GTP Cool Wall: 1966-1976 Jensen Interceptor/FF

1966-1976 Jensen Interceptor/FF

  • Total voters
    140
  • Poll closed .
GranTurismo916

GranTurismo916

15,465
United States
Orange County, NY
GTP_GT916
Nii916
1966-1976 Jensen Interceptor/FF nominated by @AudiMan2011

1280px-Jensen_Interceptor_III.jpg


Engines: 6.3L V8 (Chrysler Golden Commando 383), 7.2L V8 (Chrysler TNT 440)
Power: 325-385 hp
Torque: 350-490 lb-ft.
Weight: 1677-1823 kg
Transmission: 4-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear wheel drive/Front engine, four wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door coupe, 2-door convertible, 2-door liftback
Additional Info: "Designed by the Italian coachbuilders at Touring, Jensen's grand tourer was one the more underrated classic GT cars as it tended to have a reputation for being very thirsty. The FF was the first production sporting car to come with all-wheel-drive, preceding the Audi Quattro by a decade."​
jensen-BRDC-clean.jpg

Jensen_Interceptor_III_rear.jpg

1976%20Jensen%20Coupe_01.jpg

1974-jensen-interceptor-series-iii-convertible.jpg

Jensen_Interceptor_Convertible_1974.jpg

1974_Jensen_Interceptor_Convertible_rear.jpg

Jensen_FF_Mark_II.jpg

Jensen%20FF%20I%20rear.jpg
dsc_0270.jpg
 
Once a Bond car, and it even starred in a Bond parody... The Interceptor (what a badass-sounding name, eh?) did quite a few good things; it was a good marriage between Italian design, English flair and American power, it was the first production car to attempt the use of 4WD. Many years before the Audi Quattro did it, the FF may have not been a sucess, but it laid the foundations of future four wheel drive cars all around the world. Yes, it is very thirsty and it comes with the classic dodgy "English parts bin" reliability, but the influence that the Jensen had overpowers all of that. And for the better or worst, it's still Jensen's best car.

Get the fridge for this one.
 
One of the coolest cars ever made, and they named it Interceptor. Being mysteriously slow and having equally mysterious electrical problems bumps it from SZ.
 
XS
One of the coolest cars ever made, and they named it Interceptor. Being mysteriously slow and having equally mysterious electrical problems bumps it from SZ.
Click to expand...
It has the drivetrain of lots of Mopar muscle. Not one, but two big blocks and everything that you could order in a Challenger/Cuda/Superbird/Charger etc. minus the AWD.

How is it "slow"
 
Slash
It has the drivetrain of lots of Mopar muscle. Not one, but two big blocks and everything that you could order in a Challenger/Cuda/Superbird/Charger etc. minus the AWD.

How is it "slow"
Click to expand...
Weight. Old V8 sports cars are not exactly Lotus Elise's. Especially one with AWD
 
OK for wafting about in, but weight blunts performance and handling and over complex electrics prone to breaking!

Low cool.
 
I know I'm paraphrasing Top Gear here, but Interceptor is quite possibly the best badge slapped on to the back of a car. Even in somewhat questionable condition, these still turn heads in a good way. Sub zero.

Slash
How is it "slow"
Click to expand...

They're not slow by any means, but they don't have the grunt of the cars you've described. After all, it was never meant to be a British muscle car of any sort, it was supposed to be a stress free GT car. As mentioned as well, the weight is also a huge factor.
 
INEEDNAWZZZ
I know I'm paraphrasing Top Gear here, but Interceptor is quite possibly the best badge slapped on to the back of a car. Even in somewhat questionable condition, these still turn heads in a good way. Sub zero.



They're not slow by any means, but they don't have the grunt of the cars you've described. After all, it was never meant to be a British muscle car of any sort, it was supposed to be a stress free GT car. As mentioned as well, the weight is also a huge factor.
Click to expand...
I fail to see how they don't have the "grunt" considering the drivetrain is the exact same thing.
 
~7 seconds to 60 in the 1970s doesn't seem too terribly slow to me. The similarly heavy, similarly powerful Aston V8 was faster, but that also came with a stick and was designed around that engine.
 
Last edited:
Slash
I fail to see how they don't have the "grunt" considering the drivetrain is the exact same thing.
Click to expand...

'Grunt' was probably the wrong word, what I meant was that stuff like Cudas, Roadrunners, Chargers etc. were made to go fast, so they were put into them with the rear ends, suspension and the gearing set up for all that. Interceptors on the other hand were designed as long distance ground coverers, so those areas took a back seat. I'm sure once they got up to speed they were similar, but I doubt they'd have felt as peppy as Mopar's models, even the bigger models.
 
*affects nasaly pedant voice* There's a few things wrong with the nomination, if this poll is specifically for the Interceptor FF. Namely, only the brown and grey cars with the two side vents are FFs (cheers wikipedia), and the second image is of a modern upgrade package (think a Singer 911, only not quite as comprehensive.) If we're including the entire Interceptor range, I seem to remember power output started from a little under 250hp and some models were RWD-only.

Anyhoo, it's a cool from me.
 
Just one other British GT of that vintage came close to being "Interceptor cool". That was the DBS V8.

@GTP_Ingram Those drivetrain specs in the OP suggest it is the entire range. With only the gross horsepower stats being taken into account.
 
V8, check, 440 engine, check. Can be all wheel drive? Check. Name of the car? Interceptor, already awesome.

One bloody amazing piece of british machinery, lads and lassies. I'm going to push this car in the iceberg.
 
Beeblebrox237
I dunno, they do raise a good point. It has exactly that sort of feel. And the perfect name.
Click to expand...

Top Gear skits devalue its subject with poor quality material. I really hate it and feel that there is a 'Top Gear effect' with cars & humour much similar to how there is a Family Guy effect with memes having peaked and being over once it appears on Family Guy. More Scriptchard Hammond cringe with his karate 'hilarity'.

But don't get me wrong, the car is absolutely awesome. I love the Interceptor.
 
Liquid
Top Gear skits devalue its subject with poor quality material. I really hate it and feel that there is a 'Top Gear effect' with cars & humour much similar to how there is a Family Guy effect with memes having peaked and being over once it appears on Family Guy. More Scriptchard Hammond cringe with his karate 'hilarity'.

But don't get me wrong, the car is absolutely awesome. I love the Interceptor.
Click to expand...
Oh, I definitely see where you're coming from. The moment people start judging a car's coolness based on Top Gear, they've doomed it to SU. It always attracts people who think Top Gear is factual and should be taken very seriously. And Hammond should be shot for the karate.
 

Latest Posts

Back