Cropredy Bridge Garage open day

When the call came that the Great Escape Classic Car Hire dark blue Jensen Interceptor was ready for collection after some bodywork, we decided to combine the trip to Cropredy Bridge Garage near Banbury with the Jensen specialist's open day.

Cropredy has been through some varied times recently but the open day proved that this longstanding marque loyalist is back to full strength. Jensen Interceptors in various hues lined up alongside CV-8s and ultra rare Jensen Healey GTs. Inside the workshop we spotted the pair of blue and white Interceptors that recently featured on Top Gear, plus an awesome burgundy Interceptor R, complete with its Corvette engine and bespoke interior. Elsewhere an autojumble was laid out. The Open Day was busy and we met up with Terry Carney, who runs the Great Escape Lincolnshire site. Like the rest of the Great Escape team he is a car nut and has a project Jensen Interceptor in his garage.

The team at Cropredy Bridge had repaired the Jensen superbly. The car recently had a close shave with a handrail, which damaged the front valance. We took the opportunity to also refit the windscreen, which was prone to leaks. With the windscreen fixed we will now be refurbishing the seats and fitting the new carpet set that we bought months ago. So for 2012 this blue Jensen Interceptor will be in better shape than ever.

For more details on Cropredy Bridge visit http://www.cropredy-bridge.co.uk/. For more details on the Great Escape Jensen Interceptor for hire call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/

The Jensen Interceptor is back (just ours that is)

Last autumn the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Cotswold site's Jensen Interceptor came a cropper on some armco, thanks to a wet road and powerful rear wheel drive. We got the car over to Cropredy Bridge Garage near Banbury, who specialise in Jensens. Now the car is back after major surgery.

There are plenty of Jensen Interceptors out there and the relatively low purchase prices that this sustains tends to mask the fact that this is a genuinely hand built bespoke car. Consequently, repairing the bodywork on a Jensen is a major task. The car also falls into the rare category of being a high volume handbuilt car, built by a company with constant cashflow problems. This means that build quality varies car to car and despite a programme of continuous cosmetic development by Jensen, the fundamental weaknesses of the car (which would have been expensive to rectify) remained, such as dodgy wiring (usually caused by heat soak) and poor quality ancillary components.

So when we knew that our Jensen Interceptor in the Cotswolds was going in for lengthy repair work we decided to invest in other improvements. The insurance work involved rebuilding the front suspension, respraying over half the car and rectifying various dents inflicted during the accident. In addition we had the rot fixed elsewhere on the car and fettled the engine and electrics. This work, which took several months to complete, cost in excess of £16,000.

Sure, we could have bought another Interceptor for that kind of money. But we need a reliable, high quality hire vehicle. This car has been on hire for two years, we know it inside out and we have continuously improved it. A new car would start without any track record - and no doubt would also need work in a year or two.

This experience, plus running Jensen Interceptor hire cars for 5 years and 60,000 miles, has taught us a few lessons, not just about these cars but hand built cars in general. Here goes.

1. Always use specialists - whatever the workshop manual says, these are handbuilt cars and every one is different. Specialists like Cropredy Bridge have seen most of the variations before

2. Pre-empt maintenance, don't react. We need reliable cars so we check and recheck and replace before failure. But it also saves us money by avoiding knock-on deterioration and damage

3. Buy a handbuilt car first and foremost on bodywork - it will always cost more to fix than anything else

4. Use good quality lubricants

5. Buy a carcoon - or use a dry and watertight storage unit (to protect the bodywork)

6. Agree a price for any major repair work before work starts - and regularly check up on it

7. Use it - Jensens hate lack of use

Perhaps these lessons are obvious, in which case they bear repeating. The Jensen is a very good classic car to own. But anyone buying one because they're cheap will get burned. Like the Porsche 928 (which we have also owned), the Jensen is a bargain, but only compared to an Iso or AC or Aston Martin. You can buy a Jensen for a fraction of the cost of one of those and get a car that is just as good if not better. But you need pockets just as deep as the Aston, AC and Iso owner.

For more information on hiring the Great Escape Jensen Interceptor cars based in Yorkshire and Cotswolds call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/

New territory for Ferrari, but not for Jensen

Ferrari has unveiled the frankly gorgeous Ferrari FF, due to be launched shortly at the Geneva show. This four wheel drive supercoupe is the first ever all wheel drive car with a prancing horse badge. But it's not a new idea.

