Lot details
Registration No: NJF277P
Chassis No: 30510
Mot Expiry: Aug 2010

Many people were dismayed at British Leyland's decision to axe the Austin-Healey 3000. Not least among them were Donald Healey - the man behind the name - and Kjell Qvale, who had done more than anybody to market British sports cars in the USA and who had enjoyed particular success with the 'Big Healey'. Adamant that the MGC was no substitute for the venerable Healey, Qvale - the son of a Norwegian sea captain - set about solving the problem himself. He discovered that the Healey family had been working on the prototype of an all new two-seater sports car and that Jensen (who had produced the bodies for the Healey 3000) was the obvious company to build it. Aston Martin DBS designer Bill Towns was commissioned to develop the styling and the Jensen-Healey was born. Power came from the 4-cylinder, 2-litre, twin-cam, Vauxhall-based Lotus 907 engine which drove through the four-speed Chrysler gearbox of the Sunbeam Rapier. The independent front suspension and live rear axle came courtesy of the Vauxhall Firenza, as did the rack-and-pinion steering and the disc/drum braking system. Bearing in mind Qvale's ambitions for the American market, the car was equipped with Federal style impact bumpers from the outset. The performance of the Jensen-Healey was brisk by the standards of the time, the 140bhp engine endowing the car with a 0-60mph time of some 7.5 seconds and a top speed of over 120mph.
The open two-seater was produced from March 1972 to late 1975, during which time some 10,000 were manufactured. While home sales proved to be slow, the car justified Qvale's foresight by being quite popular in America. However, Jensen was by now in financial trouble. Sales of the V8 Interceptor had been hard hit by the fuel crisis and profits for the Jensen-Healey were not yet filling the void. Enter the Jensen GT, a 2+2 estate-like Coupe version of the Jensen-Healey - a model it was hoped would broaden sales and keep the company afloat. Sadly, the gamble failed. The GT was produced from September 1975 to May 1976, when the factory was finally forced to close its doors after just 509 examples were produced. Not only is the GT on offer therefore a very rare model, but we are informed that it is in fact the very last one ever made. Said by the owner to be in "very good overall condition", it is finished in blue with cream leather interior. It features the GT's optional burr walnut facia and the 5-speed Getrag gearbox fitted to all the later Jensen-Healeys.