1968 Mk I Interceptor £145,000

[NigelK]

It's 115/2960. See here https://www.joc.org.uk/Interceptor_Mk_1 ... Photo.html

[johnw]

I agree with all that John. The trouble is none of those wealthy collectors have wanted the Interceptor this last 14 years. Most are very savvy, that’s why they are wealthy. My view when I saw it in 2007 was yes lovely original car just the sort of thing I like but there is nothing ultra rare or special here. I would have paid 20 when Interceptors were often 7-10 but not 40.

All of the work on the CV8 Convertible was done early in the process before it was offered at 250. I enquired about it. It seems quite nice work but whether with original chipped paint or pristine paint it’s only worth half that.

Just my view.

Too late for the crocodile tears David https://youtu.be/aL_eZ4GLcqo It's boogie time. This car may be worth that. Shame you didn't buy it for a deal at £30K or whatever. Cheap? No, simply inexpensive. Lots of good cars have been trashed because Jensen were not suitably revered in the past, sad, but a plus for this low mileage 25 year ex-showroom beauty. There has never been a better time to own a Jensen. Even for the resto projects. Mopar parts availability, cheap projects untouched for decades on ebay for a months salary, genius body specialists making new panels, quality retrims from Ferrari/Maseratti/Jensen specialists or keep whatever you have. Cheap fuel even. Free road tax and cheap insurance! What more can anyone ever want? Us (the wealthy ) have wanted it, still want it, but it has never made financial sense to most of them (us?) since Jensen folded. They have fantasied about it, it has always been cheaper, less risk, to buy the Ferrari, Lambo, or Mopar now for the price but with the prospect of a resale. Can you get a pristine unwelded V8 Mopar 383 2 door in RHD on a stick for 150k in the uk London exempt from charges? Maybe, maybe not. You don't have a full line up of cars though do you. Forbidden fruit is the Jensen. Robbie might use one in a video. Until now, unless you have a spanner stuck in your head (welcome back Brett, please take this as a compliment) it still doesn't make sense to buy a Jensen. Martin Robey buying "Jensen" parts and service was a near miss for them, Rejen splitting is another near miss. For us, spanner in head, we have two brothers competing, it is a plus. Quite a few rich savvy people don't trust the reputation of a used Jensen enough to spend the money. They are wise enough to know there is a high chance it would end in a rip off of some sort. They love the car, the totally gorgeous external profile of the Interceptor and FF, the familiar 1960s Ferrari and Maserati interior, taken to the exquisite ultimate of the Mk1 with the Spitfire esque switchgear layout, the allure of massive amounts of readily available inexpensive raw American power, 4WD, ABS. It is the fantasy that can never happen, or only happens for the fully initiated club members. They do want to be able to get most of their money back. We forum members know who to go to for parts or service, they don't have 6 months to spend on the Jensen forum evenings and weekends. With Ferrari and Lamborghini, there is the restoration and certification departments, the factories who will refuse to take on certain work, unless it is to original specification. 3rd party suppliers are compared to these standards. Rolls Royce has the same Jensen problem, values for a used Rolls are poop compared to a Bentley. Bentley, who own the rights to drawings and parts for all Rolls Royce classic cars, have basically dumped the marque, especially pre war, entirely. They only support Bentley classic cars, where the parts requirement crosses over with RR that is OK they will sell excellent Bentley parts with RR stamped on to that market. Bentley even manufactured a completely new Blower Bentley from new parts, riveted chassis to original specification, everything new! You can't get rod bearings for some pre war RRs. No one cares about pre war RR.

[David Davies]

You've lost me with the dealerspeak. Anyway, the bottom line is the market agrees that both cars have been on at Silly Money as no-one's bought 'em.

[MikeWilliams]

It can only be a good thing for the Mark if the price go up.

Sorry Colin, we don't often disagree, but I don't know why you say that. Increasing prices mean increasing cost of insurance, suppliers feel they can charge more for parts and work, its worth unscupulous traders tarting up scruffy cars to sell, so I don't see how any enthusiastic owner gains by increasing prices.

Somebody who has a Jensen purely as an investment would gain, but I'm not really interested in people like that.

