By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Buyers with deep pockets and an eye for a shrewd investment might be tempted by an appreciating Midlands-built classic!
The Jensen Interceptor, made between 1966 and 1976, was a smart combination of Italian style, American horsepower and British craft.
Jensen Motors turned to Carrozzeria Touring for the body design, Chrysler for its V8 6.3 litre engine (superseded in 1971 by a 7.2 litre unit) and a British workforce to hand-build its cars.
The first Jensen appeared in 1935, designed by brothers Alan and Richard Jensen, and the first ‘Interceptor’ was launched in 1950. But, it was the sixties model that brought us a brilliant new look.
Over 10 years, just 6,408 Interceptors were built in MkI, II and III versions before the company fell on hard times in the mid-seventies. Models included an appealing convertible, introduced in 1974 mainly for the US market and a four-wheel drive Jensen, the FF.
The car was briefly reborn in 1983 by Jensen Cars Ltd and again in 1990 but financial problems put the ‘brakes’ on any return for the Jensen name.
Like most performance cars, the 1966-76 models had their achilles’ heel – rust was common, a temperamental cooling system and parts were expensive, to name three!
Despite this, in recent years the Interceptor has soared in value.
In 2010, Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer managed to pick up a 1973 Jensen for just £5,000 and after a restoration sold it for £7,000. The exact same car made £22,000 in 2021.
Fast forward to 2024 and online car sites are selling restored Mk II and III examples for between £40,000 and £88,000.
Jensens might be pricey, but these are really underrated British classics and with surely one of the coolest names in motoring.