Description
You might think you’re looking at just another Jensen Interceptor, albeit one that’s been uncommonly well preserved. But the reality is, that our car is a very special car indeed. You see it was returned to and registered by, Jensen Cars Ltd in 1984, the firm that took over the brand after Jensen itself went bankruptcy in 1982.
Ian Orford, the new owner of Jensen Cars Ltd, set about reviving the Interceptor and chose this very car to benefit from the changes. This original S3 was converted into the S4 you now see before you. With such specifications as the latest Chrysler 5. 9-litre/ 360 cubic inch V8 engine, new door handles and electric mirrors.
The wood dash from the late model S3 was carried over but with the addition of a digital clock and digital information panel. The seats were replaced with electrically adjustable Recaro items that were re-trimmed to match the rest of the cabin.
The finished car stayed with the firm until at least 1986 when the company applied to the DVLA for the change of engine and colour. It then passed through various hands until it landed with the previous registered keeper, who was clearly smitten as he spent an estimated £50, 000 on parts and labour.
The story does not end there, as the last registered keeper invested a further £15, 000 into this rare car. Huge sums, for sure, the car had a new crate engine supplied and fitted by John Sleath (if you know, you know…) and a Duncan Watts-rebuilt transmission. The 17-inch alloy wheels are the same as those fitted to the reincarnated Interceptor S and R. A modern Sanden air-conditioning was fitted in 2020. The Mota-Lita steering wheel was fitted a year later, so is still nigh-on unmarked. The interior was re-trimmed in Cream hide, with the centre console and dashboard in Royal Blue complimented by a deep burr walnut facia. The door cards were also re-trimmed in Cream with Royal Blue cappings, a nice touch are the Royal Blue seat belts with the carpets in reverse Royal Blue with Cream bound edges. All this and a new Webasto Monte Carlo Sunroof too.
The history file is as voluminous as you’d expect given the Interceptor’s historical importance and includes the Series 4 specification sheets, a factory Statement of Origin, the Customer Preparation Inspection sheets dated 29th April 1974, and maintenance paperwork dating back to 1974.
Exterior
The Blue Metallic coachwork presents very well, something the later wheels, good chrome, and recent Webasto roof contribute to in no small part.
It’s a great colour for a car like this, being timeless, elegant and utterly in keeping with the Interceptor’s role of transporting rich folk across entire continents at indecent speeds.
The Tudor Webasto ‘Monte Carlo’ sunroof and its headlining were replaced during the restoration at a cost of just over £2, 000. The car has only covered around a thousand miles since then, so it is still in a very good condition, sliding to-and-fro just as it should.
The 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels are the same as those worn by the later Interceptor S and R models and given the previous owner’s fastidious nature – he spent £15, 000 since 2021 in bringing it up to the standard he wanted AFTER Richard Appleyard Engineering concluded it was in an “excellent” condition and valued the car at £52, 000 in 2016 – they are, of course, in an unmarked condition.
They also sport recent wheelnuts and centre caps in addition to being fitted with excellent matching Avon ZV7 tyres, matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a car that has been maintained correctly and from an owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.
The lamp lenses are clear and undamaged, the chromework is largely free of pitting, the window glass is good, and the badges are bright and unsullied.
Interior
The interior is a fabulous amalgam of the seventies and eighties featuring the Interceptor’s familiar controls and instruments supplemented by 80’s icons such as the Recaro seats. The result is astonishingly effective at updating the cabin into something a mid-eighties aristocrat would have been proud to own.
Re-trimmed in cream hide they present very well indeed. The door cards have also been re-trimmed in cream with blue leather cappings, and the (equally good) carpets are trimmed in a reversed colour scheme of dark blue with cream binding.
The centre console and dashboard are trimmed with dark blue hide – and what isn’t hide is walnut. Equipment includes intermittent wipers, electric door mirrors and windows, electric seats and a modern Sony head unit with Pioneer speakers, all this plus, air-conditioning, which was replaced with a Sanden system in 2020
Mechanical
As mentioned earlier, the previous registered keeper estimates he spent around £50, 000 restoring the Jensen. With invoices from BLS Developments, Martin Robey, Oily Rag Classics and Automobila, Jensen Service, Autotrim, Graham Whitehouse Autos, etc, etc are all on file and detail some of the work that was carried out along with the cost.
And what a job they made of it: The engine supplied and fitted by John Sleath, sports Mopar Magnum rocker covers, an Edelbrock carburettor, Edlebrock RPM air gap inlet manifold and breaths through 4 branch tubular manifolds with stainless-steel silencers and tailpipes, supplied by Martin Robey. Power is sent to the rear axle via a gearbox that was rebuilt by Duncan Watts. It has, in other words, had the right money spent with the right people.
History Highlights
The Jensen comes with a full MoT, but is both MOT and tax exempt by virtue of its age
The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Jensen comes with two sets of keys.
The history file is as voluminous as you’d expect given the Interceptor’s historical importance and includes the Series 4 specification sheets, a factory Statement of Origin, the Customer Preparation Inspection sheets dated 29th April 1974, and maintenance paperwork dating back to 1974.
Delivery & Warranty Available. Current MOT to October 2025.
