Baader-Meinhof. Space 1999. The Dawson’s Field hijackings. The Yes Album. They’re all things from the 1970s, but all people seem to remember are bell bottoms, Nixon’s resignation, and, of course, the ’73 and ’79 oil crises. The first of these hit British manufacturer Jensen rather hard, given that its bread-and-butter model, the Interceptor, carried a thirsty Chrysler-sourced V-8 lump behind its quad headlights. Thankfully, the plucky Brits had a solution. They’d simply turn their Jensen-Healey roadster, a lightweight thing powered by a Lotus four-cylinder, into a shooting brake.
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If the Interceptor earned its Yankee cred courtesy of 383- and 440-cubic-inch powerplants, the GT came by its via direct stateside investment. San Francisco car dealer Kjell Qvale, a man who’d sold a raft of Donald Healey’s earlier cars, bought into the small British automaker in a substantial way in 1970, bringing Healey with him and eventually installing himself at the head of the concern. The GT launched in 1975, as Jensen was teetering on the precipice of insolvency. Some say the project was too much for the small company to take on. Qvale blamed the British unions—a popular pastime toward the end of the U.K.’s industrial era.
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Interestingly, the Lotus 907 motor was also used in a shooting brake of the Hethel concern’s own design—the Elite. And while the Elite gained a sportier-looking sibling in the form of the Eclat, the Jensen GT never had a chance to evolve further. Qvale couldn’t sell enough Healeys, GTs, and Interceptors to stay afloat, and the factory shut down in mid-1976.
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- This Clay Model Previews One of Two New Models Slated To Relaunch Jensen
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- The Spirit of ’76: America’s Most Iconic Automobile
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- Zero to Sixty: Car and Driver’s 60th Anniversary
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This, then, is a chance to own an exceptionally rare bird. The seller claims it has only 8021 original miles. We’re often surprised at how many sub-$10k cars we see with Lotus 907 engines. Then we recall the story of a fellow who tried to run one of the original Cannonballs in a brand-new Elite. If we remember correctly, the engine melted down in Indiana or Ohio. Your mileage may vary, as may your oil consumption. The car rolls on replacement rubber, but the original tires are included in the sale. And clock that upholstery! The price? A mere $24,900. Somebody, please buy this thing. After all, it wouldn’t be Independence Day without at least a token Redcoat, would it?
-“The Spirit of ’76″ is C/D‘s 4th-of-July holiday-weekend series highlighting some of the most awesome cars for sale from our nation’s bicentennial year.
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from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1IYN7JW
via Agya
