The Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors

 

As early as 1970, Jensen Motors were already looking towards creating a successor for the Interceptor. The proposed new car was going to be large and radical, and was simply known under its code name of Jensen F-Type.

Work to bring the F-Type to fruition was going to be anything but simple, and to make matters worse, the Company also decided to add another car to bring from prototype to reality. This was to be a mid-sized gull-wing car with the code name Jensen G-Type, possibly to replace the Healey.

The money being spent on these projects was eye-watering, and some four years later in 1974, Kjell Qvale finally put a stop to any further investment on the ‘F’ and ‘G’ Types.

A new shooting brake car based on the Jensen Healey and called the Jensen GT had been proposed to Qvale, and he liked the idea. The ‘F’ and ‘G’ Types were dead, and the new Jensen GT quickly went into production.

The Museum has endeavoured to put together all the pieces of the jig-saw, and offer the reader the most complete story to date of the Jensen F-Type & G-Type.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | The Design Stage

 

After William Towns had completed his designs for the Jensen Healey in early 1970, he was also commissioned to draw up designs for a successor to the Interceptor.

Jensen had also asked Bertone, Ital Design, and Fiore, to furnish designs. After receiving all the design drawings, it was Towns’ drawings which Jensen Motors decided to go forward with.

Towns would later mention that he had taken design elements from the Lamborghini Espada when coming up with the designs for the F-Type.

Chief Chassis Draughtsman, George Coleman, takes up the story,

“When Towns’ initial sketches were approved, a couple of our draughtsmen were sent over to Towns’ home at Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwick.

Apparently he had a large barn on his property, which he had converted into a studio. Our draughtsmen worked together with Towns to come up with the working drawings.”

The Interceptor successor had been given the code name the F-Type, the ‘F’ possibly being used as the F-Type was to be a true ‘four’ seater, but with just two doors.  When the various designs came through, it was Towns’ design that was favoured.

An initial model of the F-Type was fabricated in wood to allow for styling discussion between Beattie, and Towns, and further discussion at boardroom level  back at Jensen Motors. The model was made to 0.4:1 scale, which gave its overall proportions 1225mm length by 450mm width.

Some minor style changes were made later, including putting a black finish to the window frames, and restyling to the front of the bonnet bulge.

This front of the bonnet bulge styling was obviously controversial, as it went forward on the next clay model, but was deleted off the first full scale model, was then put back on the second full scale model, before being deleted off again.

 

 

 

 

 

Having agreed the styling package for the F-Type, a more detailed 0.4:1 clay model was made up, based on Towns’ design. The scale model was completed and approved in August 1971.

Once approved, this clay model was taken out to Indestor in Turin, Italy. Run by the Maverick, Giacomo Bianco, Indestor set about scanning the model to produce scale drawings of the F-Type.

 

 

 

 

When completed, these were given over to the Turin-based coachbuilder, Coggiola. Carrozzeria Coggiola, was a new kid on the block.

Sergio Coggiola had worked for fourteen years with Ghia, first as a draughtsman, and then as their Technical Advisor.

In 1966, Coggiola left Ghia, and set up his own company in Turin. It was Giacomo Bianco of Indestor that suggested Jensen Motors used Coggiola.

Throughout autumn 1971, Coggiola worked on producing  a full scale plaster model of the proposed car.

The full scale model was still being finished at the beginning of December 1971, as stated in an internal memorandum from Chief Engineer, Kevin Beattie, dated 6^th December 1971.  Beattie outlines the full size model will be finished by the end of December and approved in Turin at that time.

It is interesting to note who was sent a copy of this 6^th December 1971 Memorandum. Six recipients are only shown as initials, KQ (Kjell Qvale, President), AV (Alfred Vickers, Managing Director), RG (Richard Graves, Marketing Director), JW (probably Jack Wilson, the Company Secretary), EL (Eric Lucas, Head of Manufacturing), I.R (Ian Royal, General Manager Service & Parts).

Additionally, the Memorandum was sent to, Donald and Geoffrey Healey (Directors), Tony Good (Director, and head of Good Relations), and Frank Welsh (Nominee Chairman).

While work was progressing on the full size F-type model, Development were working on a new suspension and braking system, which needed to be approved in principle by end of December 1971.

