If you take a bird’s eye view of the automotive marketplace post-WWII, you notice some interesting patterns.  One of the most fascinating is the rise and fall of the British sports car.  These fun-to-drive convertibles arrived on these shores in the late 1940s after our servicemen and women were exposed to their charms during the war.  It wasn’t long before several British manufacturers offered this type of vehicle to Americans.  After a few decades of impressive sales, this type of vehicle slowly faded away only to return yet again in spirit if not origin as the Mazda Miata.  While MG and Triumph were the most common manufacturers of such vehicles in their heyday, the upstart manufacturer Jensen Motors Limited offered a somewhat upmarket British sports car from 1972 through 1976 with the help of famed sports car designer Donald Healey and his son Geoffrey.  The 1974 Jensen-Healey you see here may be the nicest example left of this unique partnership.

After the Austin-Healey 3000 went out of production due in part to ever-tightening emissions and crash regulations, Donald Healey was looking for a way to create a successor to his “Big Healey.”  These cars were very popular over their long production run and having an equally popular successor would surely bring financial success to whatever company that managed to make lightning strike twice.  An arrangement was made with Jensen Motors and U.S. importer Kjell Qvale to produce a simple, low sports car with bolt-on body panels to its unit-body structure that utilized many off-the-shelf components.

The Jensen-Healey was powered by a 1,972 cc Lotus-built inline four-cylinder engine with a 16-valve double overhead cam head.  Earlier cars pushed that power through a four-speed manual transmission, while Mark II cars made from 1975 until production ceased offered a five-speed transmission.  One curious aspect of this transmission is that the fifth gear was not an overdrive, but a true 1:1 as most four-speed transmissions are when in top gear.  The Lotus engine put out a respectable 144 horsepower and could push the car to 119 MPH flat out.  This was an exceptional performance for a British sports car at the time, with only Jaguar and Lotus’s offerings being faster.  Sadly, Jensen’s fortunes waned in a very difficult automotive market and the company slid into liquidation in 1975 and disappeared completely by 1976.

All these years later, there aren’t many Jensen-Healeys left despite 10,503 examples built across the production run.  Jensen’s exit from the marketplace didn’t help parts availability, and the styling never matched the flowing beauty of the Big Healey.  Add to that the usual low survival percentages of convertibles in general and the rarity of the Lotus powerplant.  The 1974 Jensen-Healey seen in this ad is perhaps one of the nicest examples left.  The seller’s rather short ad tells us that it is in great condition, has always been stored inside, and has just 75,000 miles on the odometer.  It will also come with a lift-off hard top.

Overall, this is a very well-kept British sportscar with just a few period-correct enhancements to detract from its originality.  While MGs and Triumphs are quite common, a Jensen-Healey is a rare bird indeed.  The price for that exclusivity is that parts are not as easily found as they are for the car’s more famous competition.  Looking at the Jensen-Healey and its contemporaries, you have to wonder what these cars would be like if the designs evolved and they were still offered for sale today.  It is hard to fathom why demand for two-seat convertible sports cars vanished, perhaps history will repeat itself soon.

If you are seeking a seldom-seen ride for your local British car day event, this 1974 Jensen Healey for sale on Facebook Marketplace in West Ossipee, New Hampshire may be worth investigating.  With 75,000 miles on the odometer, this always-garaged convertible can be yours for $18,000.  Thanks to Richard in Maine for the tip!