Jensen SP

Jensen
Jensen SP
SP
Production period:	1971-1973
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Combi coupe
Engines:	Otto engine : 7.2 liters (246 kW)
Length:	4775 mm
Width:	1750 mm
Height:	1350 mm
Wheelbase :	2670 mm
Empty weight :	1800 kg

The Jensen SP was a sports car from the British car manufacturer Jensen Motors , of which 272 were produced from 1971 to 1973. Outwardly, the car was largely identical to the Jensen Interceptor that was being produced at the same time , but had a different engine. The designation SP stood for "Six Pack"; it referred to the carburetor combination.

Model history

The Jensen Motors company, founded in 1935, was a body manufacturer that primarily produced car bodies for large-scale manufacturers on a commission basis and sometimes also built complete vehicles. Jensen has been producing the Austin Healey since the 1950s and later also the Sunbeam Alpine . Jensen also produced a small number of expensive sports cars under his own name, which combined independent bodies with British or American high-volume technology. Jensen had been selling the Interceptor since 1966, a two-door hatchback coupe with an eight-cylinder Chrysler engine . Derived from this was the Jensen FF , an outwardly very similar coupé with innovative all-wheel drive , which was the top model in Jensen's product range. The very expensive FF was only produced 320 times in four years. In 1971 Jensen stopped the costly and uneconomical production of the FF.

The role of the top model was then taken over by the newly introduced SP, which was technically and externally almost completely identical to the Interceptor that was still being produced, but was significantly more powerful.

The SP was formally not a special version of the Interceptor, but was marketed by Jensen as an independent model. The SP was not an economic success. Although it was significantly cheaper to produce than the FF; Its engine was not without its problems, however, and the very high consumption and the technical and practical problems associated with the engine made the SP unattractive for customers after the outbreak of the oil crisis in 1973. During 1973 Jensen stopped manufacturing the SP.

Technology and body

Jensen took over the chassis, chassis and body of the Jensen Interceptor Series 3 without any changes. The SP and Interceptor had the same tubular frame chassis that the steel body was welded to. The coupé body designed by Touring in 1966 was also not changed. The only new features were two rows of vents that extended over the entire bonnet and a leather-covered roof. The interior had been upgraded by central locking and air conditioning, which, unlike the Interceptor, were standard equipment here.

The main distinguishing feature was the engine. The Interceptor S3 was introduced in 1971 with a 6.3 liter eight-cylinder engine from Chrysler, the SP had an eight-cylinder engine with 7.2 liters (440 cubic inches) displacement. Three double carburettors from Holley were provided for mixture preparation ; the designation “six pack” is derived from this configuration. With a ratio of 10.3: 1, the engine was exceptionally highly compressed for the time. Due to the high compression ratio, the SP required petrol with a knock resistance of 100 octane . The maximum power of the engine was given as 385 PS gross or 330 PS net (246 kW), the maximum torque was 556 Nm and occurred at 3600 revolutions per minute.

Only one of the three double carburettors worked in regular driving. The other two carburettors were activated when the car was accelerated hard or at speeds of more than 170 km / h.

An automatic three-speed transmission from Chrysler (type TorqueFlite ) was used exclusively for power transmission ; a manual gearbox was not offered.

Jensen took over the engine block of the SP 1973 for the regular Interceptor S3, but then combined it with a simple "Thermoquad" quad carburetor from Carter .

Performance

In a test in January 1972, the British trade magazine Motor determined a top speed of 225 km / h (140 mph) and a value of 7.6 seconds for the acceleration from 0 to 96 km / h (60 mph). The top speed was only 2 mph above that of the Interceptor S3 with the 6.3 liter engine. The average consumption was given as 28 liters per 100 km (11 mpg). An Australian magazine, however, determined a top speed of 236 km / h (147 mph) in a test in the fall of 1972. The acceleration from 0 to 96 km / h (60 mph) took 7.4 seconds.

Problems of the SP

The motorization of the SP gave rise to numerous problems in practical use that prevented the model from being successful. Numerous customers later converted the SP to the Carter carburetor of the regular Interceptor S3, with the intention of making the car more suitable for everyday use.

