Jensen is arguably most famous for its Interceptor, but that's not the only cool car built by the British car manufacturer.
As gearheads, and for various reasons, we sometimes wish some automotive brands were still around. One such brand is Jensen Motors, owing to the plethora of awesome cars it produced while it was fully operational. A British automotive marque with its headquarters in West Bromwich, England, Jensen specialized in the production of sports cars and commercial vehicles. The company also provides specialist car bodies for big automotive companies like Chrysler, Ford, and Austin.
Jensen Motors suffered from car production regulations, leading to a severe loss of revenue. Among other notable events, the company was taken over by the Norcross Group in the 1950s, and in the late 1960s, it ran into financial trouble with the discontinuation of the Austin Healey project – Jensen’s most important car body contract. The company had a series of other takeovers before it was finally dissolved in 2011. From its origin to a few of the important now-classic cars it produced, here are some details about Jensen Motors that are gradually getting lost in history.
Jensen Motors was founded by brothers Alan and Richard Jensen. Born in Birmingham in the early 1900s, the Jensen brothers took interest in building cars at a young age. In 1928, the brothers built a little body on an Austin Seven chassis, earning them some prominence in the automotive sphere.
Subsequently, in 1931, the brothers joined truck body maker W. J. Smith & Sons, a company they soon assumed control over following the death of the owner William Smith, renaming it Jensen Motors in 1936.
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The prototype car with chassis number S1/3799 is considered Jensen's first true production car. Subsequently named “White Lady” by the Jensen brothers, the car is widely pinpointed to be the true origin of the Jensen marque.
The production was started in late 1934 and concluded in 1935, and the car adopted a box-section chassis with a powertrain that included a 118 horsepower Ford 3.6 -liter V8 engine mated to a three-speed manual transmission. This powertrain earned the White Lady a top speed of 90 mph.
Having already learned the ropes of the automotive business from their previous jobs and subsequently acquiring W. J. Smith & Sons, the Jensen brothers, through their new company, launched their first volume production car in 1936.
Called the Jensen S-type, the car was powered either by a 2.2-liter or a 3.6-liter Ford flathead V8 engine and was produced in three body styles of 2-door convertible, 3-door tourer, and 4-door sedan. Notably, the production of the S-Type lasted till 1941, and it was built on steel chassis with an aluminum body.
Jensen produced the Jensen PW from 1946 to 1952. A sedan, the PW stood for “Post-War,” being the first car produced by Jensen after the war. The first models of the car adopted the Meadows 4.0-liter straight-eight engines.
However, due to vibrations while driving, Jensen engineers would quickly switch to the Nash straight-eights, and subsequently to the more reliable Austin Sheerline 4.0-liter straight-six engines. Notably, the Jensen PW also had a convertible version, and in total, less than 20 examples were built.
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The Jensen Interceptor made its maiden appearance in 1950 for the first-generation model of the car. Styled by British car designer Eric Neale, the Interceptor was based on Austin components, while the body was built by Jensen.
The car was powered by a 4.0-liter straight-six engine mated to an Austin Sheerline transmission. Produced to 1957, the Interceptor was available as a 2- and 4-door sedan, convertible, and as a town car.
Jensen Motors unveiled the Jensen 541 at the London Motor Show in October 1953 while production started in 1954. Power came from an Austin 4.0-liter straight-six engine mated to a four-speed transmission with optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive.
The Jensen 541’s body was crafted from fiberglass, making it lighter than the preceding Interceptor, while it sits on a steel chassis. In its time, the 541 was a performance beast, with its claimed 133 horsepower engine propelling the grand tourer to a top speed of 109 mph.
Produced from 1957 to 1960, the Jensen 541R is quite similar to the preceding 541. However, unlike the 541 which adopted a cam-and-roller system, the 541R used rack and pinion steering instead, while considerably larger disc brakes were also used on all four wheels.
Also, the 541R was powered by a low-revving 4.0-liter straight-six engine from the Austin A70, and a total of 193 541Rs were built during the model’s production reign.
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The luxury GT variant of the standard 541, the Jensen 541S, was introduced in 1960. It has a roomier interior than the 541R due to an extra four inches added to its width. Power came from an Austin DS5 4-liter straight-six engine, with a majority adopting GM-licensed Rolls-Royce hydramatic gearboxes.
Notably, the 541S was the first British car to adopt seat belts as standard equipment. It also featured a padded windscreen surround, first-aid kit, and fire extinguisher. In total, Jensen produced 127 units of the 541S.
Considered the best-selling Jensen model of all time, the Jensen-Healey is a two-seater convertible sports car produced from 1972 to 1976. The Jensen Healey came about from a partnership involving English car designer Donald Healey, his son Geoffrey, and Jensen Motors.
Notably, the car is powered by a 2.0-liter Lotus 907 dual overhead cam, 16-valve all-alloy engine. This engine produces an output of over 140 horses, helping the sports car to a top speed of 119 mph and an acceleration from rest to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds.
Olakunle has contributed as a writer on several platforms over the years. Right from childhood, he’s been fascinated by the world of automobiles. Hence, he finds contributing to HotCars quite interesting – a surreal experience.