Photos provided by the seller
Highlights
- Aluminium body appears to be in great condition
- Wonderfully original interior
- A supremely rare motorcar
The Appeal
The Jensen Interceptors of the 1950s — now known as ‘early’ or ‘six-cylinder’ Interceptors — look entirely different from their later namesakes, but share the same design ethos. They are large, powerful tourers, capable of carrying four passengers in style and comfort, yet also able to perform all the duties a sporting motorist would require.
This particular Interceptor has led an international life, having been manufactured in England, spent time in Norway, and now residing in The Netherlands. It retains its wonderfully original interior, with well-worn leather upholstery and walnut veneer, and the aluminium bodywork and silver paint appear to be in good condition.
Mechanically, the car requires recommissioning, having stood unused for some time. But we think this would be effort well-spent, to return such a rare motorcar to the road and use it as intended.
The History and Paperwork
- Built in 1954
- Chassis number: INT 414451
- Much of the car’s history is known
- Original correspondence between previous owner and Jensen owner’s club said to be on file
- Previously exported to Norway
- Purchased by the current Dutch owner in 2007
The Interior
- Beautifully original throughout
- Burr walnut veneer
- Some delamination to the plywood structure of the dashboard
The interior of this Jensen appears to be something of a time capsule, with its well worn seat covers holding the secrets of a thousand previous journeys undertaken by previous owners. They are creased, cracked and torn in places, but appear to be complete, so would be restorable by expert hands. The wide front bench seat offers plenty of passenger space and has individually adjustable backrests.
This leather upholstery is continued onto the door cards, which are capped in burr walnut veneer. Tying the interior together nicely, the walnut continues on the dashboard. But this is in poor condition at one end, where there seems to have been a sustained period of water ingress, leading the plywood structure to delaminate. A repair could be effected here to return the dashboard to a smart appearance.
The driver is provided with a large steering wheel, with a Bakelite centre boss incorporating the horn push and indicator switch. The gauges on the dashboard look clear and brightened the pull switches on the left are in good condition.
The Exterior
- Iconic curved rear window
- Sleek, aluminium-bodied ponton styling
- Great paintwork
These early Interceptors had bodies built by Jensen upon a lengthened Austin A70 chassis. The smart ‘ponton’ styling incorporated the wings fully into the lines of the body and allowed for an uninterrupted line front to rear. And this car’s front end has happy ‘frogeye’ features.
The silver paintwork appears to be in very good condition throughout, with an excellent finish and few marks to be seen. Above this, the vinyl roof appears to be in great condition, and the code, curved perspex rear window hints at what was to come in the later Interceptor.
Polished chrome covers the bumpers, overriders and other external trim. It looks to be well presented, with only minor signs of pitting to be found, which doesn’t detract from the car’s generally smart external appearance. The steel wheels look similarly good, although the car is missing its hubcaps and we can’t comment on the condition of the car’s underside.
The Mechanics
- Six-cylinder engine and transmission from the Austin Sheerline limousine
- Independent coil-sprung front suspension
- In need of mechanical attention
The powerful six-cylinder under the bonnet of this Jensen is the same unit as fitted to Austin’s luxurious Sheerline limousine and the car shares transmission, chassis and suspension components with other cars in the contemporary Austin range.
Having been stored unused for some time, the vendor informs us that the engine, running gear and brakes will need attention to bring the car back to a roadworthy state. We think this would be a worthy endeavour, as such a rare luxurious car surely deserves to be driven again.
Summary
In all, with some mechanical attention this early Interceptor could become a supremely capable grand tourer once more.
Notice to bidders
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased. Car & Classic may refer a shipping company that also deals with import/export paperwork. Prices start at €150+VAT within the same country or €400+VAT for moves across borders.
For more details, email [email protected]
