Jensen Factory postcard

[AH1951]

Phil Grice?
http://www.joc.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... 7&p=156940" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PaulMcElhinney]

Yes confirmed it's Phil Grice.

[Nick Maltby]

Using your plan as a guide, Felix, I have added some details of the Development Department and Body Drawing office.

The 'Cage' might be of interest to readers: it wasn't very large, just big enough for one car with sufficient space to walk around it.
It was where I saw Pelle Petterson's (guided by Pietro Frua) Volvo P1800 prototype for the first time in 1959. The cage was completely sealed off from view with its own, padlocked, steel door.



Nick

[PaulMcElhinney]

Nick, you'd be interested to read the article by Colin Reike on the development of the 541. He starts off with Richard Jensen walking into the drawing office one day and announcing that he wanted to design a new car and how they mocked something up. I have sent my copy to Per Eie. I think someone scanned it but I'm unsure how to find it.

[felixkk]

Thank you Nick! The Cage almost has a medieval sound.

CARTERS_GREEN_150925.jpg (182 KiB) Viewed 4564 times

[DaveT]

the Colin Rieke 541 article is reproduced in one of the Jensen Brooklands books of road test articles. I am not sure about the most recent edition (Jensen 1934 to 1965) but it is definitely in the earlier editions of this book.

It is definitely in this (out of print) book:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/22160130 ... ue&ff13=80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but I am not sure about this one:

http://octanebooks.co.nz/car-makes-a-z/jensen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Dave

[felixkk]

Here's a good photo of what I think are the doors to the Main works with the Saw Mill building on the right

J+B+Stevenson+in+Jensen+Ford-1.jpg (79.31 KiB) Viewed 4563 times

[VFK44]

What do you mean by "on the site itself" Stephen? You also mention "contemporary photos", do you have any that you can share with us please?

I visited the actual building a few years back and peered through the gates next to the admin building, into the car park to the right and behind it. Some traces of the footprints of the old buildings were still quite visible, although they might have been tarmacked over since then. Behind that was a "wasteland" surrounded by chainlink fencing, where many of the old buildings had been. It was covered in muddy potholes. It would be nice to get permission to use the ground and invite the locals round - we could mark out the positions of the old buildings with tape and let them know their local history!

Dear old Dave Newby was hoping to persuade the local council to erect a blue plaque on the site - part of the conditions are that the buildings are substantially still in existence so it would be hard to get one for the Kelvin Way site.

(The contemporary bike rack pictures are in most books about the period - especially Keith Anderson's book(s).)

[felixkk]

The Pensnett Factory. A very rudimentary (inaccurate) overlay of the plan on to the google maps photo of the site:

pensnett_02.jpg (117.9 KiB) Viewed 4513 times

pensnett_01.jpg (82.71 KiB) Viewed 4513 times

[Jens]

the Colin Rieke 541 article is reproduced in one of the Jensen Brooklands books of road test articles. I am not sure about the most recent edition (Jensen 1934 to 1965) but it is definitely in the earlier editions of this book.

It is definitely in this (out of print) book:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/22160130 ... ue&ff13=80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but I am not sure about this one:

http://octanebooks.co.nz/car-makes-a-z/jensen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dave

Here is the article by Colin Rieke:

[Jens]

And the next 3 pages.

The Brooklands book is definitely worth having if you are interested in the post-war but pre-66 Jensen cars.

[felixkk]

Carters Green 1938 (June 14th) from the website "Britain from Above"

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/imag ... ich&ref=66" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Carters_Green_1938.jpg (437.95 KiB) Viewed 4456 times

And a close up of the factory

Carters_Green_1938_zoom.jpg (161.06 KiB) Viewed 4452 times

[Han Kamp]

You are doing a great job Felix!

[felixkk]

Thank you, Han (tis much appreciated). Just keeping myself busy when I really should be doing other stuff.

[NormanP]

Here's an oddity from the factory for sale: 5 internal post envelopes! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-X-JENSEN-WE ... 1302251731" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

$_57.JPG (101.95 KiB) Viewed 4342 times