Comments (as at Nov 2019)

Click on this link for  the Advert

Blurb From the advert

Background

The Jenson Interceptor might just be the ultimate 60’s bruiser: with a 6.3-litre Golden Commando V8 engine, and an automatic gearbox called the TorqueFlite, the Interceptor – Interceptor! – was as brutal as it was handsome. Styled by Carrozzeria Touring of Italy, it was hand built in the West Midlands from steel girders by men with proper names like Bob and Steve and George. Hell, even the rear axle was named after an English city renowned for attracting Russian assassins like flies to honey.

Not man enough for you? Aside from the sheer joy of a world in which we can buy a car with an engine called Golden Commando, I’d like to point out that Jensen offered a 7.2-litre/440 cu in V8 option, the so-called TNT engine, those of you for whom 383cu in is too lily-livered. Jeez, this thing is so macho you fill it with five-star testosterone instead of petrol…

Still not satisfied? How about the fact that it was the first road-going four-wheel-drive production car in the world, the FF or Ferguson Formula? Or the first to offer anti-lock brakes and traction control – the Dunlop Maxaret that is modeled on those used on the English Electric Lightning, among others.

Of course it had lashings of leather, wood and chrome inside but none of that mattered, because the Interceptor could snap knicker elastic at a hundred yards with one blip of the throttle.

The Vehicle

‘It’s a very early and very rare genuine MkI with kingpin suspension, cam steering rack, Italian window motors and opening quarter lights,’ says the vendor Dean. ‘I bought it as a semi-restored body shell around seven years ago, and after restoration it went into storage around two years later.’ 

It’s just had a refresh for sale and Dean says it’s a very good and solid example. ‘It’s perfect to run as is, or the next owner could spend another £5k-£10k to get it up to a concours condition 1 car.’ 

The Jensen’s V5 document in the comprehensive history file (please see the photo gallery, below) confirms that it was first registered on the 1st of January 1968; it also shows that in that time it’s had a meagre total of seven owners.

Also present is a copy of the original Jensen Motors Ltd sales invoice, made out to R.W. Baker of Plough Motors, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. Dated the 7th of December 1967, order number 2443 ran to a total of £3295 13s and 2d for one Jensen Interceptor with power-assisted steering, 16 gallons of petrol and 8 pints of antifreeze. There’s also a supplementary invoice for £45 1s 3d for extra hide trim and an electric aerial.   There’s a Statement of Origin (dated 18th February 2011) from the records of Jensen Motors, which shows model, date of manufacture (20/12/67), chassis, engine, gearbox and axle numbers, as well as interior and exterior colours and special features.  

This Jensen Interceptor Mk1 is located here at The Market headquarters in Abingdon, so as with all our lots we recommend hitting the ‘Contact Seller’ button to arrange a viewing and test ride.

On the Outside

The history file contains a huge number of photographs detailing this car’s restoration around five years ago and we've added them to the photo gallery below. 

As you can see, Dean started out with a very solid shell and which had been taken back to bare metal. Necessary repairs were made, before the car was re-lead loaded and sprayed in Roman Bronze. Panel fit is very good, as is the lead loading, although there are one or two areas (including outboard of the offside headlight) where it’s not been completely smoothed out. In general though the panels are ripple-free and fit as they should, giving the impression of a car that has not been overly abused in its life.

‘It doesn’t wear its original colour,’ says Dean. ‘That was Fawn, which is almost a beige metallic and not a very happening colour. I was intending to keep it, so went for the Roman Bronze; of course, if someone wanted it concours original then they may want to revert to that.’

He says if he were keeping the Interceptor then it would likely go for a re-paint, as it’s faded a bit in on the bonnet and has gained a mark here and there, whilst under a cover. ‘There are no major dents and it’s exceedingly usable and presentable, so you could easily run around in it as is.’

The front and rear bumpers were both re-chromed (at a cost of circa £3000), but the window surrounds and other chrome parts (including the wheels) remain in original condition.

On the Inside

Open the driver’s door and your nostrils are instantly assaulted by the smell of fresh leather. There’s a lot in an Interceptor’s interior and it’s reassuring to know that it’s all present and correct. It is a mixture of original (door cards and other trim panels) and fresh (front and those lovely curved Mk1 rear seats). 