Although the suspension and braking was approved in principle, it would be 1973 before Development had a working set-up for evaluation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Jigs, Tooling & Prototype Body Shells

 

By 1972, jigs and tooling were being prepared, and the start of the first prototype JM/EXP/121/1 began. A quotation dated 25^th February 1972 from Motor Panels, in Coventry, details an overall budget of £45,850 for the prototype programme.

This included cost for reversals and prototype aids at £15,000, cost of the first three body in white shells at £5,950 each, and then a second batch of three prototype shells at a figure of between £3,600 and £4,500 per shell delivered.

A quotation for the Assembly Jig Programme came through at the same time. This was set at £79,000. Beattie confirms that it was envisaged that this jig programme would cover for jigs required to produce 40 bodies per week, with an assembly man hour requirement of approximately 34-40 hours per body.

Apparently, the responsibility for providing all the working drawings for the F-Type was also left to Motor Panels. This situation did not please everyone at Jensen.

Bill White, a young 23 year old draughtsman, was also the union representative for DATA. He believed Jensen’s Drawing Office should have responsibility for completing all the working drawings, and also thought that Jensen themselves were more than capable of making the bodies.

White  mentioned his concerns to Kevin Beattie, who swiftly mentioned the drawing office was already overwhelmed with work, without taking on the F-Type as well.

Additionally, Beattie stated Jensen Motors were not in a position to take on extra employees to make prototype panels.

As White would  later mention to the Museum, he wasn’t willing to leave it there, particularly since  the quotes for the work by Motor Panels was far higher than the work being undertaken ‘in-house’,

“I was a young Scotsman, and perhaps a bit too firey for my own good. I continued to challenge Beattie on the F-Type drawings and panels, and this led to him taking me into his office.

With the door shut, Beattie turned around to me and said, “management reserve the right to manage themselves”, to which I whipped back, with, “you mean management reserve the right to mis-manage themselves”.

Oh ! dear ! that didn’t go down well, and from then on there was a pretty bad atmosphere between myself and Beattie. It led to me leaving Jensen in 1973.”

That said, certainly some of the F-Type working drawings were undertaken at the factory, not on the body side, but relating to the chassis and components. Chief Chassis Draughtsman, George Coleman remembers that their detail draughtsman, Jeff Hicklin, was charged with drawing up the De Dion rear suspension.

At a meeting between Jensen Motors and Motor Panels held on Friday 17^th March 1972 the quote for the tooling cost of outer skin panels was discussed. The total cost of outer skin panels came to £278,000.

It was agreed at the meeting that Jensen Motors would pay 50% of the total tooling costs as progress payments during the manufacture of the tooling, against invoices for work done.

The remaining 50% would be paid by progressive equal monthly instalments over a period of three years commencing from the delivery of the first complete set of panels from proved tooling.

A launch date of 1973 had been set in December 1971. Now, with quotes in place, along with a financial forecast to work from, the pressure was on. In May 1972, the full sized model of the F-Type was shipped from Coggiola  to Motor Panels, but unfortunately was damaged in transit.

That damage needed to be rectified by Motor Panels before they could make a start manufacturing F-Type bodyshells.

 

Mike Jones returned to Jensen Motors in 1972 as Chief Designer in the Drawing office, working directly under Kevin Beattie (he was appointed as Chief Engineer in July 1973) .

“I was still working at Rootes when the F-Type was born in Engineering terms (1971), and when I returned to Jensen in 1972, Kevin Beattie brought me up to speed with on-going work within Engineering, which included the F-Type.

During 1972 and 1973  I made occasional visits to Motor Panels to check on progress on the F-Type bodyshells, although Brian Dyson was the key player for most of the detail engineering work.”

Meanwhile, a works Interceptor (chassis 123/3917) had been used to trial the Chrysler 440 engine, and adapted to test what would become the new SP. After the launch of the SP in 1971, 123/3917 was left in a corner of the workshops unused.

It wasn’t until the beginning of 1973, that 123/3917 was put to use again. Now it would be used as a test vehicle for the F-Type.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Big Bertha & Self-Levelling Suspension

 

Affectionately named ‘Big Bertha’ by the development guys, 123/3917 was lengthened by 6” ahead of the firewall, and widened by 4” on the track. ‘Big Bertha’ was used to test out various suspension types.  An experimental Girling hydraulic self-leveling suspension was also trialed.

