Jensen Motors Service Department A-Z
There had been a small Service Department at Jensen Motors back in the days of Carter’s Green. However, emphasis was on the word small. It was only after the move to Kelvin Way, and the introduction of the Italian-designed Interceptor, that the Service Department needed to be significantly enlarged.
Initially at Kelvin Way, Bay 11 was used as the Service Department, and then it was moved up to Bay 8. In early 1967 the ever enlarging Service Department was given its own purpose built unit at the front of the factory.
Former Service Department mechanic ( later moved across to Development), Richard Peckover, gives the Museum a further insight to how the Service Department worked,
“ The Service Department always had a so-called ‘Pen’ or ‘Cage’, some of us called it the ‘Pen’, others called it the ‘Cage’. Fundamentally it was a small boxed in ‘clean’ are for the service and repair of mechanical and electrical components. This included engines and transmissions but not the rear axle. “
The Bay 11 Service Department. Used from the time Kelvin Way opened and until the department moved up to Bay 8. Upper right of the photo one can see the so-called ‘Pen’ or ‘Cage’. At the back of the building is an Austin Westminster Estate car. According to Peckover, Jensen Motors built the estate versions, and kept two back for Company use.
A move managed by the then Service Manager, David Millard. It remained there until 1971 when it again moved to a separate unit, this time outside of the factory perimeter. This was the building that later became Jensen Parts and Service.
Bay 8 remained as the service body repair section until the Service Department moved offsite in 1971, at which time they operated from the same building.
The Service Department building was taken over by the Development Department, and a drawing office being added to the front Elevation. This building was taken over by Jensen Special Products, after the demise of Jensen Motors.
MANAGERS
TOM KILLEEN – SERVICE MANAGER
Born in Erdington, Birmingham on 9th May 1904, Thomas Edmund Killeen was always known at the Jensen factory as TEK. During W.W.II, Killeen was with the RAF, and apparently stationed in Malta. He was involved in the repair and maintenance of Spitfires. It is possible that Killeen had joined Jensen Motors before the war. We know his profession was given as Foreman, Automobile Engineers in 1939, but we are not told if that was working at Jensen Motors. We do know he was working at Jensen Motors post-war from around 1947, and may have started at Jensen Motors after being de-mobbed from the RAF. By 1955, he was working as the Service Manager, first at Carter’s Green, and then at Kelvin Way.
During his time at Jensen Motors, he was also designing his own cars, the aptly named ‘K’ series. It seems that although this was Killeen’s own independent venture, the Jensen brothers were happy for him to give over time to it while working at the factory. He retired around 1967, at which time David Millard took over as Service Manager. Killeen continued to focus on the building of various ‘K’ series cars long into his retirement. He died on 16th March 1991.
John Staddon, CV8 Registrar, Jensen Owners’ Club, has read every CV8 chassis file, and noted a distinct difference in tone between Tom Killeen as Service Manager, and David Millard. The file documents show that where Killeen stuck firmly by the rules of warranty work, Millard took a ‘softer’ approach, always appearing helpful to the Company’s customers.
DAVID B MILLARD – SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER / SERVICE DIRECTOR
David Millard.
Millard joined the company as Assistant Service Manager in 1965, generally known as DBM.
He became Service Manager when Tom Killeen retired. In line with Qvale’s liking of ‘big’ titles, Millard was made Service Director, as opposed to Service Manager.
Around the same time (1974/75), Qvale had many of the ‘manager’ titles changed to ‘director’. This also allowed a deputy to be given the title of ‘manager’.
WILLIAM BINT – SERVICE MANAGER
Joined the company around 1971 when DBM became Service Director, generally referred to as Billie.
OFFICE STAFF
MICHAEL JOHN ABRAHALL – SERVICE SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR
born 6th may 1928. Joined Jensen Motors 9th October 1972. Left 30th September 1974.