The carpets are new, with front protective mats fitted in the front. The electric windows function, as do all other electrics save for the rev counter and fuel sender. 

There’s a lot of goodness to this MkI’s interior. Dean’s kept things original where possible. As such you get the original dashboard (complete with Elpico stereo player), Jaeger gauges, leather steering wheel and door, window and sill trims. 

That combination does mean that it’s a touch mix and match between completely new items and those displaying patina, but if you don’t want a show queen that’s fine. If you do then the next owner could continue the improvement process and go the whole hog, which may include removing a small mark in the otherwise excellent headlining.

Underneath

There’s not a spot of rot underneath, where it looks to be strong as an ox. Again, the restoration pictures show the extent to which Dean has gone in ensuring that all the rusty bits on the project were fully tackled. Dean states that this car must have had an easy early few decades as the underneath was very strong when he started work on it and required much less remedial work than most Interceptors. From what we have seen, we can back up that all appears to be very strong.

Today it remains beautifully tidy with clean inner wheel arches and wheel arch lips. The underside is nicely sealed, and all suspension components and running gear remains fresh in appearance.

Pop that large bonnet and it’s an impressive story underneath, with a clean and very smart looking engine bay. The V8 had a full rebuild in 2016, with the automatic gearbox and torque convertor being rebuilt that same year. A High Torque starter motor was sourced and fitted, as well as a new mechanical fuel pump; the fuel tank and rear axle were also refurbed. The Dunlop brakes (including the servo) were fully rebuilt, using new pipes and unions. It’s missing the cover to one of the fuse boxes, but that’s a fussy little thing to pick up on and an easy fix. 

As our video below demonstrates, the engine fires eagerly and settles down into a lovely deep burble. On the move it drives very well with a ton of oomph, a sweet shifting gearbox and responsive brakes; suspension is taut, yet pliant, and the steering offers a nice level of feel. Of course the best aspect is that sweet ever-present V8 accompaniment – there’s not many other throttle pedals that offer quite so much instant access to testosterone. 

On our brief test drive we did notice some wind whistle coming from around the door rubbers, more an irritant then anything to worry about. If it were ours we would replace them in time. Better news, we did not really have any other knocks, creaks or groans to listen to.

History Highlights

As well as the all-important original invoices and Statement of Origin, the history file contains a wide range of receipts for work completed from the Eighties and Nineties. These are from a range of well-known marque specialists including Martin Robey and Cropredy Bridge Garage, as well as Ray Collins Ltd of Bristol. 

Of course, while they are nice to have, it’s the most recent ones pertaining to the restoration that are of more interest. As such you’ll find a variety, but the most important of these are: a receipt for the 2016 rebuild of the Chrysler 383 engine to include cylinder heads (Dave Bird Engineering, £1180 labour only); and another for the rebuild of the F8 Series auto box and torque converter (Auto Gearbox Specialists, £1597.20). 

There are other goodies to be found within the file including documents showing original claims made against the Jensen Motors Ltd warranty, for a faulty headlamp rim and another for water ingress around the nearside quarter light. 

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored and maintained to a very high standard.

What We Think

This MkI is indeed a rare beastie. It sports all the right bits, and is in a very useable condition. What would we do if it were ours? Given its vintage, we’d be tempted to put the finishing touches to it by having a partial re-paint, and having some of the rest of the chrome-work completed – cue, a Jensen showstopper and a real collector’s car. 

There is of course no need to rush into those works. Indeed its next owner could blast around in it for a number of years, before (if indeed, ever) embarking on them. 

What’s clear is that this example provides a very strong and solid bodily basis, with fully rebuilt mechanicals and a partially restored interior. We think that this rare survivor will fetch between £29k and £35k.

Buy it, fire it up, blip the throttle and listen carefully – that’s all knicker elastic within a 500-yard radius quivering at the savage sound of a burbling Sixties V8. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Comments (as at Nov 2013)

This is the one I have found and it does look as though I have found you a missing one.

C/# 115/2716

Eng/# 739/15B

G/Box/# 2570120

Axle/# J67.708

I shall get a reg no and some photos as soon as I can.  It is currently completely stripped down to bare metal.  New wings, doors, sills, floor etc I believe.  Pretty nasty colour scheme originally though IMHO.

Andre B