The clue is in the name. FF, deliberately or otherwise, is a copy of the name Jensen applied to its four wheel drive Interceptor back in 1966. That was the first ever four wheel drive car, using the innovative Ferguson Formula system (hence FF). The Ferrari FF also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Jensen Interceptor, following the classic long nose, rounded tale style that was popularised by the Jensen 40 years ago.

We really like the Ferrari FF here at Great Escape Classic Car Hire. It's got classic, elegant styling and it's good to see traditionalist Ferrari embracing four wheel drive technology (although we hope it doesn't lead to a Porsche Cayenne competitor). We also love the Jensen Interceptor. Jensen was way, way ahead of its time with the remarkable Jensen Interceptor FF, a car that pre-empted the Audi Quattro 30 years later. It's a shame nobody else has made the link between the two FFs because it's about time someone gave Jensen the acclaim it deserves - in particular chief engineer Kevin Beatty.

To experience something of the Ferrari FF's grand touring capabilities you can hire a Jensen Interceptor from Great Escape Classic Car Hire for £245 per day, considerably less than it costs to buy a Ferrari FF. Call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.

Clarkson Likes a Classic Car Shock

The new 2011 series of Top Gear started last night and, amongst a lengthy digression on the distinctly unscintillating Skoda Yeti, Clarkson found time to heap, yes, fully heap praise on the new Jensen Interceptor R - "Isn't that just a fantastic looking car" said the poodle-haired petrolhead. He then went on to say he'd love to own one just so he could say "Let's take the Interceptor."

The 40 year old design achieved its moment in the limelight thanks to its re-relaunch by the consortium that originally developed the Jensen Interceptor S. The R is effectively the S under a new, bizarrely retrograde, name following the collapse of the company that originally made them. For £105,000 the company will take your Jensen Interceptor, ditch the Chrysler engine, fit a Corvette engine and gearbox plus independent rear suspension and give you what is effectively a brand new car.

At Great Escape Classic Car Hire we're not entirely sure how we feel about the Jensen Interceptor R. We loved the idea of the Interceptor S when we first heard about it, because after all there isn't much sign of a new Jensen on the horizon so anything that injects some interest in the marque is worthwhile. But the car failed to find enough buyers first time around and so we're a little worried that the relaunch could end up further dragging the Jensen name through the mire. But these guys clearly love Jensen Interceptors as much as we do so we have to wish them the best. And anything that gets Clarkson enthusiastic is probably not a bad thing.

You can find out more about the Jensen Interceptor R by following this link. To hire an original big block Jensen Interceptor in Yorkshire or Worcestershire, call 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/.

Try before you buy - 1974 Jensen Interceptor by Matt Nichols

Freelance journalist Matt Nichols recently hired our Jensen Interceptor for a weekend. Here's his verdict.

Car

1974 Jensen Interceptor Mk111

Supplied By

Graham Eason

Great Escape Classic Car Hire
Tel: 01527 893733

http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk/
Located

Suffolk, Dorset, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Yorkshire24 hr Hire Cost: £245.0048 hr Hire Cost

2 days, £445.00 (1 day - £245)

