Jensen Interceptor

Key facts

Year

1969
Country

Great Britain
Capacity

6,276cc
Cylinders

V8
Valves

Overhead valve
Output

330bhp at 4,600rpm
Maximum speed

137mph/220.48kph
Performance

140mph, 0-60mph 6.4 seconds
Price new

£5,198
Owner

National Motor Museum Trust
Manufacturer

Jensen Motors Ltd, West Bromwich

Specialist car builder Jensen created a sensation when they launched the Interceptor at the 1966 London Motor Show. The aggressively styled car with body built by Vignale of Turin was powered by a potent Chrysler V8 engine. Other than a few with manual gearboxes, most were equipped with Chrysler’s Torqueflite automatic transmission. The Jensen Interceptor, and its four-wheel drive derivative the FF, were aimed at the luxury car market.

From the 1930s, Jensen Motors supplied car bodies for many of the larger manufacturers as well as building a range of commercial vehicle chassis. In the 1950s and 1960s the company established a reputation as a builder of sporty GT cars such as the 541 and C-V8. The Interceptor built on this tradition. Jensen survived until 1976, eventually succumbing to financial difficulties in the aftermath of the oil crisis.