A New Jensen Hits Geneva

While the Jensen name doesn't have the same ring to it as Morgan, De Tomaso or Shelby, the small English workshop created cars using the same formula as those manufacturers: It built its own chassis and bodywork, and then shoehorned an American V8 into it.

Its most popular car was the Interceptor, a luxury grand tourer which had sleek lines and was built for almost 10 years (1966 to 1976). It was available with a 6.3-litre powerplant (Chrysler's 383 Golden Commando) before being fitted with a 7.2-litre engine (the legendary 440 Six-Pack, if you know your Mopars!).  Since the Interceptor was made of reinforced plastic, performance was up to par with the best performance cars of the era. Jensen also became known for offering the first road-going production car with 4WD, the FF. This car was also the very first production vehicle equipped with ABS brakes.

Jensen, like a lot of British automakers, went bankrupt at the end of the seventies, but was recently revived by a group of aficionados. They are currently building classic Interceptors powered by Corvette engines. They also intend to bring the Jensen name into the 21st century: they will bring the all-new Jensen GT to the Geneva International Motor Show.

We don't know much about it so far, apart from the fact that it will use a Chevy 6.4-litre powerplant and bodywork from various other cars; for example, the taillights come from a Jaguar F-Type.

Note that the Jensen GT is a temporary measure to satisfy buyers; according to some rumours, a new Interceptor is in the works...