Jensen-Healey
Encyclopedia
The Jensen-Healey is a two-seater convertible
sports car
that was originally produced between 1972 and 1976 by Jensen Motors
, Ltd. Roughly 10,000 were produced at West Bromwich
, England. A related fastback
, the Jensen GT was introduced in 1975.
, car dealer Kjell Qvale
was looking for a new product to replace it. He entered into discussions with Donald Healey
and Jensen Motors, who had built the bodies for Healey's Austin-Healey
cars. Kjell Qvale became a Jensen shareholder and Donald Healey became the chairman. The Jensen-Healey was designed in a joint venture by Donald Healey, his son Geoffery, William Towns
and Jensen Motors. It was hoped that Healey could help to contribute the sense of style that made the Austin-Healey a hit.
In 1974, United States Government-mandated rubber bumpers were attached.
Many engines were tried out in the prototype stage including Vauxhall
, Ford
and BMW
units. The Vauxhall 2.3 L engine met United States emission requirements but did not meet the power target of 130 hp. A German Ford V6
was considered but industrial action
crippled supply. BMW could not supply an engine in the volumes needed so Jensen looked to Lotus
who had a new, untested engine available. Thus all Jensen-Healey models came equipped with the then-new 1973 cc Lotus 907
engine, a two litre, dual overhead cam
, 16 valve
all-alloy powerplant. This setup puts out approximately 144 bhp (107 kW), topping out at 119 mph (192 km/h) and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds.
carburetor
s; those exported to the United States had dual side-draft single throat Zenith
Strombergs in order to meet emissions requirements. The oil cooler was absent in the earliest models.
The initial transmission
was a four speed Chrysler
unit sourced from the Sunbeam Rapier
. Later a Getrag
five speed was used. Interestingly on the five speed gearbox the fifth gear is not an overdrive gear but a direct 1:1 ratio making this a Close-ratio transmission
.
with trailing arms and coils at the rear. Brakes consisted of discs at the front and drums at the rear. The suspension, steering gear, brakes and rear axle were adapted from the Vauxhall Firenza
with the exception of the front brakes which were the widely used Girling Type 14 Calipers.
and padding as well as air conditioning
were added. 1976 Jensen GT models went even further by offering elaborate burr walnut wood dashboard
s and paisley-patterned seats.
hit Jensen Motors hard, greatly damaging the sales of their very large V8
Interceptor
model and thus degrading their financial condition as a whole. The Jensen GT was then hurriedly brought to market, requiring massive labour expense and taxing the firm's budget even further. As the Jensen-Healey continued to garner mediocre sales in the United Kingdom (though the car was relatively popular in the United States), the situation proved to be too much for the company, which, amid strike action
, component shortages and inflation
, proceeded to liquidate in 1975 and close their doors in May 1976.
.
The initial drivers in 1973 were Lee Mueller and Jon Woodner
. In 1974 the lone entry was Lee Mueller. Although it was a new car, the Jensen-Healey went on to become one of the few cars in SCCA History to capture a championship in its first year of racing (1973). Lee Mueller captured a second D Production championship in 1974. The factory support ended in 1974, however the West Coast Jensen-Healey dealers combined to put together a late effort in 1975. Huffaker built a new car and although beginning the SCCA season late Mueller, driving again, was able to qualify for the runoffs in Atlanta. A third championship nearly came to pass but the Healey was edged out by the Ex C Production Triumph TR 6 factory team car of Group 44 racing, driven by John McComb.
The Huffaker factory cars were later campaigned by the likes of Carl Liebich, Stefan Edliss, Tim Lind, Joe Carr, Tom Kraft and Jim Reilly.
Bruce Qvale and Joe Huffaker Jr. from Huffaker Engineering, of Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, California, successfully campaigned a Jensen Healey in SCCA E Production, winning the SCCA title in 1995. From 2005 until 2007, Ron Earp of Cary, North Carolina
campaigned a 1974 Jensen Healey in SCCA Improved Touring S class.