 

 

 

Mike Jones remembers Big Bertha,

“The blue coloured Interceptor, which was called, Big Bertha, had stood in the workshop, doing nothing in particular for most of the time, after its work as a development mule for the Jensen SP was finished.

It was then used as a mule for the F-Type, and as such  it was made 6 inches longer at the front and  with a wider front and rear track along with a (noisy) Girling self levelling De Dion rear suspension.

When I arrived back at Development in 1972, Brian Spicer showed me Big Bertha, and in particular, the Girling self-levelling system. The vehicle obviously hadn’t been used for a while, and he started it up, and showed me the system in operation.

I remember that I was not at all impressed with Big Bertha from a prototype design point of view, especially with the rear suspension system.  If the F-Type had ever reached production, the design of the rear suspension would have needed a complete redesign. 

The antiquated De Dion/leaf spring arrangement was not a good idea, having by then been discarded by most of the successful car manufacturers.  A true independent rear suspension arrangement was clearly the way to go. 

The mounting of the Girling self levelling system would also have needed a complete redesign, again in line with other manufacturers who had successfully introduced self levelling suspension into production, notably Ford in the USA, Rolls Royce in the UK and in France, Citroen, who were ahead of everyone.”

One important question about this self-levelling suspension, which has never been discussed in modern times, when reflecting on the F-Type, is what was the purpose of it. And,  more importantly, would it have been a good concept for the car.

Mike Jones gives his thoughts on this,

“It’s a good question! I asked the same question myself, but no one at Jensen could give me the same answer! The decision to have self levelling in the F-Type had been made before I returned to Jensen in 1972, so I wasn’t around when the pros and cons were considered. Typically however, the main objective is to maintain a constant ride height for various payloads. 

Considering a car without self levelling at the rear; if rear seat passengers and luggage are taken on board, the rear ride height drops, not only making the car look strange, but also ground clearance is reduced, also so is rear suspension bump travel reduced. Without self adjusting headlights, the light beams then point skywards. 

Also with restricted rear bump travel, the ride and handling is usually adversely affected.  So there are sound engineering reasons for having self levelling rear suspension, in addition to keeping up with the competition in the field of luxury cars.

But at what cost and complication?  Incidentally, most self levelling designs over the years have acquired a reputation of poor reliability, often due to corrosion.  In extreme cases, only one side of the rear suspension retains its correct ride height, while the other side drops awkwardly.”

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Jensen G-Type

 

While work was ongoing with the F-Type, yet another all new Jensen car had come out of planning. This was to be a mid-sized gull-wing coupe, which would complement the F-Type as a smaller-engined car more set towards the younger driver – possibly to take over from the Healey.

As with the F-Type, William Towns undertook some of the initial designs, and a sleek low bodied wedge shaped car was agreed at boardroom level, based on Towns’ sketches.

 

 

 

 

Bill White remembers some of the initial drawings being completed during 1972,

“Syd Evener (previously Chief Engineer at MG) came into Jensen three days a week to help on the drawings of the G-Type. Eric Carter worked alongside Evener.”

As with the F-Type, The G-Type ( the ‘G’ apparently relating to gull-wing doors) would be produced as a full-size clay model for inspection and discussion by the likes of Kevin Beattie.

Once the full-size clay model design had been agreed, Coventry Motor Panels would build one prototype, along with a spare shell.

But, with various  delays taking place, Jensen Motors amended the anticipated work to the completion of the clay model, and one shell.

Mike Jones states that the G-Type would have a 2 litre engine, and that the car would have self-levelling suspension similar to that proposed for the F-Type.

With Indestor having completed the drawings, Coggilla completed the clay model during 1973. Beattie flew out to Italy to view the model, and sign it off in preparation for it to be sent to Coventry Motor Panels for them to build the prototype body shell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was obviously many aspects of the first full scale G-Type model that Beattie and Towns were not happy about. As with the F-Type, these discussions with Coggiola would then lead to building up a second full scale model.

