There was a time when shooting brakes, the coupes with the largest trunk capacity, were the most. And the Jensen GT It is one of them. It was the shooting brake version of the Jensen-Healey, a historic sports car highlighted by the Sports Car Club of America as one of the only cars to win the Production D Championship in its first year of racing… and it would repeat four other times in following years.
The Jensen-Healey was a British sports car developed by Jensen and Donald Healey with the idea of having such a car below the Jaguar E-Type and above other popular roadsters such as the MGB. On that steel monocoque, with independent front suspension, the Jensen GT was developed, which hardly differed aesthetically in the rear.
The Jensen-Healey, was manufactured between 1972 and 1976, the result of a collaboration between Jensen Motors (known for high-end cars such as the Jensen Interceptor or the FF) and Donald Healey (the renowned engineer, racing driver and father of Austin-Healey). Healey). Under the hood was a Lotus 907 engine, an advanced DOHC 16-valve inline-four with a light-alloy head and block that produced 144bhp in the street version.
The first iteration, the Mark I, had a bad reputation for reliability issues and few quality controls, which were fortunately improved upon by the Mark IIs. The bodywork had been designed by Hugo Poole (assisted by William Towns) and was very stylish and in keeping with the style that was in demand in the 70s.
After ruling out Vauxhall, Ford, and BMW engines, Colin Chapman came up with his new Lotus 907 engine. The block was installed at an angle to help lower the center of gravity and the line of the hood. With its 144 hp it propelled the car to a top speed of 193 km/h and completed 0-100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. Those numbers were impressive for the time.
The Jensen-Healey was introduced at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show and received praise for its striking design and performance. Production began soon after, and the first cars reached customers that same year. The reliability of the Lotus engine was not the best, as we said, with slipping of the timing belts, oil leaks and oil pressure problems…. In addition to the fact that the paint was neglected and the hood was not waterproof.
But in addition to the roadster, Jensen Motors introduced the Jensen GT in 1975, a shooting-brake variant of the Jensen-Healey. The GT featured a redesigned roof and increased luggage space, making it a more practical option for long-distance travel. Its production lasted just one year, since it ceased in 1976 along with the Jensen-Healey roadster. That’s why the Jensen GT is now the rarest of the Jensen-Healeys and has become a cult classic.
Due to the financial problems of Jensen Motors, barely 10,500 units of both bodies left the factory. One of them, this one that you see in the images, specifically in 1975 and which was one of the 37 that left the West Bromwich factory in that brown tone, very popular at the time.
Restored in the mid 1990’s, it is now presented in good condition. Not perfect, but in good use as the restoration was carried out by Martin Robey, the company that acquired all the tools, documentation and intellectual property from the Jensen Motors liquidation. And be careful, they sell it and they don’t ask for it crazy, since they expect to reach between 24,000 and 29,000 euros.
Via: Bonhams