Additional 24 hours

£175.00

Security Deposit

£750.00 (Not pre-charged to card)
Having just spent the day with a 1974 Jensen Interceptor MK111 on a 250 mile circular route starting and ending in Worcestershire and taking in Bristol, Chepstow, Monmouth, Symonds Yat, Ross-on-Wye, Pershore, Evesham and Inkberrow, I feel strongly inclined to announce at every opportunity ‘This is your captain speaking, cabin crew please prepare the aircraft for take-off’. Because after the success of the day spent with the Alfa GTV I booked the Jensen, this time from Graham Eason at ‘Great Escape Classic Car Hire’ in order to compare driving one of the smallest 2+2 coupes from the 1970’s to one of the biggest. The Interceptor has also intrigued me from when I very first saw it appear in various films and as a lover of interior car designs I was smitten a long time back by the array of dials, vents and switches that expand its vast dashboard. Couple this to a 7.2 litre Chrysler engine and lazy 3 speed Torqueflite automatic gearbox and you get one car hero I just had to meet.
The particular Jensen Interceptor we had did not disappoint either, except of course for the slight chink in otherwise near-perfect armoury, I am of course referring to the 14mpg we averaged, or to put it another way travelling 250 miles consumed £100 worth of fuel. So I won’t be mentioning the E-word again because we all know that it’s a conversation stopper in this company. The aircraft analogy I started with works best in describing the way the car launches, reminding me of take-off in a commercial airliner, from the great swell of power as the turbines start to roar, to the slight delay as engine noise translates into actual forward momentum followed by the feeling you get sat inside as the pace increases almost exponentially that by the time terminal speed is reached the sheer size and mass of the thing means absolutely nothing will stop it, truly awesome.
In fact whilst driving along I found myself looking for situations where having just burbled through a town or village with the auto-box insisting on finding 3rd gear at just over tick-over, particularly in one case when sat behind an E-Type Jag at a set of traffic lights with the combination of very loud V12 and V8 engines meaning that passers by didn’t quite know what to do and ended up staring in disbelief with their mouths wide open. To then exit and on spotting the national speed limit signs either floor the throttle for the full kick-down experience of never ending thrust, or instead opt for the half throttle approach that keeps the box in 3rd gear to produce that lovely wobbly V8 sound as the engine purrs its way along before lifting again for the next corner or restricted speed area. Both equate to instant forgiveness of the Interceptor’s drink problem replaced instead by a new self-indulgent and potentially very expensive big-block V8 habit that is extremely intoxicating.
I also got accustomed to having to firmly press the large double width brake pedal at times because even from the off as soon as you select D on the auto-box the engine wants to, and lets face has the necessary torque to, drag the whole car forwards at walking speed without even a tickle of the throttle pedal. This initially caught me out when getting off the drive particularly with very cold and ineffective brakes requiring a very firm press indeed, making me feel like someone trying to keep control of a fresh four or six horse stage coach eager to get going shouting things like ‘woooo’ and sloooo’ whilst pulling on the reins with all their might. On the move this scenario repeats itself as you approach junctions and roundabouts especially when shedding off the last 5-10mph when it’s not only the near 2 ton mass the all round disc brakes have to cope with but also the shove from the engine fighting to maintain forwards momentum. In the end I either just snicked it into neutral, or if on a slow roll 2nd or 1st gear which all proved to be good, rein-like solutions.
Having tuned into both the acceleration and retardation aspects of this big coupe focus next shifted to understanding its handling capabilities and general road manners. I already knew it was big and heavy and as a marque came with absolutely zero motorsports history to hark back to, but the biggest surprise of all was just how well it dealt with corners whether one at a time or navigating left-right combos. Because the Jensen does it rather well, a credit to its 1950’s chassis design, meaning huge pleasure can be taken in placing it on the road with surprisingly low levels of under or over-steer despite the mass. In fact the only time things started to get a bit carried away were on stretches of road that caused the car to pitch front to back as the Panhard rod, acting on the live rear axle, oscillates the back of the car in a sideways arc as the weighty body bounces up and down. In these situations there is no choice but to lift and allow things to settle back down, although bump-steer aside the car was a pleasure to wind through the A and B roads of Worcestershire through to Wales and back again.
It was definitely a memorable day with the only small gripe being the lack of cabin ventilation meaning if it rains, which it did, then things get steamed up despite the impressive maritime styled knobs located on the wide central console indicating temperature and fan speed options. Jensen and time have both helped resolve the problem to some extent with electric windows that don’t always close properly leaving an inch or two’s worth of fresh air to circulate and help maintain vision. That said we thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Interceptor and what really did it was a combination of the cosseting comfort and ride, overall look and feel, dashboard switches and dials, massive V8 under the long square bonnet and easy going auto-box hiding the devil that lurks inside that comes out to reap havoc every time you prod it hard enough with your right foot, quite superb.
Matt Nichols

Verdict
1974 Jensen Interceptor MK111
Driving
Ticks all the boxes as long as you stick to decent sized and relatively smooth A and B roads and can live with the 10-14mpg.
Engine
Gentle until aroused when it becomes the beast from hell with a V8 soundtrack that should be bottled and sold to every petrolhead in the land
Performance
7,212cc V8 ohv four-barrel carburettor
300-330 bhp through the rear wheels
380 lb/ft torque at 3,000 rpm
3 speed Torqueflite automatic gearbox
1980 kg kerb weight
135 mph top speed
7.5 Secs 0-60 mph
Brakes
Brakes worked well, although keeping it in D wouldn’t let it drop below 5-10mph, whilst N, 1 and 2 all provided better options when crawling or coming to a stop.
Handling
Surprisingly good on fast flowing corners, but if the terrain gets bumpy so does the back of the car allowing the Panhard rod acting on the rear axle to start to affect the overall balance and steering.
Desirability
Looks the part although arguably because Jensen chose Chrysler over an in-house or British sourced motor residuals are nowhere near as strong as counterparts from the same era. We’d have one in a flash though.
Pro’s
Big beautiful 2+2 cruiser that stirs your sole with it’s excellent V8 motor, inspiring interior and cossetting ride and comfort.
Con’s
10-14 mpg and if you’re in the market some potentially expensive maintenance tasks given both the tight fitting big block V8 and large expanse of leather inside.
Overall
4/5

