Jensen Bros. History

[stevej]

I have the John Street 541 factory layout drawing and the legal paperwork regarding the houses owned by the Jensen brothers and the houses demolished to make way for the factory.
Also a rather rusty Interceptor pic in front of the offices!

SteveJ

[VFK44]

That's pure gold, Steve! Do you know when the plans are dated? Obviously the "new road" didn't go ahead as it was planned to go straight through the building we've been photographing. The surviving block is to the bottom right of the plan - above the word "Carters" along the bottom, and with a red line passing through it. Usefully, if we wanted to plead for its survival, it is labelled as "Main Offices". The part behind is the "Accounts" block, but I don't think that would excite any preservationists! Using Google Maps satellite image, you can make out where the Canteen and the Sawmill once stood (now car park).

Stephen

[PaulMcElhinney]

I have had a very pleasant morning showing Chris JACOBY from Germany around the various local Jensen sites. We met at 08.30 this morning at the entrance to the Kelvin Way trading estate. We then walked/drove around the site comparing an old aerial photo of the factory with the current. I showed Chris the Jensen Parts and Service building where all the S4s were created. A copy of Calver's "All the Models" was very useful as a reference with various pictures of the S4 models sitting outside the factory.

We then went up to Shaftesbury Street and visited the Carters Green factory. Again we compared various photos of the site in Calver to what's there now and concluded that very little has changed.

We then went to 45 Anderton Park Road, Moseley, Birmingham where I showed Chris the house where Richard and Alan Jensen grew up. We saw the garage where the teenage brothers built the very first Jensen. It has changed very little from the picture above. Chris took some photos with a Jensen outside which I shall post in the near future.

All in all a very pleasant morning. If anyone else is in this neck of the woods and wants to be Interceptored around the sites drop me a PM.

PS Whilst driving around the factory site an old fellow indicated to me to lower my window. "They used to make those here you know" he said.

[taximan]

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-histor ... du/4532512" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Save anyone curious(like myself) the trouble!
Shaun.

[MikeWilliams]

Paul,

If you took any photos at each of these places they sound like the beginnings of an interesting article for the magazine....

Mike

[PaulMcElhinney]

Mike,

I didn't take any photos at Kelvin Way and Carters Green as I didn't think it sufficiently novel. However Chris took a few snaps at Anderton Park Road. He's off to Holland on Saturday to meet some Dutch Jensen owners so will no doubt be showing them the pics.

[ChrisJac]

i had a save trip back to germany, the SP performed very well. i have a couple of photos, also from holland, tomorrow i'm in my office, then i will post them here in the forum.
@ paul: many thanks for your guidance in west brom, it was very exciting to see all this places, esp. the buildings, where our cars have been built.

[PaulMcElhinney]

It was a pleasure Chris. I'm pleased to hear that your Jensen is running well.

[jsbulmer]

Paul, thanks for bringing this thread to life and for your great write up.

For those of us new to Jensen (in interest if not ownership) it is great to read about this - especially after reading Keith's book it is nice to have a modern-er touch.

jb

[PaulMcElhinney]

John,

Calver's "All the Models" is an exhaustive history of Jensen Motors Ltd. If you can get hold of a copy it's a great read.

[RAP72]

If you can't find one Richard, who is on the Forum, might have a copy. He told me a couple of months ago that he has a few chassis books.

Steve

[VFK44]

http://www.richardcalver.com/suppliers% ... models.htm

... to order direct.

[VFK44]

Carters Green High Street - Picture taken when the business was still called WJ SMith and Son.



The building with the garage doors on the right is the only one still existing and is now a Pharmacy. Note on the far left there is a building marked Masons. The Jensen bros. were introduced to WJ Smith by George Mason - does anyone know if this is the same Mason?