Used car buying guide: Jensen Interceptor

For the classy lawsuit who wanted unbeatable style, outstanding show and a generous helping of that celebrated American V8 grunt, the Jensen Interceptor was a precise invited summation to a immense array of expansive tourers erstwhile it arrived successful 1966. 

There was besides a somewhat longer and pricier version, the FF, which had the treble favoritism of being the archetypal accumulation car equipped with four-wheel thrust (instead of the modular rear-wheel drive) and an anti-lock braking system. 

With a 6.3-litre big-block Chrysler motor giving it much than 250bhp and a apical velocity of astir 140mph, Jensen’s Interceptor indispensable person seemed arsenic accelerated and modern arsenic the RAF’s ain interceptor, the BAC Lightning, erstwhile blasting past breathless small Morris 1100s and Ford Anglias connected the motorway. 

Throttle effect was lazy and the three-speed automatic gearbox was ne'er successful a hurry, but nary of that truly mattered, due to the fact that you could nevertheless ever trust connected its beardown punch for a speedy getaway oregon an effortless overtake. 

Surprisingly for specified a ample and dense car, the Interceptor was arsenic arsenic competent astir corners arsenic it was successful consecutive lines, particularly truthful successful 4WD FF form.

This dynamism was mostly acknowledgment to the Interceptor’s extra-rigid all-steel assemblage and, from 1968, its powerfulness steering. Its pliant suspension and plush leather seats made agelong journeys a imagination – provided that your wallet filled up arsenic rapidly arsenic the substance vessel emptied. 

Indeed, the Interceptor’s assemblage came from Carrozzeria Touring, and its interior wouldn’t person felt retired of spot successful the celebrated Italian plan house’s accustomed Aston Martin oregon Alfa Romeo creations, either.

Almost each facet was adorned with varnished wood oregon luxurious leather, cradling the operator and up to 3 rider successful good comfort. Air conditioning was disposable and, adjacent much importantly, truthful were lighters for your adjacent rothmans. 

The Interceptor was fixed a mild facelift successful 1969 (gaining a bulkier dashboard) and past a much broad 1 successful 1971, erstwhile motor displacement was accrued to 7.2 litres. This yielded marginal improvements to powerfulness output and apical speed, though the existent beforehand was successful torque. 

As the 1960s faded into the 1970s and the system started to tank, worsened by the lipid situation of 1973, the popularity of the Interceptor understandably declined, and this combined with the troubled motorboat of the captious caller Jensen-Healey roadster resulted successful Jensen entering liquidation. 

However, this doesn’t alteration the information that the Interceptor was a groundbreaking portion of engineering, particularly truthful successful FF form. It was a car that showed what the British car manufacture could be: an innovative powerhouse with the quality to vie with the world’s best. 

No wonderment determination person been respective efforts implicit the years to revive it successful assorted ways - and wherefore it’s present a highly desirable classical surrounded by a bully enactment network. 

What we said then 

5 January 1967: “For a caller model, the Interceptor feels afloat mature and highly good built. It is an eye-catcher everyplace and its looks are a clever operation of practicalities and an businesslike shape. The show is satisfying, with capable for immoderate situation, and utilized with discretion successful experienced hands the Interceptor is 1 of the safest forms of modern-day transport. At astir 14mpg, substance bills are high, but, judged against the pleasance the car gives, these costs are worthy each penny.

An owner’s view

Kieron Maughan, rockstarcars.co.uk: “I ain 3 Interceptors: a Mk1, a Mk2 and a Mk2 FF. The full look of the car is Italian; the wrong of a Mk1 feels similar an Iso Grifo. You’ve got these beauteous due switches, beauteous large dials and the space. The earlier cars consciousness lighter and brighter inside, due to the fact that the dashboard is further backmost – and much classically styled, too. 

“Having an understressed 6.3-litre motor means you crook it connected and it purrs similar a feline and it’s bully to thrust from acold – dissimilar an aged Ferrari oregon Lamborghini, which volition request 10 minutes to lukewarm up. It’s a precise bully alternate to thing that ends with an ‘i’, and it’s going to beryllium much reliable. Over 25 years, I’ve had loads of troubles, but nary of them person been a £100k motor rebuild. 

“Finding parts is dormant easy, and the net makes uncovering bully specialists comparatively easy, too. Just marque definite you bargain the champion you tin spend – 1 that’s not rotten and afloat of filler.”

Things to ticker retired for

Engine: The Chrysler V8 is simply a hardy beast that tin timepiece up tremendous mileages. However, an Interceptor’s whitethorn person been reconditioned oregon so wholly replaced astatine immoderate point. Condition is king, truthful cheque with the seller what has been done. The main problems tin see overheating (check the cooling strategy cautiously and the lipid pressure), which tin degrade surrounding tubes and pipes, and starting issues, particularly from hot.

Check the substance unit via the substance pump and each electrics, spark plugs and leads, arsenic these tin neglect if the car hasn’t been utilized often. Bearings tin rattle, too, particularly connected startup. Interceptors tin get done exhausts, truthful cheque the information of this too, preferably connected a ramp. 

Transmission: The Chrysler Torqueflite automatic is known to rack up immense mileages with minimal attraction and precise fewer problems. Check that the colour of the lipid successful the gearbox is reddish and that determination are nary lipid leaks. A rebuild could acceptable you backmost arsenic overmuch arsenic £1000. 

Body: Being a British car from the 1960s, the Interceptor tin endure terribly from corrosion. Be definite to inspect successful peculiar the footwells, windscreen situation and instrumentality arches for rust, which tin incur immoderate superior repair bills if near untackled. For instance, adjacent a elemental bonnet replacement tin outgo astir £1000. As such, erstwhile restorers mightiness person chopped corners, truthful cheque the car each implicit for areas of inexpensive filler utilizing a magnet.

Also worthy knowing

No caller Interceptor was the aforesaid arsenic another. Jensen prided itself connected its craftsmanship. This mightiness look appealing, but a large drawback is that replacement assemblage parts often request to beryllium hand-built to lucifer the circumstantial dimensions of your car. This makes restoring an Interceptor an costly process, truthful erstwhile each is said and done, you would beryllium improbable to marque a nett if you program to merchantability it on. 

Jensen besides introduced a soft-top convertible mentation of the Interceptor successful 1974 and a coupé exemplary successful 1975. These are rare, with lone 267 and 60 examples being built respectively from a full of 6408 Interceptors, and some deficiency that distinctively immense and curved rear window. The FF, 320 of which were made, is likewise rare.

How overmuch to spend 

£10,000-£29,999: Good restoration projects with precise fewer (if any) unpleasant surprises. Be prepared to walk astatine slightest £20,000 getting them roadworthy. 

£30,000-£69,999: Well-looked-after cars that are apt to person undergone lengthy restoration. Even so, determination mightiness inactive beryllium rust patches. 

£70,000 and above: You volition person nary occupation uncovering a near-minter here, and it volition astir apt person undergone a top-quality restoration.

One we found

Jensen Interceptor, 1971, 82,000 miles, £55,000: A fabulous Mk2 illustration that has been good maintained – arsenic evidenced by a full heap of paperwork that dates backmost to the aboriginal 1970s.

By Jack Trethewey