Early Interceptor at 1951 South Bank Exhibition

[felixkk]

SOUTH BANK EXHIBITION, FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN 1951. JENSEN INTERCEPTOR"" 2-door cabriolet. Model made since 1949 with various modifications. In current production 1951. Made by Jensen Motors Ltd., West Bromwich. Staffs. Here illustrated on the stand in the Transport Pavilion of the South Bank Exhibition 1951.""
https://www.vads.ac.uk/digital/collection/DCA/id/7570/

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[VFK44]

I never knew that!

My Dad might have seen that...

[John Staddon]

If you look closely, notice that there are two locking handles on the boot. I have looked at every photo of an Early Interceptor that I have and there are only two photos of cars that had two locking handles on the boot and they are chassis numbers 5, reg GEA 5, and another car in a publicity shot that has no registration plate. What I don't have is photos of the boot of other early cars so it is difficult to be sure which car this is, but No 1 had a plastic windows in the sides of the folding top, No 2 was dismantled and never sold, Nos 3 and 4 were delivered to their owners before the exhibition, No 7 had chrome trim along the bottom of the doors and by the time JML got to number 8 there was a single handle in the centre of the boot. That leaves Nos 5 and 6. No 5 was lent to Autocar for a road test and could have been lent to the exhibition as well. The other car with two boot handles has white wall tyres in the publicity shot, that doesn't rule it out as tyres can be changed, but my money is on the exhibition car being No 5. (Ignore the dark dot in front of the rear wheel in the photo of No 5, it isn't there in other photos.)

Int 5 GEA 5.JPG (46.28 KiB) Viewed 796 times

John

[Chris_R]

I think unlikely tyres would be changed, that would be quite an expense and I imagine tyres, like many other things at the time, were not exactly plentiful to have extras lying around.
Is that another Interceptor peeking in with just the front corner showing?

[VFK44]

Is that another Interceptor peeking in with just the front corner showing?

The chrome disc in the middle of the wheel has a little lug either side, which suggests to me a Jaguar XK120.

1952_jaguar_xk120_roadster_1585778119661a27f622Texas-4-e1586362543871~2.jpg (44.17 KiB) Viewed 763 times

[Keith]

I think unlikely tyres would be changed, that would be quite an expense

Happy New Year everyone!

I seriously don't think tyres would have been a problem. With Fort Dunlop just up the road, JML would not really have been paying for tyres for exhibition models.

[John Staddon]

I think Stephen is right about the other car, as well as different wheels to an Interceptor it has short bumpers and faired in sidelights and is definitely XK120ish.

Here's a photo of the other car with twin boot handles. The tyres may not be white wall, perhaps they are simply catching the light, but notice the boot handles are in the horizontal position, perhaps the photographer thought they looked tidier that way, but perhaps they really do lock that way in which case this isn't No 5 as the handles on that car appear to lock vertically.

Int 3-4 or 6.jpg (126.42 KiB) Viewed 738 times

John

[Series3Jensen]

Hi all

Part of the Registration No appears visible in the first photograph
FM ? - can this be blown up to help?

Regards

Jim Smith
JOC Mem No 1639

[David Davies]

I think the registration probably is JENSEN. Very unlikely to be a registered car for exhibition

[kees]

I think Stephen is right about the other car, as well as different wheels to an Interceptor it has short bumpers and faired in sidelights and is definitely XK120ish.

Here's a photo of the other car with twin boot handles. The tyres may not be white wall, perhaps they are simply catching the light, but notice the boot handles are in the horizontal position, perhaps the photographer thought they looked tidier that way, but perhaps they really do lock that way in which case this isn't No 5 as the handles on that car appear to lock vertically.

Int 3-4 or 6.jpg

John

The handles could probably be fitted in 4 positions, as the shaft would most likely be square.

[VFK44]

I think the registration probably is JENSEN. Very unlikely to be a registered car for exhibition

Matches my picture of a Jag, "registered" as JAG !