Description
Jensen GT Shooting Break – Rare Aruba Red (One of a Kind in the UK)
One of only a handful left on the road, this 1976 Jensen GT is believed to be the only one in the UK in its original Aruba Red paintwork. There is reportedly one other in this colour, but it's a left-hand drive example located in France.
This is one of the last few cars produced at the original Jensen factory in West Bromwich, West Midlands, and was registered on January 5th, 1976, just months before the factory closed in May of that year. It was originally delivered to Mists Car Garage in Handsworth, Birmingham.
From what I can trace, the car spent time in Drakes Broughton near Worcester, later moved to the Bristol area, and then to Nottinghamshire, where I became the 11th registered keeper.
I received a call from a nice gentleman who informed me that he owed the car back in 2013 and he brought it from a dealer selling it for David Bailey as it was his wife's car, It was maroon then but the V5 says red. It may have had many colour changes over 49 years as fashion changes and vehicle wraps weren't available back then,
The car comes with:
Jensen Parts Catalogue
Owner’s Handbook
Workshop Manual (Martin Robey edition)
Chassis number 30164 engine number 74-12-10474
These documents will be invaluable for anyone looking to restore this handcrafted British classic.
Mechanically, the car is running, and both the engine and gearbox perform well in my experience. I used it as a daily driver between 2019 and 2023, and it never let me down.
However, it now needs bodywork restoration, and with kids at university, I no longer have the time or funds to complete it. This is a regretful sale, and I'm hoping it finds a good home with someone who’ll appreciate its heritage and rarity. I've owned the car for the past 5 years and have had it serviced annually during that time. The timing belt has also been replaced for peace of mind. Around 5 years ago, I had new inner and outer sills fitted and the floor professionally welded, so it's nice and solid underneath with no structural concerns.
