When I was a small child in the 1970's I always dreamed of driving one of these (bucket list at 7!! 😂). When I was 19 in 1989 I worked for a classic car garage and got my dream, I drove one from North London to Darlington and yes, you can watch the fuel gauge move, we worked it out to be 7.6 mpg 😰, still though a stupendous vehicle to drive.
@@idriveaclassic I did lol, I've never driven a 911 or a Dodge Challenger or a Mk 1 Cooper "S" though but I did manage to get the E Type and Interceptor marked off. I have to say the E Type was a let down, I really didn't like driving that, just overall a disappointing driving experience but the design and engineering was brilliant.
Hi coming from Nottinghamshire you cannot beat the sound of a v8 cruising along and they Sound AWESOME I have always loved v8 engines Jensen was the first car to be Fitted with Four wheel drive which came from Massey Ferguson Tractors All the best👍👍👍
Those warning lights look like the ones in the Maxi if my memory serves me well (which it probably doesn't). Love how it wobbles when you rev it! Another great video Steph, thanks!
I’ve owned 5 Jensen’s and still own an SP (which you are welcome to drive when it’s back on the road) and this is one of the best reviews I’ve ever seen and you obviously get the experience which these cars deliver. As for fuel consumption just think of it as “smiles per gallon”.
Had a mk2 interceptor in 1983 when I was 23. Insurance cost me over £900 at the time and it averaged around 10 miles to the gallon but I loved it. Mine was maroon with a black vinyl roof and doeskin leather. Wish I still had it ❤
@@malcolmcowan9554 well yes it did. I was paying over £400 on a 2 year old 2.0 litre cortina I had before that. Had real problems finding a company that would insure me for the Jensen. Maybe I was a bad risk, I had 2 endorsements and passed my test the year before.
@@malcolmcowan9554 This was in the days before the internet and go compare. We had two insurance brokers in our town and you went with them. Buy hey, you know best.
I restored one of the nicest SP’s in the country! There not for everyone, but smiles per miles, for a real car enthusiast it’s diff to beat. When you rebuild one of these, your see the highest quality workmanship and design. Not the most ecologically car, but definitely one of The greatest. Italian styling, British engineering and the Chrysler engine, if looked after are incredible high quality. There a bit of a bird pulley, when there in the cockpit, Many great memories! Great video
Ok I am probably bias as they were made in my home town. Secondly My late Nan built the dashboards for Jensen though I didn't find that out until after she passed away, would have loved to have talked to her about the work. This is a great example of a Jensen. I so love the V8 burble, sadly I have never been in one but have seen them at shows. People go on about the British car industry but Jensen were a fine example of what we could produce.Thanks Steph for another great review.👍👍
My late uncle in NZ imported one of these 383 Interceptors (in dark green/black interior) brand new in the day as the replacement for a Studebaker Hawk 289 (white/red interior) however it's life was short-lived when it was quite literally 'cut-in-half' from the rear by his 16ft 327 Hamilton jet boat which detached from it's trailer, ploughed down the front tee-bar support and rode right up onto the rear half of the car, under sudden emergency braking to avoid a milk tanker at a crossroads at 70 mph..! The boat still sort-of lived after a heavily scarred-up fashion, but the Jensen died that day. Repairing the hugely extensive damage to it just wasn't feasible. He didn't believe in insurance, so that aborted journey to the lakeside was a record expense for him..!
As a child of the sixties, I remember seeing these car and they were definitely head turners, it’s still a beautiful car in the 21st century, so can you imagine how it looked back in the day, it was truly futuristic, the rear screen was just amazing.
I remember seeing these on the road as a young lad - they had such a presence on the road. The four wheel drive version would be the one for a wet day, but was an even thirstier car - great film again - thanks Steph!
There was a higher tuned version of the standard car too, the Interceptor SP. It stood for Six Pack /Power and had triple twin choke carbs, Webber's if memory is correct. Pretty sure they were very thirsty cars, with fuel consumption in the low teens per gallon at best. I read Sir Cliff owned an Interceptor, and may still have it. Not so sure about it being pink, I think the article I read said it was a Rosé wine colour with cream interior ?