MAUREEN HILL – SECRETARY TO DAVID MILLARD
SUSAN LLOYD – ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Lloyd joined Jensen Motors in 1964, and left in July 1966
JIM WINTON – SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECEPTIONIST
FLOOR STAFF
JOHN BRACE – INSPECTOR AND ROAD TESTER
Came to Jensen Motors circa 1970/71 (?) working within the Service Department, and remained with the Company until closure in 1976. Duties included inspection and road testing, but also later included working as a Technical Advisor. After leaving Jensen Motors in 1976, Brace joined Reliant. He remained with Reliant for a short while, and moved to Subaru.
BRIAN CLEE – MECHANIC
Joined Jensen Motors in 1968, after leaving Guest Motors. Initially working in the Service Department, Clee moved in August 1970 to the Development Department. He remained in the Development Department until 1976.
JOHNNY “COLLO” COLLINS – MECHANIC
Collins was the union representative at the Service Department. He had joined Jensen Motors late 1950s / early 1960s (?).Collins left around 1974, and apparently died not long after.
DAVE COLEY – CHARGEHAND BODY AND TRIM FITTER
Joined company around 1938. He retired from the Company around 1974. John Page remembers him as a typical Sergeant.Major type.
WALLY CROWE – SHEET METAL WORKER
Start and finish dates not known.
JOHN DAVIES – MECHANIC / FOREMAN
Came into the Service Department from Tiger assembly. Became Foreman on Stan Miller’s retirement. Davies left the Company in the early 1970s, emigrating to South Africa. John Page took over as Foreman after Davies left.
KEN DUNN – MECHANIC
Joined1968. Remained in the Service Department to 1975/76.
TOM HARTLAND – MECHANIC
Originally working in the factory painting engines. Brought into the Service Department where he worked alongside Bert Morris. Hartland retired around 1974/75, and moved to Tenby in Wales.
TERRY HILL – BODY AND TRIM FITTER
Married to Maureen Hill, he joined the Service Department in the 1960s, and remained there until 1976. After the closure, Hill was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service. According to John Page, Hill was close to 7 foot tall, and worked alongside Richard Hole who was around 5 foot tall. Page remembers the pair looked like the ‘odd couple’ with one towering over the other.
RICHARD (DICKIE) HOLE – BODY AND TRIM FITTER
Was working in the factory on the assembly line before being moved to the Service Department in the 1960s. Hole left the Company in 1975 / 76. See Terry Hill for further information.
TOM HERLY – WORSHOP ASSISTANT / DRIVER
Herly joined the Service Department during the 1960s and remained there until 1976. He undertook all manner of general work within the Service Department, including collecting and delivering cars on trailer, washing cars ready to hand over to Maud Pritchard for detailed valeting, and picking up spare parts when required.
JOHN LATHAM – MECHANIC
Joined late 1968, and as with Brian Clee, and John Page, had previously worked at Guest Motors. Latham continued to work within the Service Department through to 1976, and was asked if he would like to move to Jensen Parts & Service.
BRIAN MASON – MECHANIC
Joined Service Department 1970 from Manufacturing. He is thought to have left Jensen Motors in 1974/75.
STAN MATHEWS – PAINTER
Started at Jensen Motors around 1969/70. He remained at Jensen Motors until 1976.
ANDY MATHERS – PAINTER
A Scotsman, Mathers had been working at Jensen Motors on the track, and then was moved to the Service Department in 1969/70. He remained there until 1976.
STAN MILLER – FOREMAN
Retired around 1965, he had been with Jensen Motors from the formation of the company.
BERT MORRIS – CHARGEHAND MECHANIC
Bert Morris.
Joined around 1938. The photograph to the left shows Morris reading a CV8 job card in the Service Department Bay 11 building.
John Page remembers that in the post-1971 building, Morris worked in what the Service Department guys called ‘The Cage’ (a small caged off area of the S.D where everything from transmissions, to starter motors and alternators were checked over.
According to Page, Morris chain-smoked Woodbines. He retied during 1973/74, and apparently died from Cancer shortly afterwards.
ALBERT MUNDY – SHEET METAL WORKER | FOREMAN
Start & finish dates not known. His name on the list of 49 former Jensen staff attending the funeral of Gilbert Hughes in 2003. According to john Page, Mundy had been working at the factory from the 1960s. He remained at Jensen Motors until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service.
