Then there was the GT, which was pushed a bit too quickly, an actually wonderful shooting brake, of which only 511 were built between September 1975 and May 1976. Well, the rear seat was unusable, there was only room for amputated squirrels, but otherwise it was an absolutely successful vehicle (as we saw on a short trip), powerful, high-revving engine, very decent handling. The interior was luxurious (in the style of the rather pompous 70s) - and they just look good, these shooting brakes. The English should have known from other Englishmen (Reliant…) that the customer base would be rather small.
Actually, everything was good about Jensen-Healey. When the Austin-Healey 3000 was phased out in 1967, the Jensen body shop had free capacity, just like Donald Healey. And then the American Healey importer Kjell Qvale came along, who was always looking for a good business - and the idea for Jensen-Healey was born. And it was a good idea: they wanted to install simple, inexpensive technology, create a classic, simple two-seater with a good design, and develop a lightweight driving machine with sporty driving performance. And that's exactly what happened.
The chassis and running gear were designed by Barry Bilbie, who had already designed the Austin-Healey 100, 3000 and Sprite. The design first came from Hugo Poole and was further modified by William Towns (Hillman Hunter, Rover-BRM, later Aston Martin Lagonda). The front axle with the double wishbones and coil springs, like the rear rigid axle, came from the (completely underestimated) Vauxhall Firenza, the brakes from the Triumph Spitfire. Ford, BMW, Saab and even Porsche were approached as engine suppliers, but the contract was ultimately awarded to Colin Chapman from Lotus with his new 2-liter engine called 907. It was a fine unit, two overhead camshafts, 16 valves and two Dell 'Orto carburettor. The 144 hp made the 1,150 kilo Jensen-Healey reach a top speed of 190 km/h and accelerated it from 0 to 60 miles in 7.8 seconds (significantly faster than an Aston Martin DB6...). The transmission was initially a 4-speed from Chrysler, and from the Mk. 2 onwards a 5-speed from Getrag was installed.
Everything's good so far - and the press also praised Jensen-Healey lavishly. The driving behavior was particularly praised, and the engine was also considered a highlight. But it was precisely this machine that soon contributed to the Jensen-Healey getting a bad reputation; the oil loss was sometimes massive. And the body was not initially processed with the necessary quality awareness. Although all of these problems were eliminated with the Mk. 2 (from August 1973 to August 1975; 7146 copies), the first impression of the first series (March 1972 to May 1973; 3357 copies) was what counted. Well, the oil crisis came along and the problems that Jensen had with the big Interceptor. And yes, the GT.
But actually this is exactly the vehicle you want. It looks really good, you don't see it on every street corner - and it works great. Yes, we love this Lotus engine, when it is well adjusted, it is one of the finest 2-liters ever, the sound is throaty, the pulling power is amazing. The right-hand drive example that we are showing here will be auctioned by the Oldtimer Galerie Toffen on March 23, 2024; there is no estimated price yet. The condition is excellent, as we have seen ourselves, and the Englishman no longer has any teething problems - but there is no estimated price yet. For Jensen, after the GT, he was done. Everything.
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Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
Good article, nice to see positive things printed about the GT.
Interesting to know if it will have any effect on the auction (which is for a very small market - in Germany with a RHD car).
Radical does great articles on cars, old and new. The founder Peter Ruch had a C-V8 maybe 20yrs ago, bought it in the UK, drove it back and sold it within two or three days, which he still regrets doing. Very interesting guy, quite unconventional. And the GT does look great.
Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
Thanks for that Felix.
Far below the estimate then (Est: CHF 20.000 - CHF 25.000). Would that be the reason why European auction houses are shy about publishing the achieved hammer price? Epic, Moyersoen, Troostwijk, Catawiki, Vavato - all of these usually do not publish hammer prices.
I don't know Dion... Below the article on the car from Zwischengas.com. The Swiss press obviously jumped on the chance to cover the car and to go drive it and take pictures
It's probably not a good sign for a new car if the general importer has to deny in a press release that the manufacturer has to close. But this is exactly what happened in 1975, when the Swiss Jensen importer Edgar Schwyn had to deny Jensen bankruptcy rumors on September 29, 1975:
“Newspaper reports have recently announced that the English sports car company Jensen Motors Ltd. in West Bromwich have declared bankruptcy and are being liquidated. This message is not true; On the other hand, it is true that the company's main lender, Bank of America, J.A. Griffiths appointed as manager. He took control of the factory in order to bring the financial situation back into balance and protect the invested assets. He has already taken the necessary steps to ensure not only new car production but also parts production, maintenance and warranty claims. Sales of Jensen cars continue unhindered in all countries.
Despite the tense situation, all 600 workers returned to work after the holidays and are producing the Jensen Interceptor, GT and Healey models. The production rhythm for the new GT models has been increased significantly. There are no plans to restrict operations, and the unions have agreed to actively work to preserve jobs. Jensen will also be exhibiting at the international motor show in Paris and London to the same extent as before.”
Just two months earlier, on July 16, 1975, the British sports car manufacturer Jensen had presented the new “GT” model to the press.
According to the press release, “GT” stood for “Good Thinking” and was probably intended to indicate the practical nature of the sports car with a station wagon rear and the comparatively economical use of fuel.
A shooting brake
The Automobil Revue reported on the new sports station wagon on July 24, 1975:
“With a new 2+2-seat coupe based on the low-slung Jensen Healey sports two-seater, the well-known English manufacturer of luxury cars is taking into account the current trend according to which increased utility value significantly increases a car's sales prospects. The sporty Jensen GT with tailgate is undoubtedly more suitable for families than the open Healey, which will continue to be manufactured after the production switch to the additional model. The GT offers space for two adults and two children; The trunk can be expanded by folding down the rear seat back, and the wide-opening rear door allows for easy loading and unloading.”
A new era
Jensen Motors Ltd. was created in 1934 when brothers Alan and Richard Jensen renamed the coachbuilder “W J Smith & Sons Limited”, founded in 1922. The first sports cars were built in the 1930s, but they were more of a side business. A new development came into the car business after the war, including expensive sports cars such as the 541, the C-V8 and finally the Interceptor in the 1960s. In addition, bodies were manufactured for other manufacturers, such as the Austin-Healey 100, the Volvo P1800 and the Sunbeam Tiger.
Things didn't always go well financially for Jensen and the managers came and went. In 1970, Kjell H. Qvale became a shareholder and appointed Donald Healey as CEO. The brief was to build a new, popular and inexpensive sports car. This is how the Jensen Healey was born, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1972.
The compact and quite pretty convertible was powered by a new Lotus two-liter four-cylinder engine and cost DM 21,500 or CHF 21,800, significantly more than, for example, a Triumph TR6 or an Alfa Spider. In addition, the engine, which was not yet fully developed, caused problems, so that sales overall remained below the high expectations. Instead of 10,000 copies per year, there were a maximum of 4,502 (1974) and a total of just 10,502 Jensen Healeys left the factory in the four main years of production.
Of course, this was also due to the not-so-easy times in the early 1970s with the energy crisis and expensive gasoline.
Accordingly, sales of the flagship Interceptor were also not convincing. With the closed GT based on the Jensen Healey, Kjell Qvale tried to bring a car onto the market that would bridge the gap between the comparatively inexpensive convertible with a two-liter engine and the very expensive closed V8 coupe.
Photos from Zwischengas.com:
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Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
