1975 Jensen GT – Project Profile

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Dale Vinten

When, if ever, was the last time you saw a Jensen GT? Thinking about it, when was the last time you saw a Jensen Healey – the car on which the GT was based? Perhaps unfairly overshadowed by the more popular – and prominent – Jensen Interceptor, the GT remains a gorgeous two-door shooting brake that deserves attention.

The GT was a bit of a last ditch effort for Jensen, a once more unto the breach kind of deal, unfortunately coming at a point in time when the company was in turmoil. As such the car failed to hit its mark and after only 511 were made in less than a year of production the GT sadly went the way of the Dodo, followed closely by the company that built it.

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The GT’s story begins after Jensen and Healey came up with the frankly brilliant – albeit unimaginatively titled – Jensen-Healey in 1972. Donald Healey promptly left the company a year later amidst development of this new sporty estate version of the convertible roadster he had helped to conceive. The job of teasing the car into production was subsequently left to Kjell Qvale who had become the majority shareholder in Jensen Motors in 1970.

The GT kept the same 2.0-litre, twin cam Lotus 907 engine and Getrag five-speed gearbox as its predecessor but ditched the removable roof in favour of a fixed lid as well as the addition of two rear seats that could be folded flat to take advantage of the space. It was a good looking car, clearly, with tried and tested mechanicals from the Jensen-Healey but sadly it simply wasn’t enough to ensure its success, or indeed the future of Jensen Motors and the company went into receivership in 1975, finally closing its doors a year later.

What is it? 

The car we have here is a 1975 Jensen GT for sale via our auctions platform in the rare factory colour of Cheviot Brown, thought to be 1 of only 37 that were produced in this shade. Freshly painted it looks stunning and combined with its matching black and tan interior and that original Lotus engine it’s a very nice example indeed. Adding to the exclusivity is the addition of a factory-fitted electric sunroof, as if being 1 of only 511 GTs ever produced wasn’t enough. The car does come with history and having been comprehensively restored in 1996 by Martin Robey – the company that acquired the original tooling after the demise of Jensen Motors – it is far from a basket case. It’s a running, driving slice of British automotive history that has covered less than 30,000 miles from new.

Why is it a project? 

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While the car does present incredibly well throughout there is a caveat; it has been dry stored for quite some time which means it hasn’t been in regular use. The seller does however state that the 16-valve Lotus engine starts first time with no smoking or untoward noises and the rest of the mechanicals are in working order. It has not been thoroughly tested though and at the very least the car will need a full service before being put back on the road. The paintwork has recently been refreshed but the chrome was left untouched. As such there is some pitting to the trim pieces but some metal polish and elbow grease should see these back to their best. There is also the mention of surface rust underneath the car so this would need to be addressed before any real corrosion is able to take hold.

Things to look for:

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The main areas to concentrate on would be the engine, drivetrain, suspension and brakes, with a full refresh being the order of the day. Once the mechanicals are up to scratch then move on to any areas of corrosion that need to be dealt with, which judging by the listing are minimal and confined to surface rust on the under side of the car. We pride ourselves here at Car & Classic for producing accurate auction listings and so you can safely rely on all of the information provided on the car, as well as the large number of high quality images attached so take it all in and then chuck in your bid.

What should you do with it? 

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After pinching yourself that you’ve just bought a beautiful and incredibly rare British GT car you should set about recommissioning the thing so you can safely drive it. Thanks in part to its Lotus engine off the shelf bits and bobs for the car are still relatively easy to come by and for everything else there’s the aforementioned specialist Martin Robey. All of which means that bringing this Jensen GT back to its glorious best shouldn’t be a problem, with the only hindrance will be your wallet and a winning bid. After which you’ll have an exclusive and rather lovely 144bhp sports car capable of 0-60 in 9 seconds, as well as the guarantee that you’ll likely never see another on the road.

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