Mike

[kenny38]

I think that just perhaps some members have misunderstood my comments on high dealer prices. I was not saying that a Jensen is worth 145K. I am stating that we need "silly" prices to get our cheap for what they are cars upto other "silly" priced car marques such as Etypes etc. All very well for some to say loftily that "they" are not interested in that.....fact is mate most owners would be well pleased to see their quality car valued higher. so when a dealer at least does more than being resigned to low prices we MUST applaud his "stupidity" as more silliness will start to make our cars valued at better prices in a non JOC punter's mind. A quality Jensen can be used every day just like other cars. I stress quality not the largely dross put up for sale by chancers. When you say your prayers tonight (your sins are many) ask for more onsellers to put up prices to silly levels. Please at least try to be positive as potential owners often take into account comments by club members on price, paint quality and non standard screws hidden where no one will ever notice them. Save your negatives for concours. I think the incoming president and committee should make "talking up" Jensen prices and a valued car to own a major item for the next few years. Imagine, some new cashed up members and really nice too arriving at the rallies. Kenny38

[johnw]

I think price rises for the FFs have stopped the cars being scrapped now, with around £10k now being the low end for a complete but rotten car these days. Unfortunately bonnet, wing, and Maxaret prices have been jacked sky high by this effect, said parts almost at ransom levels compared to Interceptor body parts which are not much different materially, just a different shape.

A similar thing seems to be happening to 541's and CV8s at the low end, the wrecks usually look nicer as the bodywork and interior presents well when the chassis has largely rusted away, so people will take them on rather than see them as a pile of spares.

The upside of this is that almost everyone garages their FF these days, the down side is that fewer are bought to be used, a shame for such a practical car.

[colin7673]

I think the incoming president and committee should make "talking up" Jensen prices and a valued car to own a major item for the next few years. Imagine, some new cashed up members and really nice too arriving at the rallies. Kenny38

While I agree with your point about "Talking prices up" from the club Chairman and committee, it's not just these that should do this, it also members and owners

Insurance companies value these cars low as well, this doesn't help and some people will look at these first, before purchasing
I understand that insurance look at market values and the cost of repairing or replacing.

Plus there a some "Restoration Companies" that really do not know much about these cars, so someone may purchase one of these and find that it needs bodywork again after the guarantee runs out. So the car many be sold at a loss to the buyer, or the cars goes to a reputable restorer to find they must spend the same money again..

So advertising reputable restorers ( plus checking them out, not just taking their word ) and recommending reputable restorers is just as important as "talking prices up"
As is listening to those that have had a bad experience, helping them and guide them in the right direction. Hopefully before they fall fail of an questionable retsorier
So hopefully bad restorers should fall by the wayside.

[MikeWilliams]

.....fact is mate most owners would be well pleased to see their quality car valued higher.

I'll not say any more on the subject except to say that most owners will have seen a good rise in the value of their cars over recent years and if "most owners would be well pleased" at even higher values, I think that increases pressure on them to sell, whereas I'd rather they keep the cars and use them.

But I've made my point, clearly some would like to see values so high that real enthusiasts can't afford them, and I'll leave it there.

Mike

P.S. I'm not a fan of concours.

[David Davies]

Any car of whatever make is only ‘worth’ as much as someone is prepared to pay for it.

If cars of whatever make sit on the market for many months or even several years, the market is telling the sellers that they are overpriced.

Nothing said by anyone on here, particularly me, makes a blind bit of difference to those fundamental laws of the marketplace.

[Grant]

Any car of whatever make is only ‘worth’ as much as someone is prepared to pay for it.

If cars of whatever make sit on the market for many months or even several years, the market is telling the sellers that they are overpriced.

Nothing said by anyone on here, particularly me, makes a blind bit of difference to those fundamental laws of the marketplace.

David, my friend Andrew(sadly passed away now) who used to many Jensens in his lifetime (sometimes the same car would pass through his hands 3 or 4 times) if a car wasn't selling he used to put the price up and most of the time it would sell, maybe people that had seen it for sale and was not so forthcoming may have seen the price go up and think it may go up again I better buy it!!, mind you he could have sold a fridge to an Eskimo