .

The current market situation

Jensen Interceptors are sought-after classics. But although the vehicles enjoyed a similar reputation in their time as the models from Aston Martin and were sometimes significantly more expensive, they are nowhere near as popular as classic cars, which is also reflected in the prices. For a Jensen Interceptor Mk. 3 in a defect-free condition, a price of around 25,500 euros was estimated in 2010; an Aston Martin V8 in the same condition is more than twice as expensive on the used car market. An Interceptor Convertible is significantly more expensive than the closed version, but it also lags far behind the prices of an Aston Martin V8 Volante. The reason for the price difference between Jensen and Aston Martin is mostly seen in the literature as the use of a less prestigious American engine.

media

In the 2013 movie Fast & Furious 6 , Dominic Toretto's friend Letty Ortiz drives a matt gray Jensen Interceptor. In the film "Russian Roulette", a British-Canadian production (1975), George Segal drives a Jensen Interceptor Saloon. In the final episode of the third season of the BBC production Luther , Ruth Wilson drives an interceptor. Also in the crime scene: Love, a strange game , the main suspect, architect Thomas Jacobi, drives a Jensen Interceptor.

photos

• 

  Jensen Interceptor III Convertible (1974)

• 

  Jensen Interceptor II (1970)

• 

  The dashboard of the Interceptor III until 1974

• 

  The nobler dashboard of the later vehicles

• 

  The 7.2 liter Chrysler Series III engine (1974)

literature

• Dean Bachelor, Chris Poole, Graham Robson : The Big Book of Sports Cars. Müller, Erlangen 1990 (no ISBN)
• Kevin Brazendale: Encyclopedia of automobiles from Alfa Romeo to Zagato . Augsburg (Weltbild Verlag) 2000, ISBN 3-8289-5384-0 .
• Kevin Brazendale: The Encyclopedia of classic cars. Advanced Marketing Services, London 1999, ISBN 1-57145-182-X (English).
• Martin Buckley, Chris Rees: Cars. An Encyclopedia Of The World's Most Fabulous Automobiles , Hermes House, London 2002, ISBN 978-0-681-78322-5
• Dieter Günther: Missed chance? The Jensen models 541, C-V8 and Interceptor , in: Oldtimer Markt special issue 14 (Luxury, performance and four seats. Gran Tourismo: The large travel coupés), 1994, p. 80 ff.
• David Lillywhite, Halwart Schrader : Classic Automobiles. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02552-3 .
• NN: Jensen Interceptor . Model history in: Classic Cars Special: English classic cars. Issue June / July / August 1994, p. 66 ff.
• Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: Series sports cars. Könemann, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-89508-000-4 .
• John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5
• Car Story: Jensen Interceptor . In: British Classic Cars , Issue 3/1010 (April and May 2010), p. 34 ff.

Web links

Commons : Jensen Interceptor  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Numerous sales brochures for the Interceptor are shown on www.british-steel.org

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} N.N .: Jensen Interceptor . Model history in: Classic Cars Special: English classic cars. June / July / August 1994, p. 68.
2. ↑ The Aston Martin DB6 and its direct predecessors had bodies designed by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.
3. ↑ Dieter Günther: Missed chance? The Jensen models 541, C-V8 and Interceptor , in: Oldtimer Markt special issue 14 (Luxury, performance and four seats. Gran Tourismo: The large travel coupés), 1994, p. 83.
4. ↑ ^{a b} N.N .: Jensen Interceptor . Model history in: Classic Cars Special: English classic cars. Issue June / July / August 1994, p. 69.
5. ↑ John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , pp. 36 and 42.
6. ↑ British Car Classic Cars 3/2010, p. 38.
7. ^ ^{A b} Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: Series sports car. Könemann, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-89508-000-4 . P. 310.
8. ^ Roger Gloor, CL Wagner: Monteverdi. The career of a Swiss car brand , self-published by Monteverdi Automobile, no ISBN, p. 174.
9. ↑ A core workforce of Tourings traded under the name Carrozzeria Marazzi from 1967 .
10. ↑ Description of Chrysler's B and RB engines on the website www.allpar.com (accessed on May 15, 2015).
11. ^ NN: Jensen Interceptors Introduction . Autocar from October 14, 1966.
12. ^ Richard Calver, Jensen History
13. ↑ The last convertible in series production was the open version of the Cadillac Eldorado; its production ended in the summer of 1976.
14. ^ ^{A b c} John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , p. 111.
15. ↑ John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , p. 114.
16. ^ NN: Jensen Interceptor III Convertible . Autocar Road Test from October 26, 1974.
17. ^ Richard Calver: A History of Jensen: All the Models, Melbourne 2007, p. 356, ISBN 978-0-9751291-1-1
18. ↑ Jensen Interceptor's private website , richardcalver.com, accessed November 25, 2013
19. ↑ On the whole cf. Tipler: Jensen Interceptor, p. 116 ff.
20. ↑ ^{a b} N.N .: Jensen SP Road Test . Motor, issue of March 18, 1972.
21. ^ Justin Haler: The Jensen SP - a true Grand Touring car . Presentation in: Competition Car, April 1973 issue.
22. ↑ John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , p. 110.
23. ↑ Calver, Richard: Jensen History, as of 2014, http://richardcalver.com/ (accessed May 28, 2015)
24. ↑ The Jensen Interceptor p. December 20, 2007, accessed on May 30, 2015 (English). 
25. ^ Jensen International Automotive: About us. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on May 31, 2015 ; accessed on May 30, 2015 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
26. ↑ Ulrich Feld: Jensen Interceptor: Goldfish Bowl or Speeding Greenhouse? October 26, 2012, accessed May 30, 2015 . 
27. ↑ Data according to zinc: Oldtimer Catalog No. 19 (2010), p. 38 (Aston Martin) and 167 (Jensen).
28. ↑ British Car Classic Cars 3/2010, p. 39. There it says: "In a word: Hybrid".