Front view of a Maroon, 1954, Jensen Interceptor on display at the 2021 London Classic Car Show
Its probably is the most unknown and unsung hero of British motoring and most people will have a newer Interceptor in mind when they hear its name. In 1949 Jensen Motors Limited introduced the Interceptor as a convertible for the first time at the Earls Court Motor Show. A two door saloon followed in 1951 and our example is a later, slightly improved, version from the year 1954, still with the hand built aluminium alloy body on a steel and wooden chassis. Nowadays we talk about ‘early’ Interceptors, or Straight Six Interceptors when we discuss the 1950-57 Interceptors. The first Interceptors were near 5 metres long high end cars that could be used for daily commute and long distance travelling. They were meant as touring cars instead of a fast sports cars, without being slow. The Jensen Interceptor was produced alongside the Jensen PW from 1949 until the summer of 1957. The early Interceptor got its drivetrain and chassis from Austin, but was noticeably lighter than its stepbrothers with only 1480 kg for such a large car with a big engine and oversized gearbox. The two door Saloon, as shown here, was fitted with a perspex rear window, fibreglass rooftop and boot lid. The rooftop itself was covered with vinyl. The 4 litre inline six engine and gearbox with overdrive made the car very pleasant to drive. The two-cycle carburetor was enough to produce 132 bhp and 284 Nm of torque. Just a couple of these ‘early’ Interceptors were left hand drive and only a few had triple carburetors. The only example with a Chrysler Hemi V8 power plant was developed by Briggs Cunningham for a Canadian owner. In stock form the straight six offered enough power at lower and high speeds, but saved fuel compared to cars it competed with, like the Bentley R Type, Bristol 401 and Jaguar MK VII. The ride was comfortable and smooth, especially due to its long wheelbase and the soft suspension.
Size: 4927px × 3640px
Location: Syon Park, Brentford, Middx TW8 8JF
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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