@@neilbedford5082 Ha ha, yes I'd forgotten Dusty had one but wasn't sure of a colour. They were a bit more exclusive than a Rolls and a lot of celebrities chose them. I think you could order it in whatever colour and trim of choice you wanted, and collect it from the factory too if memory serves. It's not so long ago I watched a video about one restored in Tangerine Orange, popular colour by all accounts. I've seen one up close in that colour, with black interior. I've done some minor repairs on one years ago, but only got to have a short drive around the shop/ compound. The one I remember the most used to park near my parents house in the mid 70's, it was a MK1, probably 6 year old with a non age suffix plate. Looking back now, I'm pretty sure the owner was secretly sneaking off to meet someone a few streets away. He always upset local kids and they got him back. Crammed both tailpipes full with windfall apples and it blew the rear exhausts to pieces on start up. To this day I can still picture it driving away and sounding like a WW2 tank 😆
Certainly dressed for the car, Steph ! A good match , may I say. Wonderful car these Jensens. Takes me back when my father first started driving in his Morris Traveller, we pulled up in the garden centre , Roseacres near Hagley, Kidderminster. This Breinze Blue Interceptor pulled next to us . The gent got out to the shop leaving this absolutely gorgeous bottle blonde girlfriend/ wife in the car, I was drooling over her at 9-10 years old thinking they just walked off a ITN Lew Grade detective series from the 1960s ! Always loved the Jensen , always will . Great stuff again , keep them coming
U.S. viewer here. Always loved the Interceptor and Land Rover Series I/II. Will probably never see either in real life, so thanks. Two of my faves back to back.
@@idriveaclassic Newer ones, yes. Range Rovers and Discoverys (Discoveries?) But the Defenders did not met U.S. specs. Some were imported once they passed a certain age under our weird regulations, but in one famous incident, the government seized and crushed a bunch that were brought in illegally.
When I was a kid I loved the styling of the Jensen Interceptor! That rear window hatch is simply amazing! Combine that with the V8 and it's absolutely wonderful!
A series one Interceptor used to park for hours on our road, a couple of times a week in the mid 70s. The middle aged guy used to shout at the younger kids to clear off and not play football near it, then he'd disappear on foot somewhere. One evening there was an almighty bang, people came rushing out as it sounded like a bomb had exploded. The kids had crammed windfall crab apples into both exhaust silencer tailpipes. When he started and tried to rev up, it blew the rusty silencers apart at the seams, spraying apples, rust and sooty sound insulation everywhere. We never saw it parked on our road again !
Am old enough to remember these when they were new. There were two local to where I lived and I always thought they were great looking cars with real presence on the road. Sound they made was incredible too as not many V8’s on British roads. Great that the owner has kept the 8 track in place. Great review, really enjoyable.
I've always loved these. It looks like the performance is effortless, the styling is beautiful and it's called an Interceptor! Love the colour of this one too and another quality fashion match Steph
Wonderful to see a review of any Jensen Intercepter, let alone an early model like this. I really appreciate the fact that you try to find some of the more overlooked cars to review rather than those certain models that seemingly everyone has reviewed. Can I suggest you consider some of the earlier Jensen models, Bristol cars or perhaps Jowett.
The Jensen Interceptor still looks fantastic even now. An acquaintance of mine has one tucked away in his garage as his latest restoration project. Stunning looking British super-car. The one in this video is a lovely shade of red. I see that Van the owner is a fan of ALIEN as well! Plus it is always a pleasure to hear your voice Steph!
Steph's reviews easily equal or surpass every automotive TV show, and/or video presentation out there, a task not easily done, even with the largest of budgets. I've viewed her work for more than a few years now, and hope that she "keeps 'em coming!"
First time i saw one of these was in about 1969 I was about 10 years old i was just coming out of school and it was coming up Bolton Rd in Bradford i can remember it like yesterday the jensen was silver and it was being tailed by a metallic grey DBS can you imagine what a sight that was in Bradford in 1969,its still a sight now!!
Great video. Met an enthusiastic bloke with a blue one of these a few weeks ago. It had an 8-track in it as well. He was sooo enthusiastic and willing to chat for ages. I recall my father having some of these in his garage in the 1970's for servicing/ carb balancing. For a youngster back then that was awesome..Happy Days.
