Jensen Interceptor - a forgotten legend

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Time is an amazing thing. It seemed that only yesterday we bowed before some phenomenon, invention or some thing, and today everything that delighted us yesterday is forgotten and gathering dust in the dustbin of history.

The same fate befell the car of the Jensen brothers, which bore the proud name "Interceptor". Once a style icon, a role model for other manufacturers of passenger cars, finally, just a dream and an object of desire for all advanced adherents of speed and comfort. Now Jensen Interceptor is just one of many, many forgotten names.

Legendary story

The history of the interceptor began after the war, when the Jensen brothers, who produced cars at a factory named after themselves in West Bromwich, not far from Birmingham, England, thought about creating the first model of a car specifically for a new peaceful life. The car was supposed to be comfortable, fast and stylish. Such that it was possible to race on it under a peaceful blue sky, without thinking about past troubles and hardships. At that time, all the people who survived the years of war and deprivation wanted the same. In general, the brothers began their independent journey in the automotive industry back in 1934, then they made bodies for a number of models from other manufacturersthose times. They began to produce their own cars a little later, but they could also be called their own only with a big stretch. Foreign engines, components from Austin and other well-known factories complemented these cars. But the cars were Jensen Motors, built by hand under close supervision and with the direct participation of the brothers.

Let's get back to the Interceptor. Of course, people who suffered from the war could give such a name to the car. But the history of the appearance of the name has been erased from the memory of generations, but in the future the car itself received the features of a predator and a true warrior. So the Jensen Interceptor lives up to its name.

The first generation of Interceptors was introduced to the world in 1949. It was a luxury car weighing 1.5 tons with a new 6-cylinder in-line engine from Austin and a chassis from Austin, however, greatly improved. The car was expensive, hand-built, the engine was not the best, and its gluttony left much to be desired. Nevertheless, the first generation Jensen Interceptor was produced for 9 years. The model was produced in two versions: coupe and convertible. Over the entire period of production, about 70 "Interceptors" were produced.

The start of the journey

This was just the beginning. The Jensen brothers returned to the production of their brainchild in 1966 with a completely new concept, new thoughts and a changed vision of the world. Yes, and in the automotive industry over the years there have been many new discoveries andimplementations. Fast and aggressive cars with a sleek design were in demand like never before. But, as you know, brilliant car designers do not grow in the British Isles for unclear reasons. They are found mainly in Italy, where the Jensens found people from the Touring company, who came up with a new Interceptor design that conquered thousands of people around the world, from which designers around the world may have drawn ideas for many subsequent models of cars from different manufacturers.

It was a completely different car, not much like its predecessor from the first generation. A modern four-door car with a steel body, a huge rear window and a Chrysler engine was impressive, especially in England, where few cars were produced even remotely similar in performance.

Having ordered the design from the Italians, the Jensens were forced to purchase equipment for the production of the body in Italy. For some time, bodies for assembly came straight from the Pyrenees, but subsequently Jensen Motors bought the equipment and transported it to their native Birmingham. Perhaps this is what killed them. In order to recoup the cost of organizing production, the car had to be produced for many years in an unchanged design. True, the equipment itself changed in the early 70s. The 1971 Jensen Interceptor already had power steering and other useful innovations. Available in both automatic and manual transmissions.

Legendary but impractical

Main trouble"Interceptor" was in the limitless appetite. The Chrysler engine needed too much gasoline, and then the fuel crisis broke out, the echoes of which frightened motorists for many years to come. According to experts, if the car was a little more economical, it would sell much better. In total, over the years from 1966 to 1990, about 6,000 Interceptors were produced. Before long, other people owned the company, customers had other requirements, and the car continued to roll off the assembly line. And there were a large number of buyers.

Now the legend, though partially forgotten, is still alive. The company, which bought the rights to the name and brand, plans to buy Jensen Interceptors around the world and sell them again, but with a modern engine and a different interior. Perhaps we will see "Interceptors" on the streets of cities.