JOHN PAGE – MECHANIC / FOREMAN / TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE
Page had been working at Guest Motors, and joined Jensen Motors in 1968, moving into the Service Department. He remained at Jensen Motors until 1976, and moved across to Jensen Parts & Service.
RICHARD (DICK) PECKOVER – MECHANIC
Richard Peckover.
Joined Jensen Motors in 1969, working in the Service Department.
Moved in August 1970 to the Development Department.
He remained in the Development Department until 1976, and then moved across, with most of the Development personnel, to Jensen Special Products.
MAUD PRITCHARD – VALETER / CLEANER
Maud Pritchard.
Pritchard joined Jensen Motors in 1966/67, initially as an assembly worker on the Austin Healey 3000, then moving to the Fibreglass Department, before being put on final cleaning / preparation of cars going to sale. This led to Pritchard being moved across to the Service Department.
According to John Page, Pritchard had her own bay within the Service Department, where she would fully valet the cars.
Page was always struck by the way she could clean glass to perfection. After the collapse of Jensen Motors in 1976, Pritchard received the news that she could continue on with the new company Jensen Parts & Service. Page recollects that she remained with JP & S / Jensen Cars Ltd, retiring in the 1980s.
ALAN SKELTON – MECHANIC
Joined Jensen Motors in 1969/70, and started work in the Service Department. He remained there until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service.
JIM SWAN – MECHANIC
Joined Service as an apprentice 1964. Jim Swan was Alec Swan’s son. According to John Page, Swan had a fiery temper. He remained in the Service Department until 1976, after which he opened his own garage in West Bromwich.
JOHN SUMMERFIELD – MECHANIC
Joined the Service Department in the 1960s. He remained with Jensen Motors until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service.
JOHNNY WALL – MECHANIC
Johnny Wall.
Joined as an apprentice mechanic in 1959. He worked as a mechanic in the service Department from 1959 through to 1976. After Jensen Motors went into liquidation, he left and joined Subaru.
The photograph to the left shows Johnny Wall tuning a Jensen SP in late 1972.
J.WAYNE – MECHANIC
Start and finish dates not currently known.
DON WILLIAMS – MECHANIC
Came into the Service Department during the earlier 1960s. he left Jensen Motors around 1972. It is believed he may have retired.
PHIL WRIGHT – MECHANIC
Wright joined the Service Department around 1969/70. He remained at Jensen Motors until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service. After a short while with J.P & S, Wright transferred over to Subaru. His name on the list of 49 former Jensen staff attending the funeral of Gilbert Hughes in 2003
PAT SKIDMORE – BODY AND TRIM FITTER
Joined the Service Department during the 1960s, and remained there until 1976. Skidmore was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service.
DAVE THOMAS – MECHANIC
Joined late 1968 coming to Jensen Motors from British Leyland. He left Jensen Motors around 1974/75, moving to Rover. At Rover Thomas was involved in prototype testing.
JIMMY TAYLOR – APPRENTICE MECHANIC
Joined around 1971. Finish date not known.
CHRIS TURLEY – MECHANIC
Joined the Service Department in the late 1960s/ early 1970s. He remained at Jensen Motors until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service. After a short spell working with J.P & S, Turley moved across to Subaru.
LES TAYLOR – SHEET METAL WORKER
It is thought that Taylor had joined Jensen Motors in the 1950s, and was moved to the Service Department in the 1960s. He worked under Albert Mundy. Tailor retired in 1974/75.
SAM PLANT – HEAD PAINTER
Plant is thought to have joined Jensen Motors in the 1960s, and joined the Service Department at some-point in the middle 1960s. He remained there until 1976, and was offered a job at Jensen Parts & Service.
Jensen Motors Service Department A-Z
ASSISTANCE: If yourself, or a family member, worked within the Service Department at Jensen Motors, and are not listed in this A-Z, please do contact us.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: John Page, former Service Department Foreman, Jensen Motors | Richard Peckover, former Service Department mechanic, Jensen Motors | John Staddon, CV8 Registrar, Jensen Owners’ Club.
COPYRIGHTS: Jensen Museum
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: If you have any additional information about this feature, please contact us at archive@jensenmuseum.org or telephone on: +1694-781354
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