Jensen starts manufacturing again

It looks like Jensen may be back in business manufacturing a select number of cars to super rich clients, just like in the old days. Tim Hearley, former MD of Aston Martin, who owns the rights to the Jensen brand has set up a company in the Isle of Man to build 50-100 'new' Jensen Interceptor cars each year. It is not clear exactly what form the new car will take but it seems likely that it will be based on the Interceptor S and Interceptor SX that were formerly built in very small numbers in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

For more details visit the Isle of Man Today website.

If you don't have the necessary spare £200,000 for a new Interceptor, why not spend £245 and hire one for the day instead - at Great Escape Classic Car Hire we have Jensen Interceptor cars for hire in Dorset, Suffolk and Cotswolds.

Jensen Interceptor makes music again

Great Escape Classic Car Hire has provided a car for the video to R&B star McLean's forthcoming new single. The production team chose the metallic blue Jensen Interceptor because of its 1970s high rolling GT style. The car, which has a cream interior, features heavily in the video.
The latest musical outing for the Jensen is quite a contrast to its last foray into the popular music scene, when it featured in the video for folk singer songwriter Alan Pownall.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire regularly provides classic cars for static and video photoshoots across the UK. The company operates a fleet of 50 classic cars from sites in Worcestershire, Suffolk, Dorset and Yorkshire.
"We provide cars for all kinds of shoots," explains Graham Eason of Great Escape. "Our cars cover all types of cars from the 1950s to 1990s and we can work to short notice deadlines anywhere in the UK."
The Jensen Interceptor featured in the music videos is available to hire by the day, weekend or week from Great Escape's base in Worcestershire. The company also has Jensen Interceptor cars for hire in Suffolk and Dorset.
For more information on the Jensen Interceptor click here.
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Chasing Time in a Jensen Interceptor

The video for hotly tipped folk singer Alan Pownall's single Chasing Time, which features oone of the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jensen Interceptor cars, is now available to watch on YouTube.

Great Escape provided the dark blue 1974 Jensen for the video shoot in Islington in January. The video, which is based around a bank robbery, features the Jensen Interceptor as a getaway car driven by the rising folk star. The video features the car extensively and it fits the retro 70s chic of the video and location extremely well.

The video features Great Escape Classic Car Hire's 1974 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 based in the Cotswolds. This car is finished in dark Brienz Blue with a refurbished cream leather interior. The car also has a professionally fitted electric steel sunroof. It is available to hire by the day, weekend or week from Great escape Classic Car Hire's central base in Inkberrow, Worcestershire.

Jensen Interceptor Getaway Car

The Great Escape Jensen Interceptor lived up to our name in London in February 2010 when it starred alongside a hotly tipped new singer songwriter in his first video. The premis of Alan Pownall's video for his first single Chasing Time was a bank getaway and for the producers the Jensen was the perfect set of wheels. The Jensen's jetset 1970s style and mammoth burbling 7.2 litre V8 fitted the London setting perfectly.

The Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jensen Interceptor was used extensively in the filming and performed fautlessly. The shoot required us to deliver the car to Islington in London by 7.30am and shooting finished at 7pm. This involved a 3.30am start in 2 inches of snow on undriven roads - a tall test for the high powered rear wheel drive Jensen but one that it took easily in its stride. We arrived early after a 70 mph blast down the M40 and through early morning London traffic. The trip back was equally uneventful. The only downside was the cold weather. At motorway speeds the engine stayed so cold that the cockpit heater thermostat wouldn't kick in meaning a rather chilly journey.

The Jensen proved a massive hit with the people of Islington. Parked by the kerb for 12 hours it attracted a constant stream of questions and oggling with cars slowing down to admire its sleek continent-busting grand touring lines.

We would say this wouldn't we but at Great Escape we think Alan Pownall is great - a genuinely nice guy with some excellent tunes. Not that in the music business that always means much. Good luck to him and we look forward to seeing the video on YouTube in a couple of weeks. To view the acoustic version of Chasing Time by Alan Pownall click here.

Even if you haven't got a music video to make you can hire the Great Escape Classic Car Hire Jensen Interceptor by the day, weekend or week. Every hire day includes a full 24 hours use, unlimited mileage, insurance and breakdown cover. For more details visit our website or call 01527 893733.