The second model would be made in metal, and would have glass, and even interior shapes could be tried out. Looking at the original 0.4:1 scale model, Beattie and Towns obviously reverted in the most part to that.

 

 

 

Mike Jones’ Memorandum of 21st August 1974 to  Qvale’s stand-in, Al Goot, tells us where the G-Type project was at that time,

“No tooling commitment exists to date. Orders have only been placed for build of one complete prototype vehicle, and one ‘spare’ painted body shell (total development material and labour commitment is £14,575). 

Due to Indestor’s inability to meet our requirements, the ‘spare’ body shell has been cancelled and Indestor have been told to only complete one painted body shell and transfer it to JML less hardware and trim items.

No programme has been drawn up for production. It is not intended to commit to a production programme until the first prototype has been built and evaluated by Management.

Delays have been caused principally by Indestor [ when Jones states Indestor, the delays were more probably caused by Coggiola the firm that took over after Indestor completed the scale model], but partly by late chassis design releases from JML, in turn caused by higher priorities within the Engineering Department. The first protype body shell is expected October 1974. The shell will then be built into a complete vehicle by December 1974.”

The G-Type body shell finally arrived at Jensen Motors towards the end of 1974, by which time Qvale had given up on both the F-Type, and G-Type.

It would be another prototype shell that gathered dust at the back of Development. At least for now.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Back to The Jensen F-Type

 

Leading up to 1972, it seems that a formal name for the F-Type hadn’t been arrived at. However, documentation suggests that the Interceptor name was going to be carried on at that stage.

A surviving document from Beattie dating from March 1972, which gives a breakdown of costs, is calling the F-Type a Jensen Interceptor MK.IV. The same document states,

“summary of tooling cost and piece cost for the Interceptor body shell skin panels submitted at a meeting 13^th March 1972”.

Therefore, as the Interceptor MK.III had just recently been launched, the F-Type was already being considered as the Interceptor MK.IV.

Details about the F-Type and the G-Type projects remained veiled in secrecy at this stage, although middle management and sales were aware that a completely revised Interceptor, or Interceptor successor was on the agenda, along with a smaller-engined car with gull-wing doors.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Size Matters

 

Tony Marshall, Sales Manager at Jensen Motors, remembers a discussion about the F-Type between himself and Richard Graves, the Marketing Director at Jensen Motors,

“On one particular occasion I was in the office with Dick Graves, where we were discussing various sales issues.

I sensed he had something else on his mind, and then he brought the conversation around to the F-Type project.

Having looked at the prototype shells that had come into Development, Dick had concerns about the size of the driver and passenger doors.

He believed they were too wide, and this would be an issue in every-day use.  I think Dick wanted another opinion, before he took it further, so next thing, Dick leads me off to Development, to take a look at one of the shells.

I agreed with Dick, the door aperture was much larger than an Interceptor, and this could have been an issue for sales once the car was launched.

I know Dick brought this matter up formally at one of the meetings, but his concerns fell on deaf ears.”

In fact it is worth giving some perspective to the size of the F-Type, against a standard Jensen Interceptor. The doors on the F-Type at the widest point was just over 4 feet 6 inches as opposed to 3 feet 8 inches on a Jensen Interceptor.

In regard to the particularly wide doors, there was some ‘method to the madness’.  Former Good Relations Chairman, Tony Good, tells us more,

“Unlike the Interceptors already in production, the F-Type was going to be a a true four seater car, with 4″ more legroom for the rear passengers. But, more importantly, the wider doors would also allow rear passengers to get in or out without having to move the front seats forwards.”

The overall width  of the car was just over 6 feet, against an Interceptor at 5 foot 9 inches. Length was something just over 16 foot 8 inches, as opposed to an Interceptor at 15 feet 5 inches.

In fact all dimensions were bigger than an Interceptor apart from overall height. The height of the F-Type was approximately 3 feet 7 inches, while the height of the Interceptor was approximately 4 feet 6 inches.

It was the lower height that made the F-Type look even larger and more sleek in terms of length and width in comparison to the Interceptor.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | A Running  Jensen F-Type Prototype

 

By the beginning of 1973, it was becoming apparent that an anywhere-near-finished F-Type was not going to be ready to go the Motor Show stand of that year.