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
that was originally produced between 1972 and 1976 by Jensen Motors
Jensen Motors
Jensen Motors Ltd was a British manufacturer of sports cars and commercial vehicles, based in the Lyng – West Bromwich...
, Ltd. Roughly 10,000 were produced at West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
, England. A related fastback
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
, the Jensen GT was introduced in 1975.
Design
With the demise of the Austin-Healey 3000Austin-Healey 3000
The Austin-Healey 3000 is a British sports car built from 1959 to 1967, and is the best known of the "big" Healey models. The car's bodywork was made by Jensen Motors, and the vehicles were assembled at the BMC Abingdon works....
, car dealer Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale is a Norwegian-American business executive. Qvale is one of the key figures in the creation of the Jensen-Healey. Qvale became the first distributor for Jaguar on the Pacific West Coast. Qvale is one of the founders of the San Francisco Auto Show.-Early life:Kjell Qvale was born in...
was looking for a new product to replace it. He entered into discussions with Donald Healey
Donald Healey
Donald Mitchell Healey CBE was a noted English rally driver, automobile engineer, and speed record holder.- Early life :...
and Jensen Motors, who had built the bodies for Healey's Austin-Healey
Austin-Healey
Austin-Healey was a British sports car maker. The marque was established through a joint-venture arrangement, set up in 1952 between Leonard Lord of the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation and the Donald Healey Motor Company, a renowned automotive engineering and design...
cars. Kjell Qvale became a Jensen shareholder and Donald Healey became the chairman. The Jensen-Healey was designed in a joint venture by Donald Healey, his son Geoffery, William Towns
William Towns
William Towns was a British car designer.Towns began his training as a designer at Rootes in 1954, where he was mainly involved in the styling of seats and door handles. Later he was also involved with the styling of their Hillman Hunter. He moved to Rover in 1963 and worked there for David...
and Jensen Motors. It was hoped that Healey could help to contribute the sense of style that made the Austin-Healey a hit.
In 1974, United States Government-mandated rubber bumpers were attached.
Engines and transmissions
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
units. The Vauxhall 2.3 L engine met United States emission requirements but did not meet the power target of 130 hp. A German Ford V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
was considered but industrial action
Industrial action
Industrial action or job action refers collectively to any measure taken by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for strike, but the scope is much wider...
crippled supply. BMW could not supply an engine in the volumes needed so Jensen looked to Lotus
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
who had a new, untested engine available. Thus all Jensen-Healey models came equipped with the then-new 1973 cc Lotus 907
Lotus 907
The Lotus 907 was an engine designed and manufactured for automotive applications by Lotus Cars. It was an original design, dual overhead cam, 16 valve all alloy powerplant. It displaced 1973 cc and developed approximately with dual sidedraft Dell'Orto carburetors...
engine, a two litre, dual overhead cam
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
, 16 valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
all-alloy powerplant. This setup puts out approximately 144 bhp (107 kW), topping out at 119 mph (192 km/h) and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds.
International variation
Vehicles for European distribution and sale contained dual side-draft twin-throat Dell'OrtoDell'Orto
Dell'Orto is an Italian company, headquartered in Cabiate, specialized in the construction of carburetors and electronic injection systems. The company was founded in 1933 as "Società anonima Gaetano Dell'Orto e figli"...
carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s; those exported to the United States had dual side-draft single throat Zenith
Zenith Carburetters
Zenith Carburetters was a British company making carburettors. In 1955 they joined with their major pre-war rival Solex Carburettors and over time the Zenith brand name fell into disuse...
Strombergs in order to meet emissions requirements. The oil cooler was absent in the earliest models.
The initial transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
was a four speed Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
unit sourced from the Sunbeam Rapier
Sunbeam Rapier
The Series I Rapier was a pretty car which in general, was well received by the motoring press. Available in a range of attractive two-tone colour schemes typical of the period, it boasted steering column gear change, leather trim and an overdrive as standard fittings. Vinyl trim was an option in...