• Driving behavior was particularly problematic when, in addition to the first set of carburettors, the other two carburettors were activated; this was especially true when this happened when accelerating out of curves. It was very difficult to predict the exact point in time at which additional power would start and its exact extent.
• The large engine led to thermal problems in the engine compartment of the Jensen, which was significantly narrower than that of the American vehicles in which the engine was usually used. The coolers were not adequately dimensioned, so that overheating quickly developed, which caused consequential damage to the engine environment.
• The SP was maintenance-intensive. The factory prescribed an inspection interval of 4,000 miles, or three months.
• The interaction of the carburetors was difficult to coordinate. One source reports that carburetor readjustments were required an average of once a month (or every 500 kilometers).
• The SP's gasoline consumption was also very high compared to similar vehicles from the same market segment. In practice, the average consumption of the SP was 28 liters per 100 km (11 miles per gallon ), other sources considered an average consumption of 35 liters per 100 km (8 miles per gallon) to be realistic.
• Because of the greater weight of the engine, the SP was only marginally faster than the Interceptor with the lighter 6.3-liter engine.

Production and prices

The Jensen SP was presented at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in October 1971 . At that point the purchase price was £ 7,195.15. That made it £ 450 more expensive than an Interceptor. The price of the SP was almost exactly the same as the AC 428 equipped with Ford technology . A Bristol 411 with a 6.3 liter Chrysler engine cost £ 7,795, an Aston Martin V8 £ 8,949 and a Rolls-Royce Corniche £ 13,777.

The car was offered on the German market in 1972 at a price of DM 81,500. It was 15,000 DM more expensive than a Mercedes 600 and 5,000 DM more than a Ferrari “Daytona” . In 1873 an SP cost 76,500 DM in Germany; the Swiss importer asked for 69,900 Swiss francs.

The car was produced from October 1971 to July 1973. During this time, 271 vehicles were built. In October 1973 Jensen completed one last SP at the request of a customer, so that total production comprised 272 vehicles.

The Jensen SP was created predominantly with right-hand drive. Only 13 vehicles were delivered from the factory with left-hand drive. 216 vehicles were sold in Great Britain, eight in Switzerland, two in Australia and one each in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Channel Islands, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA.

The Jensen SP in the press

The contemporary press largely praised the SP. The smooth driving behavior at constant speeds, which was attributed to the high torque, was emphasized. According to a test report, the SP combined the advantages of the Ferrari “Daytona” and those of the Rolls-Royce Corniche.

literature

• John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5
• NN: Car Story: Jensen Interceptor . In: British Classic Cars , Issue 3/1010 (April and May 2010), p. 34 ff.
• Reinhard Seiffert: men's game . Test Jensen SP in: auto motor und sport , issue 9/1973, p. 36 ff.

Web links

• www.richardcalver.com: Private website for Jensen SP

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sales prospectus from 1973 (accessed on May 17, 2015).
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Mark Dixon: Intercept Mission. Buyer's Guide Jensen Interceptor, FF and SP. In: Popular Classics, May 1996 issue.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} N.N .: Jensen SP Road Test . Motor, issue of March 18, 1972.
4. ↑ Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 ., P. 131.
5. ↑ See sales prospectus from 1973, sheet 1 and sheet 2 , in which, in addition to the Jensen Interceptor, the Jensen SP (without the addition of Interceptor) is listed separately (accessed on May 17, 2015).
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Description of the model on the website www.richardcalver.com (accessed on May 17, 2015).
7. ↑ Initial models of the Interceptor had no vents at all; later Interceptor models took up half the hood. The bonnet design of the SP was adopted as an option for the Jensen Interceptor S3 from 1973.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e} John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , p. 106.
9. ↑ ^{a b c d} Justin Haler: The Jensen SP - a true Grand Touring car . Presentation in: Competition Car, April 1973 issue.
10. ^ Rab Cook: Jensen SP Road Test . Sports Car World, September 1972 issue. The fuel consumption was not determined in this test.
11. ↑ John Tipler: Jensen Interceptor. The Complete Story . Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004. ISBN 978-1-86126-711-5 , p. 110.
12. ↑ Reinhard Seiffert: men's part . Test Jensen SP in: auto motor und sport, issue 9/1973, p. 38.
13. ^ Auto Catalog No. 15 (1971/72), pp. 77, 94, 125.
14. ↑ Reinhard Seiffert: men's part . Test Jensen SP in: auto motor und sport, issue 9/1973, p. 40.