Beattie had stated in his 6th December 1971 memorandum, that a pre-production F-Type would be completed by March 1973, and first cars to sales were forecast for June 1973.

The entire F-Type project was running way behind schedule, and any idea of a launch of the car at the 1973 London Motor Show were quickly given up.

It was the end of 1973, by the time the first running prototype F-Type had been completed. The car had been painted in black. Undoubtedly the black colour was designed to make the car as unobtrusive to public eyes as possible.

At this stage a basic Interceptor III interior had been modified to fit, and the car was propelled by a Chrysler 440 engine (4T 440 192.6.20).

Production Engineer, Philip Campion remembers the black F-Type,

“From memory the car was finished in what one would call a low gloss, come satin black paint finish, and didn’t have any Jensen badges fitted. Everything about it was to make it as anonymous as possible.

During the time the car was being driven, it was either away from the factory, and when it came back, it was parked up at the back of Development, where they often stored Development cars. It was well away from visitors or prying eyes there.”

Campion wasn’t alone in remembering the working prototype F-Type, former Sales Manager, Tony Marshall, also remembered the car,

“The black prototype F-Type was supposed to remain secret from the majority of staff at Jensen Motors, and that was probably the case. That said, many of us in middle management, particularly in sales and marketing, all knew about the car.

On more than one occasion I would be looking out of the window of my office, and see the anonymous looking black F-Type driving out of the main gates. But even outside of the working prototype, Beattie or Spicer would often telephone through to Dick [Richard Graves, Marketing Director], and ask him to pop over to Engineering [also called Development] to have his impression on something to do with the F-Type.

Typically on his return, Dick would call me into his office and discuss what he had seen with me – as was the case in point with the over-large doors.”

Beattie came up with the name ‘Esperanto’ for the prototype F-Type (meaning ‘one who hopes’).  But, the name ‘Esperanto’ was simply used to disguise the working prototype car. The Interceptor model name was obviously going to be continued, and when the F-Type went into production, it would simply be the Interceptor MK.IV.

Four prototype shells had been finished by this time. The first had now been built up as a running car.

Although the black painted prototype had a modified MK.III interior, the end game was for a completely new trim arrangement for the car. Towns was also charged with coming up with an interior design scheme.

Mike Jones had been party to some of the initial work on this, he tells us more,

“Bill Towns was an old buddy of mine, back at the time when we were both pupils at Rootes.  He and I were in the same class, when we were both studying for Higher National Certificate (HNC) at the Coventry Technical College.  After that, we went our separate ways – Bill initially getting a styling job at Rover in Solihull.

When I arrived back at Jensen Motors for my ‘second stint’ (1972 – 1975), Beattie showed me around, and outlined the F-Type project. Knowing I was an old pal of Towns, Beattie invited me to join him on a couple of his monthly visits over to Towns’ studio. 

At this early stage, Towns was working on the basic design concepts for the interior. There was no shell up at Towns’ property at this time, and this initial rather crude mock-up was a simple affair made out of mostly plywood and cardboard.

The dashboard was also a painted plywood affair with a few switches in place. There wasn’t any instruments set into this mock dashboard, but simulated instruments were painted on the plywood to suggest where they would be mounted.

Although all of this sounds pretty basic, it was enough to allow discussion between Beattie and himself in regard to how a new interior might look. In fairness to Bill, he may well have later produced a more realistic interior, possibly in one of the shells, but I never saw that.

Some writers have mentioned the possibility that the F-Type was going to have touch sensitive controls. I would be surprised if this would have been the case, as much as Bill was enthusiastic about touch sensitive controls, I had the impression no one at Jensen shared his enthusiasm.

Before we arrived on my first visit, Beattie suggested that my focus should be on the engineering side of the F-Type, and not the styling and interior design. I fully understood what he was saying, i.e. don’t get involved in the conversation about styling & design with Bill.

It was fair comment, as things could quickly descend into a ‘committee’. As such, after arriving, I just watched and listened. Meanwhile, Beattie and Towns went into great detail regarding style & design of the interior mock-up. While they discussed the mock-up, it also gave me the chance to chat with Bill’s wife, Lizzie, who I had also got to know from years ago.”

With work progressing in the background regarding interior design, Jensen Motors now had a running prototype to move ahead with.

