1974 Jensen Interceptor

The vendor bought the car at auction in 2018. His ambition of restoring it to its former glory was fuelled by a childhood love of the Interceptor’s unique design and still-enticing combination of class, elegance and performance.

Dark blue when he bought it, the car is now a very fetching (in our opinion) shade of metallic pale blue.

The car was totally stripped and any rusted sections were tackled head-on, which involved replacing the floors, rear wings and front wings

Anything that needed refurbishing or replacing was refurbished or replaced as appropriate, including the discs, pads, callipers, hoses, carburettors, stainless steel exhaust, wiring loom and many other components. 

Much of the restoration work was carried out by renowned Jensen whisperers, Rejen, of Winchester, with many of the countless parts supplied by Martin Robey. 

Rejen also replaced the wiring loom and, at a cost of over £10,000, completely retrimmed the interior to a very high standard in blue leather hide.

The vendor was told by the previous owner that the engine and gearbox were totally rebuilt around 2016.

We have driven the car and can attest that we’re more than happy to accept that claim as being correct.

It’s fair to say that not all Jensen Interceptors are a driver’s delight. 

This one absolutely, certainly, definitely, categorically…is.

The steering is well-weighted, accurate and comes with just the right amount of power assistance. 

The car feels well screwed together and is reassuringly low on bangs, squeaks, rattles and groans, save for those that come as a natural response to the state of our pot-hole-riddled roads. 

Because there’s no replacement for displacement, the big, lazy, easy-revving engine wafts along without breaking into a sweat….until you ask it to.

Flex your right foot and the satisfying kickdown makes this long, muscular beast squat closer to the road and, before you know it, you’re hanging on - rodeo style - to 7.2 litres of prime American beef on the hoof. 

This car may be 49 years old but it still goes like a Longhorn with a short temper.

It’s really very good indeed.

The vendor tells us that the A/C is not currently connected and that, while the fuel and temperature gauges work, the jury is still out when it comes to their absolute accuracy.  Either way, we’re assured that the car never overheats.

He also mentioned that the petrol flap has to be opened manually from the inside (there’s a note to this effect inside the hatchback window frame), and that the aerial has developed a slight rattle.

We commend his honesty over what are, clearly, very minor foibles.

He is only selling because he’s barely used the car recently and feels it deserves a home where it might get to stretch its legs and clear its throat rather more often. 

The Jenson Interceptor first emerged blinking into the light from the Kelvin Way factory in West Bromwich in 1966. 

Then, it looked like nothing we’d seen before. 

Now, it looks like nothing we’ve seen since. 

In our humble opinion, a good one looks as strikingly different and futuristically beautiful today as it must have done back then.

And this is a good one.

The car sits very squarely and has a purposeful and aggressive stance that perfectly counterbalances the sleekly elegant lines bequeathed to it by Carrozzeria Touring of Italy.  

There are no dinks, dents, creases, ripples or fold of any consequence anywhere that we can see.

The panels, panel gaps and shut-lines are at least as consistent and even as they would have been in 1974.

The paintwork is broadly very decent, save for a few faint patches of discolouration on the nearside door and wings either side of it. There are a few paint chips on the same door.

There are one or two light scratches and scuffs on the o/s/r wing, and some exterior rubber trim is coming away on the driver’s door.

The chrome-work is bright and shiny throughout, and the car’s badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle. The door handles are slightly tarnished but are otherwise fine.

There are one or two nascent (and minor) outbreaks of blistering and bubbling at the base of the boot/hatchback lid and on the bodywork beneath it, a couple more spots on the bonnet, and a few small blisters under the paint on the nearside ‘C’ pillar.

The wheels are in fine fettle and the tyres look to have plenty of life left in them.

The retrimmed interior is a vision of soft, dark-blue leather and top-notch craftsmanship. 

It makes for a place you’ll be more than happy to spend some quality time. 

The seats, as you would hope, are supportive, comfortable and functional, front and back. 

The carpets, mats and headlining are following the same script when it comes to excellent condition.

So, too, are the door cards.

The dashboard, instruments, steering wheel and other controls all look to be in very good order. 

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch, but those we did tweak, press and flick did as they were told without delay or complaint. 

As stated earlier, the vendor advises that we shouldn’t place total faith in the readings offered by the temperature and fuel gauges.

The engine and engine bay are clean, dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car appear to have plenty of structural integrity.

The car comes with full sets of keys, a current V5, an MoT certificate that’s valid until 29.10.24, and plenty of bills, receipts and invoices attesting to the time and money lavished on it over recent years. 

This is a rare example of a Jensen Interceptor that drives as well as it looks. 

And it looks fabulous.

It is a pleasure to exercise your right foot on the open road in this powerful, sleek machine, and you’ll be sure to turn heads in it wherever you go.

We are happy to offer this very fine vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.