1975 Jensen Interceptor

With an entirely believable 68,000 miles on the odometer, ‘HDW 430N’ appears to have started life brown before being treated to a full respray in a very attractive metallic green at the end of the eighties. Enhanced by gold pinstripes and colour-coded wheels, it still looks every inch the British aristocrat it is.

After winning the Jensen in auction with us last  month, our seller has unfortunately decided that the cost and logistics of exporting to his location in Malaysia was too much, and so we are delighted to offer it again with no reserve. 

The bodywork looks pretty straight as you walk up to it, including a good shine to the metallic green paintwork. The panels fit nicely together, and the overall impression is positive despite the flaws we’ll come to later.

As for the change of hue, the Vehicle History Check records a change of colour in July 1987. If true, and we’ve no reason to doubt it, it was a thorough job because neither we nor our previous seller could find any trace of its previous colour.

The lamp lenses are all good too, as is the glazing including the (presumably hugely expensive) curved rear screen. The badges are nice and bright too, and the ventilation slats run true.

The radiator grille features a badge from the Jensen Owners’ Club, and membership of the marque club is never a bad thing, is it? It’s fitted to straight and shiny slats too, racking up yet more style points.

Speaking of which, don’t the colour-coded alloy wheels look terrific? Tyres are matching 205/70R15 Pirelli P4000 Super Touring, including the spare that’s mounted in a cradle underneath the boot. With their distinctive branding, those fat sidewalls, along with careful driving no doubt, have protected the rims from kerbing damage. They are getting on a bit now though, and have perished so will need to be replaced if the Jensen’s to be put back into regular use.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for flaws, there is some cracking to the paintwork including the bonnet aperture, a common issue with these cars owing to the lead loading that was part of their hand built nature. There are also small chips, scratches, and micro-blisters across the car.

The nearside door has a dent in it which rust has broken out on and in the wheel arches, the lower edge of the front valence, the sills, the underside of the floor, both front wings, and the nearside front wing and door.

The front chrome bumper is also dented, and the rest of the brightwork is lightly tarnished and showing its age. There is also a short crack in the windscreen and the front quarterlight rubber seals have also perished.

Having said all of this, the car could be eminently useable as is, so unlike most of the over restored cars that are in the market, this is one for the school run or Tesco's. How cool is that! 

 

The Interceptor’s trademark pillowy front seats are in good condition with no significant damage or even heavy wear. Remarkably, they’ve still got their velvety headrests too, and while they could do with cleaning, if you don‘t mind a bit of a patina they should offer many more years of comfortable driving.

The rear seats are in an even better condition. Deeply cupped to hold you snug, they’re as comfortable as they are chic.

The rest of the leather on the door cards and transmission tunnel is also grubby. However, it is free of major damage and should clean up, saving you the cost of professional intervention or buying replacements.

Moto-Lita supplied the wood-rimmed steering wheel, which looks as good as it feels. Both the spokes and the rim appear to be free of cracks and other age-related problems.

The walnut veneer trim is in a decent condition, with just a few cracks on some of the surfaces, including behind the gear selector and behind the heater controls on the radio panel.

The radio may well be the original; a Philip’s twin-spindle radio-cassette, you’ll be able to show your kids and grandkids how to respool a cassette tape with a pencil – and to tell them how the verges used to be strewn with the things after lesser mortals had failed.

The carpets in the cabin, which are green piped with tan leather, are very good indeed with no holes, rips, or other damage. The carpet in the boot is a bit threadbare though and will almost certainly need replacing.

The top of the dashboard is free of cracks and other sun damage, the trademark Jensen pleated leather headlining is taut and clean, and the elasticated pockets on the rear of the front seats are firm and tight.

Problems, therefore, are minimal. The outer edge of the driver’s seat base is softer than it should be, so you could add re-stuffing that to your 'To Do' list.

As could sorting out the scuffs on the offside of the armrest between the rear seats and the marks on the nearside of the armrest. These are only visible via the offside rear footwell though, so probably not a priority.

The top of the steering column has some surface rust on it too, as does the bracket for the bonnet release.

The Jensen did run on arrival to us but during photography it did keep cutting out and is reluctant to stay running, therefore it’ll need some attention to get it running and idling smoothly before any further road use.

The engine bay is workmanlike rather than pretty, but we can see evidence of recent work including what looks like a recent battery, hoses, HT ignition leads, and filters.

There’s paperwork for a refurbished Alford & Adler power-steering rack too, plus stainless-steel braided brake hoses, front brake calipers, and a differential pinion seal. The seller tells us it’s also had an uprated radiator.

However, it is a bit oily under there though, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the new owner had some fault-finding in their future to find the source. There’s some crustiness under the battery too, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to lift that out of the way to assess what’s required.

Crawling underneath the rear section of the exhaust looks like it’s stainless-steel, and while the floor is undersealed, this has peeled off in places to reveal rust underneath. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar a marker for a change of colour from brown to green back in 1987.

Going through the MoT certificates in the history file we think they confirm that the odometer reading is accurate, a job that was made much easier thanks to the many expired certificates in the history file.

The Interceptor also comes with quite a few recent invoices for parts from Martin Robey, the well-known Jensen specialist.

The Jensen doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

The previous seller told us he had worked his way through the mechanical and electrical problems the Interceptor had when he bought it but hadn't got around to tidying the coachwork and professionally cleaning and feeding the interior.

Which means our estimate is going to be lower than it might otherwise have been. And, better still the car is being offered without reserve, so will be on sale from the first bid. Could be someone's lucky day!

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 - £20,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.