Still veiled in secrecy, and rather than licence the black painted prototype locally at West Bromwich, the F-Type was  licenced in Warwick on 13^th December 1973.

It was Brian Spicer that had sent an internal memo asking for this to take place, and the Company Secretary, ….Wilson in a letter accompanying the V55 [ document to licence a vehicle for the first time] document asked the Warwick Licencing Department if they would be deal with the matter in the strictest confidence.

The car was assigned the registration number ‘PWD 247M’. As such, the car didn’t end up with one of what was a well-known West Bromwich ‘EA’ in the number. Something that could be picked up on by an eagle-eyed motoring journalist.

 

 

 

There  was an issue with the registration of the car, as the tax disc to be placed typically to the inside of the windscreen, clearly stated the car as ‘JENSEN’.

It would have been an immediate giveaway to prying eyes. A letter was swiftly sent to the Local Taxation officer asking if they would supply a new tax disc with the name ‘ESPERANTO’ instead of the name ‘JENSEN’.

 

 

 

Once registered for the road, PWD 247M, was initially used by Kevin Beattie as his daily driver, using the car to commute from his home and to the factory.

Former Sales Manager, Tony Marshall, remembers that sometime later, Beattie gave the car over to Brian Spicer  for use as a daily driver.

This would make absolute sense, when one recognises the development work that Spicer had been involved with regarding the F-Type.

Of the other prototypes, one  was ear-marked for crash-testing. Another being used by Towns’ to develop the interior (later being returned). The fourth shell was stored in anticipation of being built up at a later point.

Three further shells were put on order from Motor Panels in Coventry, but it is thought only one more was completed before the F-Type project was cancelled.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | 30 mph Impact Failure

 

With a working prototype to play with, the crucial roof crush test and 30mph front impact test had to take place. The roof crush test took place at MIRA on 27^th February 1974, and the car passed.

The 30mph impact test was scheduled for May, but the anticipation of a mandatory pass was soon turned to severe disappointment. During the impact, the engine was pushed into the passenger compartment.

This was completely unexpected, and quite devastating for those there on the day. Apparently Qvale was incandescent when he heard the news, and was brutal in his condemnation of those concerned.

With morale low, the project continued. Mike Jones stated in a Memorandum dated 21st August 1974, that the F-Type shell used for developing the interior design, was now being used to create a mock-up for the proposed new chassis design after the 30mph impact test. By September 1974 a revised body had been completed, but there was still some re-working of the chassis to to be done.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | The Petrol Crisis And The End Of The Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Type Projects

 

Although Towns had styled an interior for the F-Type, this had not been moved further towards production. A Management viewing of the interior had taken place in July 1974, and it would seem there was general agreement of the F-Type interior design, with just a few minor changes being mentioned.

Overall styling had been basically cleared back in 1972, however, since headlamp legislation had changed in the meantime, it meant major changes were required to the front end to meet the legislation.

Jones, in his 21st August Memorandum, gave a target date for F-Types to sales as at August 1976. He also outlined Jensen Motors financial commitments for the F-Type up to July 1974, and it was a staggering  £224,737.

This was principally to Motor Panels and Cymgors for body/chassis sheet metal tooling, whilst another £202,304 had been spent by the Engineering / Development Department of Jensen Motors. Nearly half a million pounds had so far been spent, and the project was still  far from ready for production.

A boardroom discussion at the end of 1974 brought a conclusion (based on Jones’ projection) that, even if they could get an F-Type onto the October 1975 Motor Show stand, it could be nearly a year on from that before they could start satisfying orders.

Qvale had heard enough, and stopped the project in its tracks – as far as he was concerned too much money had been put into this white elephant already.

Undoubtedly, Qvale’s decision had been helped along with the commencement of a shooting-brake version of the Jensen-Healey. The concept was just right for the petrol conscious buyer of the mid-1970s.

A smaller engined up-market sports estate, with levels of interior finish moving towards that of an Interceptor seemed poignant, bearing in mind there was a petrol crisis, huge price hikes and even the possibility of petrol rationing.

Even better, all the ground work was already on the road in the shape of the Jensen-Healey, so, in essence, this was going to be a ‘quick & dirty’ way to put out a significant new model, and quickly.

