Lot Ended
Description
A fine
example of this handsome GT; loads of money spent; engine and gearbox rebuilt;
uprated cooling fans; interior retrimmed; new carb; new tyres; rolling-road
tuned; central locking; driven 50 miles to the sale
British class,
Italian style and a throbbing big block American V8 – an intoxicating blend to
get any petrolhead’s heart racing. Throw in the best car name ever and it all
adds up to a winning combination.
Small wonder that the Jensen
Interceptor attracted the glitterati of Sixties society when it came out in
1966. Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Dusty Springfield (okay Peter Stringfellow had
one too but even wrongun’s get things right occasionally) – the list of famous
owners goes on and on, making it all the more amazing that these magnificent
machines are so under-valued today. As rare as any DB Aston, better made and far
more potent to boot, the ‘Brummie Ferrari’ is perhaps the classic car bargain of
the modern age.
Handmade by men in overalls and vastly
expensive when new, it is still an occasion to see one of the 500 or so that
still survive in the UK today from the 6,408 made in total.
This fabulous
MkIII J-Series car, with its rumbling 7.2-litre V8, GKN alloys, whiteband tyres
and sparkling metallic paintwork is about as good as the Interceptor gets.
Copies of the factory build sheets show that it was built in September 1974 and
was finished in Silver Grey with a black interior.
First registered in
February 1975, it was originally owned by the boss of Quality Steel Stockholders
of Birmingham, copies of warranty claim forms showing that it went back to the
factory half-a-dozen times in its first year to have a few niggles sorted,
including a replacement rear axle and diff, new steering rack and new carbs –
all par for the course with a hand-built Seventies car.
It has had six further owners
since and while there is no early service history, there are lots of invoices to
show meticulous upkeep over the last dozen years.
Our vendor acquired
the car from a dealer in September 2023 for £36,750 and has spent over £15k on
it since to get it in tip-top running order.
This includes: new rear
crank oil seal, rocker cover gaskets, valley pan set and gearbox sump and pan
gaskets; new Edelbrock 750cfm carb; new PAS pipes; new Powermaster alternator;
new ignition lead set; new spark plugs; new battery; new master cylinder and
brake pads all round; new oil and filter; new washer pump and bottle; new speedo
cable; remote central locking; rechromed bumper; new gold pinstripes; new set of
tyres plus a host of other minor items.
Other invoices show that the
gearbox was rebuilt by Auto Gearbox of East Sussex and a new torque converter
fitted in June 2017; all brake calipers reconditioned in Sept 2016; new engine
main bearings, big end bearings, timing chain set, valve springs, gasket sets,
cam lifter kit, cam bearings, high-lift cam in August 2014.
Other
features include: uprated electric cooling fans; alloy inlet manifold; interior
retrimmed in Light Tan leather; new carpets; front and rear suspension polybush
kit; Huntsman vinyl roof and full-length Webasto sunroof; Radiomobile 8-Track
with Frank Sinatra tape; original handbook.
In regular use during the
current ownership, we are told that the car drives as well as it looks, a dyno
sheet showing that it was rolling road tuned in March 2024 (281bhp and
332lb/ft). An old MOT shows that the car has covered some 2,600 miles since
November 2021, the odometer currently showing 71,825 miles.
As you can
see in the photos, this pampered Interceptor looks to be in great shape and has
been starting promptly and driving nicely on site with healthy 60psi oil
pressure. With lots of money spent in all the right places, it was driven 50
miles to the sale and is ready for a new owner to enjoy.
Consigned by
James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com