An iconic car, I've never been in one so it's been great to watch this video. Though I think a certain Mr HubNut would cringe about the LHD wiper pattern 😂
I lived in Manchester, years ago, not far from Manchester United Manager, Matt Busby, I recall seeing Matt Busby, driving his Jensen Interceptor, around Fallowfield/ Chorlton, area of Manchester, in those days. Sorry for being boringly nostalgic. Anyway, Peace to all.
Lovely video as always Steph. So nice to see a classic from my local area. Currently living around 10 mins from the old Jensen Factory in West Bromwich.
Lovely review! The original door seals on these were 3 bladed to cut out wind noise. They have been out of production for a good 35 years! Also the power steering is speed sensitive, there shouldn't be that much assistance. Later US cars had extra assistance. The 4WD Jensen FF is the one to take on roundabouts!
Hi Steph great review, remember them for 2 reasons..the rich next door neighbour had one and my mom was an actual sewing machinist making the seats for this car in West Brom !! She was desperate for work, never used an industrial sewing machine in her life, blagged her way through an interview and a very kind co worker basically trained her on the job on the quiet - so apologies to anyone with dodgy stitching :-)
My uncle had one , metallic lime green one an that 7.1/2 litre went 150 mph. An awsome car Later many years later he offered it to me fr 3 grand but couldn’t afford it , needed work as well but quality car , just hope it got restored 👍
I love these beasties. One of these or an Aston DBS (the 60s/70s model, not the more recent version) would be on the shopping list if I won the lottery.
Me too . The DBS is I agree , a beautiful car . Such presence about it . Even parked it reminds me of a thoroughbred racehorse, just before the gates open and it's gone in a cloud of dust . Gorgeous car .
My old boss worked at Jensen in the 70's , he told a tale of executive wet lunches and Golf course business deals , but little communication with those on the shop floor .
Great video and review of a classic British muscle car! Only an Aston Martin V8 Vantage could surpass that! Watching the test drive I soon recognised the route, A614 to Doncaster, I regularly drive from Lowdham to Mansfield that way!
This was interesting and had good depth. I was waiting for you to run through what all the switches do in the centre consul, a great shame you did not do this. It is no good giving detail and being informative on one hand, and then taking it away with the other. However, better than most reviews on the Interceptor, especially as very few people review the Mk 1.
It seems very strange that such a sophisticated car doesn't have safety belts but of course the legal adoption of such measures took many years. Great review and tenakoe!
Someone did a documentary about the demise of Jensen, and the various efforts to get the Interceptor back in production. It showed the derelict old factory on Kelvin Way, West Bromwich, the newer efforts at limited prodution, and another operation that bought all the body tools. Another company now completely rebuilds used Interceptor's to as new, with modern engines and parts. It could have been James May that did it, it's a few years ago that it was on TV.
My parents owned a mk1 in black (TBA 99) during the 80's We went on a family drag racing trip to Sweden and back in it, me and my brother were told to call out any petrol stations we saw,and I think we visited most of them. Must have cost my mum and dad a fortune.
My Dad had one of the first Italian made Interceptors and it was awful, it leaked and had all sorts of problems such that Jensen eventually replaced it with a UK made one. Another problem with the early ones if I remember correctly, is that they didn't have a limited slip diff, and Dad ended up scrubbing tyres terribly on the winding mountain roads in Italy when we went back to visit relatives. In fact I think he needed to change a set there and it took ages for the right tyres to be sourced. As a young kid I of course remember the lovely growl of the engine, but as to the cabin noise, I rather suspect it is in part due to the age of the car you drove because I don't recall it being bad back in the day. Dad had some great cars but that was the best.
£3,742 in 1966 would be £54,263.13 ($61,341.70 U.S.) in today's money...it's great that such a vehicle still made it out to the market and that this one got preserved for posterity. :)
So much better , more useable , more style than the later Aston DBS ranges . I had 3 of these Mk1's , a manuel transmission, an FF and an ordinary Interceptor . I remember a trader friend importing a "Bricklin" and the thing simply was slaughtered by the Jensen .
This was,and still is one of my favourite cars ever.... shame I'll never own one. My dad's friend had one of the original chrysler engined ones... drank like an mo, but what a car! Not jealous at all Steph! I may be lying here!