Rare One-Owner 1976 Jensen GT
Here’s a car that we don’t see too often, although we have seen seven of them here at Barn Finds over the last decade or so. This is a 1976 Jensen GT, made by Jensen-Healey. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Valley Center, California, about forty miles northeast of San Diego where I should have moved after high school. Thanks to rex m. for sending in this tip!
These cars are incredibly rare and incredibly unusual which makes them a winner in my book. There’s something about a sporty two-door station wagon that gets to me and it can be an honest justification for buying a vintage car. “No really, honey, look at that storage space back there! This is one practical car…” As a general reference, Hagerty is at $8,300 for a #3 good condition car and $5,100 for a #4 fair condition car.
We saw a Jensen-Healey Mk I a couple of weeks ago here on Barn Finds and this wagon/shooting-brake rear end has to be one of the most unique options for a car. As with the Mk I convertible, the giant bumpers don’t do this otherwise sleek and sexy design any favors/favours. The Jensen GT was only made for one year, late-1975 until mid-1976 and there were reportedly just over 500 of them made in total. This car has had only one owner according to the seller.
There are only five photos in the listing which is disappointing, but on the other hand, they did show both sides of the car, a rear shot, one interior showing the driver’s side view, and an engine photo so I can’t be too hard on them. Of course, another 19 photos would have been nice since it doesn’t cost any more to have more than five photos on a listing. This car has reportedly been in storage for the last 26 years which is nice as far as possibly having saved the body from any rust or other damage. The dash doesn’t look cracked which is very nice to see but there will be a lot of work to do before this car is cruising the streets again.
The engine looks dirty but… good? It’s certainly not a shiny showpiece anymore but it should be a Lotus 907, the same as in the Jensen-Healey. The seller says that it’s a rebuilt 908 Lotus but I wonder if that’s a typo? That’s easy to do as I know. The Lotus 908 was a racing engine from what I understand, and that would make the $3,000 asking price seem like a steal. This car has only 47,000 miles on it but it needs a lot of work. Any thoughts on this Jensen GT?
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Comments
There was a lawyer in our town who’s son became one.
They had a GT that had a lot of problems.The son ended up
suing Jensen over them,& I believe he won the case.
Makes me proud to be a British car owner (NOT!).
As some one who knows a lot of lawyers, they are really only good at one thing: lawsuits.
Most can’t even perform the most basic manual task (they ask me to help with changing wiper blades.) So saying a lawyer had problems with a car, is a very, very low bar.
Looks kinda beat for a one-owner 47k miles rare car. Not a lot of love.
Must be related to the MGA’s owner… thinks crappy looking cars sell better.
Motor rebuild maybe 30 years ago.
I have one in the same color with 21K original miles also in So Cal. Nice cars to drive with the 5 speed Getrag box and Lotus 907. Most US GTs also had air conditioning.
Hi Texaco Star.
If you want to sell your car, please let me know.
[email protected]
Thank you
Laszlo
The ad has been deleted.
that engine was junk and Jensen knew it. After it they cut a deal with Chrysler for the 440 V8 motor instead.
Peter K. That engine was never junk. It’s gone on as a winner in thousands of cars. It has been improved on by hiking up the BHP and introducing fuel injection on the 900 series engines.
Um,no, the closest this type of Jensen ever got to having a V8 was the brief consideration of the Buick 215/Rover V8. Kjell Qvale who owned/ran Jensen at the time wanted a much lower profile on the hood. So they approach Colin Chapman at Lotus and he designed a twin cam head for the 2.3 liter Vauxhall slanted 4 cylinder engine (conceptually like the Lotus twin cam head on the 4 cylinder iron Ford block). Rather than use the iron Vauxhall block, Lotus designed a slanted, wet lined, all aluminium block designated as the Lotus 907. The Jensen Healey was the first car to have the 907 and it later appeared in all manner of Lotus cars including the Elite and Eclat and evolved into a 2.2 liter turbo later in life for the Esprit Turbo. It also went into the Sunbeam Lotus WRC rally car. So most definitely not a pile of junk. And the Jensen Interceptors used the Chrysler 383 initially and then later the 440, including the 440 six pack in the Interceptor SP.
TS, you are very well informed, i had a 77 Elite and Two Qvale Mangusta’s.
What´s there to like? Not much. Another example of abuse, stored – my foot, probably with the doors open and the hood up.
Bucket list car for me. Great looks, plush interior, roomy front seats, motor that is easy to work on and encourages you to scratch that tinkering itch.
The Chrysler 440 was used in the Jensen Interceptor not the Jensen Healey based GT. Completely different car.
Always liked these, unique very cool British styling… Would love to own it.. I remember them, reading about them then and seeing one
Locally. Loved the lotus esprit hatchback also…
Right, it was a lotus elite wagon/hatch back… So cool…!!
L.O.T.U.S = Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious!!! ,i think these look terrible and why would you want one except to carry a coffin or Bread trays,shocking build quality and they never got any better with age,what was Jensen thinking to make a pile of crap like this after the gorgeous Interceptor,the only decent thing would be the Getrag gearbox this didn’t even get twin 40 or 45 DCOE webbers which really woke the engine up,
My last name is Jensen so I’ve always had a soft spot for em. Especially interceptors because I love the old mopars!
Now that I’m older and realize this would be a cheaper restoration plus more rare, but I’d ditch the lotus motor and go with a vetch k24 and have that sweet Honda reliability and power upgrade without affecting weight distribution.
No one has even mentioned the fact that it’s sitting behind a flat bed. Was it being loaded on or unloaded? I’m fairly sure that’s how you kept the mileage so low! Kidding, but if I wasn’t on the other side of the country, I might give this serious consideration. Heck the parts (rear windows, hatch, interior trim) might be worth more than the asking price!