In some respects, the G-Type would have been a similar smaller-engined up market sports car, had it been anywhere near becoming a reality. But the G-Type had always been overshadowed  by the F-Type, and to some degree , only lip-service had been paid to moving that car towards production.

 

 

Prototypes of the new car, the Jensen GT, were being worked on during 1974, and the first car was finished and registered during December 1974.

The GT was Qvale’s new pet-project, with him personally sourcing unique ‘aircraft level’ interior materials for the first RHD prototype version which was completed and registered in February 1975.

To be fair, the finished car went far beyond being a ‘quick & dirty’ project to put out a new product. Actually a lot of work went into the Jensen GT, which was importantly always named a Jensen GT, and never a Jensen-Healey GT.

The levels of refinement were particularly high, and the bonnet sported an Interceptor front badge, to confirm its top-tier placing in the market place.

 

 

So, when Qvale was given the status of the ‘F’ and ‘G’ Types around late summer 1974, his mind had already moved onto the Jensen GT. It was an easy decision to suspend the financially draining ‘F’ and ‘G’ Type projects.

The three remaining F-Type shells along with the one road-going prototype were initially unceremoniously dumped outside the factory. However, they were brought back inside in later 1975, and deposited at the back of the Development Department.

 

 

Chief Chassis Draughtsman, George Coleman, remembers the three bodyshells,

“It must have been sometime around April / May 1976, most of the factory was silent by then, and I was virtually alone in the drawing offices. On one occasion around this time, I had to go over to the Development bay.

Pushed up against one end was three body shells, and having some years previously, photographed some of Towns’ sketches, I realised they were F-Type shells. They were in a sort of creamy primer type of colour, looking a bit dusty and dirty.”

 

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Post – 1976

 

By May 1976, Jensen Motors went into liquidation, and sometime later, two of the F-Type shells were sold to a Yorkshire-based buyer, along with a large quantity of drawings and technical documentation.

A further F-Type shell was also sold on to another buyer. Prototype 1 (JM/EXP/121/1) was seemingly broken up at some-point leading up to the collapse of the Company (although why it was broken up, and who made such a decision at this late stage remains a mystery), and obviously one shell had been used up for the required crash testing.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Post – 1976 | Two F-Type Body Shells Found 1988

 

The Dutch-based Jensen collector, Vincent Van Gervan, was talking with Cropredy Bridge Garage owner, Andrew Edwards, during the mid-1980s. Edwards had heard from a customer that somewhere in Northern England there was a chap with two Jensen F-Type shells.

The shells had been purchased from the Jensen Motors bankruptcy sale of 1976. It was funny, as Edwards could only remember from a previous conversation with the customer, that the town had the word Scotch in its name.

Van Gervan undertook some research and found there was a small town named Scotch Corner. Apparently, Van Gervan took the decision to drive from The Netherlands to Scotch Corner, stay a few nights, and just keep asking around until he found who owned the shells.

It was an incredible long-shot, which paid off.  He was put in contact with the widow of a Mr.Reeks, who owned the shells, and had them stored in a redundant railway station.

The widow mentioned that her husband had hoped to have at least one of the shells completed as a road going car. Having discussed this project with Jensen Parts & Service Managing Director, Ian Orford, the two shells were delivered to Jensen Parts & Service, along with a large amount of original Jensen F-Type drawings.

According to the widow, work never advanced at Jensen Parts & Service, and Reeks ended up taking Jensen Parts & Service to court. Eventually the two shells were returned to Reeks, but all the drawings were missing, and never found.

 

 

Reeks’ widow agreed to sell the two shells to Van Gervan, who in turn had Andrew Edwards transport them down to Oxfordshire from Yorkshire.

The shells were initially taken to Cropredy Bridge Garage in June 1988, and then were transported over to Van Gervan’s property in The Netherlands.

 

 

Van Gervan has kept the two shells ever since, although no attempt has been made to finish them as completed cars. However, not long after purchasing the two F-Type shells, he managed to acquire the Jensen G-Type.

Since a previous owner had already had work started to turn the G-Type into a road going vehicle, Van Gervan side lined the F-Type shells, and had the G-Type completed into a road going car.

