“ Owned for over 20 years, and undergone a comprehensive restoration, including Edelbrock engine build. ”
We’ve sold more than a few Interceptors over the years, from barn-find project to potential concours winners. Few have impressed us as much as this though; whereas even recently restored cars generally have a small To Do list to work through, this one is finished and can be used without any further fettling.

Background
The Jensen Interceptor might just be the ultimate 60’s/70’s bruiser: originally fitted with a 6.3-litre Golden Commando V8 engine and an automatic gearbox called the TorqueFlite, the Interceptor – Interceptor! – is as brutal as it is handsome.

Styled by Carrozzeria Touring of Italy, it was handbuilt in the West Midlands between 1966 and 1976 from steel girders by men with proper names like Bob and Steve and George. Hell, even the rear axle was named after an English city that attracts Russian assassins like bears to a bee hive.

Still not enough to tempt you?

Aside from the joy of a world in which we can buy a car with an engine called Golden Commando, we would also point out that Jenson offered a 7.2-litre/440cu/in V8 option, the so-called TNT engine for those of you for whom 383cu/in is too lily-livered.

The larger engine, which you see in the car we’re offering here, endows the Interceptor with a top speed of almost 140mph and a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds; this thing is so macho you fill it with five-star testosterone instead of petrol…

Still not satisfied? How about the fact that the FF, or Ferguson Formula, was the first road-going four-wheel-drive production car in the world?

And the first to offer anti-lock brakes and traction control courtesy of the wonderfully named Dunlop Maxaret, a system so advanced it was modelled on that used on the English Electric Lightning, among others.

Yup, you could buy a Jensen with the braking system of a fighter plane.

Just 6,408 were built and the attrition rate was high, which means that survivors are either rotten or will have been restored and treasured. Like this one.

Overview
In the seller’s care since 2002, this Jensen Interceptor has been the subject of a multi-decade rebuild with the aim of creating “a modern classic that is reliable while still retaining all its classic features.”

We think he can call it mission accomplished because ‘KBJ 122N’ is a TNT-engined, Edelbrock-tweaked, fuel-injected, air-conditioned, earthquaking, seventies dream machine that would as happy wafting you around Europe as it would be pressed into use as a daily driver.

The seller estimates he’s covered no more than 200 dry miles a year since finishing it, which means it’s been no more than gently broken in and comprehensively shaken-down.

Exterior
He restored the bodywork around six years ago, which included stripping the Interceptor down to a shell before having any rust cut out and replaced by a Jensen Club-recommended welder. This work included new inner and outer sills, four new wings, and repairs to the bonnet.

As you can see from the shutlines and the way the pinstripes align, he did a magnificent job in reassembling it.

The Interceptor was then treated to a bare-metal respray in Aston Martin Metallic Silver, a colour that suits the Interceptor’s lines so well we can see more being finished in the same colour when jealous owners see how good this one looks.

And, just as impressively, its long-term good looks have been assured using cavity wax to protect it internally, and stonechip guard externally.

Stainless-steel bumpers were also fitted, and these include front and rear parking sensors.

The owner clearly had longevity on his mind as well as style.

As you’d expect, the chromework was extensively refurbished and rechromed, and it still gleams in an unholy way – and, in one of those easily overlooked flourishes, the black-and-silver pressed aluminium numberplates reinforce the Jensen’s understated, monochromatic theme.

True, the rear has a little more colour, but the demands of legislation have been met by way of flawless Lucas rear lamps supported by perfectly aligned exhaust tailpipes and spotless badges.

Speaking of the lights, the four headlamps are from Cibie, while the indicator/sidelights are also by Lucas.

The glazing is all good too, and new door and window seals were fitted where needed.

The Webasto sliding sunroof slides smoothly fore and aft, and it is free of any marks much less physical damage. Heck, even the mounting screws are bright and free of corrosion. As for the condition of the black vinyl roof, well, let’s just say we can’t recall seeing a better one.

If there was a budget, we suspect it was soon abandoned.

The 17-inch alloy wheels are recent, and their open design allows passerby to appreciate the uprated four-pot brake calipers that have been fitted to the front axle.

Tyres are Avon ZV7 on the rear and Sumitomo HTR Z5 on the front. The former were made in 2016, while the latter are only a year old.

Flaws are few but include a couple of stonechips to the front of the car, a crack in the paint to the nearside front wing and offside door, a scuff to the nearside rear wing, some scratches and a chip around the rear numberplate, a rust spot on the offside rear wing at the end of the rain channel, a chip to the offside front wing near the edge of the bonnet, one cracked wheel centre cap, an area of touched-up paint where the offside front wing meets the sill, some rusty mounting screws, and a few bird poo stains to the bonnet.

View car and current bidding price HERE