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Post – 1976 | The G-Type Body Shell 

 

Back in 1977, Guy Black the owner of the specialist body makers and engineering company, Lynx Engineering, travelled to up to West Bromwich to meet with Alan Vincent, the co-founder of Jensen Special Products.

Known to everyone simply as JSP, Jensen Special Products, had been conceived just before Jensen Motors went into liquidation. With many drawing office and former development personnel from Jensen Motors, JSP were willing to tackle pretty much any job that came along.

Hence, Black’s meeting with Vincent to discuss the manufacture of bodyshells by JSP  for Lynx’s Jaguar replicas.

As Vincent showed Black around, over in a corner was what looked like an interesting body shell. Black went over to have a closer look, and started to ask questions about it.

 

 

To his surprise, it turned out this was the only G-Type body shell, which had been stored at Jensen Motors until they folded in 1976, and had then been inherited by JSP. Black was taken with the shell and ended up purchasing the shell from JSP.

It isn’t known if Black’s original intention was to build up the car for himself, or hold it for the next wealthy car fanatic that might come along and have Lynx turn the shell into a car.

In all probability it was the latter rather than the former. And, it didn’t take long for such a customer to come along.

A wealthy American customer heard about the G-Type, and agreed for Lynx to build up the shell as a fully working car. Stage payments started, and work progressed.

However, half way through the project, the customer disappeared. Despite efforts  by Lynx, they were unable to get back into contact with the customer, and the car was shunted over to a corner of Lynx Engineering and left.

As the 1980s were coming to an end, Black decided the partially built G-Type  would be put to auction to get rid of it. However, before the car went to auction, and with rumours already out that the G-Type prototype was going to be put up for auction, Van Gervan contacted Lynx Engineering.

A deal was quickly done for Van Gervan to buy the car, the agreement being that Lynx Engineering would complete the work to turn it into a full road going car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jensen ‘F’ & ‘G’ Types | Interceptor & Healey Successors | Post – 1976 | The Final F-Type Body Shell Found 2015

 

Of the five original F-Type body shells manufactured, one was still unaccounted for. It wouldn’t be until 2015 that the final shell was discovered. A site in East Sussex had planning permission for a small housing estate.

This overgrown patch of land had a batch of old chicken coops, and other buildings which would be demolished in readiness for work to start.

Typically a clearance come reclamation firm were invited in to see if there was anything worth acquiring.  The conversation had started in respect to an old abandoned tractor, and other associated agricultural equipment.

After agreeing the purchase of the tractor and other equipment, the firm asked if there was anything else which could be worth them buying. At which point they were told there was an old car bodyshell in one of the chicken coops.

When they were led to the shell, they initially thought it must be a Lamborghini shell, and made an acceptable offer to also buy the body shell.

 

 

 

 

Once back at the firm’s yard, the car was immediately photographed and placed on the internet website, Ebay, and marketed as a possible Lamborghini Jamara prototype body shell.

It wasn’t long before news circulated that the shell was actually a Jensen F-Type shell, and this led to the Jensen specialists, Rejen, contacting the seller and making them an immediate offer.

With the offer accepted, the shell remained under the ownership of Jason & Paul Lawrence of Rejen until their split in 2020. At that time the F-Type shell went into the ownership of Jason Lawrence. Surviving stickers pasted to the windscreen of this car suggest this was the F-Type Prototype shell number ‘3’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JENSEN F & G TYPES

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Andrew Bee, Chief  Quality Engineer at Jensen Motors | British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Film & Picture Library | Phillip Campion, Project Engineer at Jensen Motors | George Coleman, Senior Draughtsman at Jensen Motors | Andrew Edwards, former owner Cropredy Bridge Garage | Tony Good, former Chairman, Good Relations | Mike Jones, former Chief Engineer at Jensen Motors | Stephen Laing, Head Of Collections, British Motor Museum | John Lane, archivist, Jensen Owners’ Club |  Jason Lawrence, Jensen specialist, Riverbourne Classics | Bill White, Draughtsman at Jensen Motors | Alan Vincent, former Technical Director, Jensen Motors | Evening Standard.

COPYRIGHTS: Jensen Museum | British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Film & Picture Library | British Motor Museum | Jason Lawrence

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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