. Later a Getrag
Getrag
Getrag is a leading manufacturer of automobile manual transmissions. The company was founded on 1 May 1935, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by Hermann Hagenmeyer; as the Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG...
five speed was used. Interestingly on the five speed gearbox the fifth gear is not an overdrive gear but a direct 1:1 ratio making this a Close-ratio transmission
Close-ratio transmission
A close-ratio transmission is a transmission in which there is little difference between the gear ratios of the gears. Consequently, note that the word close implies "near", not "shut." The gear ratio numbers are in a smaller numeric range, hence closer together.In the context of close-ratio...
.
Suspension and braking
Suspension was simple but effective with double wishbone and coil springs at the front, and a live rear axleLive axle
A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
with trailing arms and coils at the rear. Brakes consisted of discs at the front and drums at the rear. The suspension, steering gear, brakes and rear axle were adapted from the Vauxhall Firenza
Vauxhall Firenza
The Firenza is a model of car offered by Vauxhall Motors from May 1971 till 1975. It was a development of the Viva, but had a distinctive coupé body style and only two doors....
with the exception of the front brakes which were the widely used Girling Type 14 Calipers.
Interior
Jensen-Healey interiors started out austere and functional, with plastic centre consoles and all-black colour schemes. (Some earlier models do sport brown interiors, however.) Later, aesthetic extras such as wood grainWood grain
In speaking of wood the term grain refers to the alternating regions of relatively darker and lighter wood resulting from the differing growth parameters occurring in different seasons . The term is used in several ways. Perhaps most important is that in woodworking techniques...
and padding as well as air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
were added. 1976 Jensen GT models went even further by offering elaborate burr walnut wood dashboard
Dashboard
A dashboard is a control panel placed in front of the driver of an automobile, housing instrumentation and controls for operation of the vehicle....
s and paisley-patterned seats.
Demise
The oil crisis1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
hit Jensen Motors hard, greatly damaging the sales of their very large V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
Interceptor
Jensen Interceptor
The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957...
model and thus degrading their financial condition as a whole. The Jensen GT was then hurriedly brought to market, requiring massive labour expense and taxing the firm's budget even further. As the Jensen-Healey continued to garner mediocre sales in the United Kingdom (though the car was relatively popular in the United States), the situation proved to be too much for the company, which, amid strike action
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, component shortages and inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
, proceeded to liquidate in 1975 and close their doors in May 1976.
Racing
Jensen Motors ran a factory team to capture the SCCA D Production Championship in 1973 and 1974. This effort was put together by Huffaker Engineering in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The initial drivers in 1973 were Lee Mueller and Jon Woodner
Jonathan Woodner
Jonathan Woodner was an American Real Estate Developer and road racing driver. He was the son of Ian Woodner and Ruth Lyon Woodner of Westport, Connecticut...
. In 1974 the lone entry was Lee Mueller. Although it was a new car, the Jensen-Healey went on to become one of the few cars in SCCA History to capture a championship in its first year of racing (1973). Lee Mueller captured a second D Production championship in 1974. The factory support ended in 1974, however the West Coast Jensen-Healey dealers combined to put together a late effort in 1975. Huffaker built a new car and although beginning the SCCA season late Mueller, driving again, was able to qualify for the runoffs in Atlanta. A third championship nearly came to pass but the Healey was edged out by the Ex C Production Triumph TR 6 factory team car of Group 44 racing, driven by John McComb.
The Huffaker factory cars were later campaigned by the likes of Carl Liebich, Stefan Edliss, Tim Lind, Joe Carr, Tom Kraft and Jim Reilly.
Bruce Qvale and Joe Huffaker Jr. from Huffaker Engineering, of Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, California, successfully campaigned a Jensen Healey in SCCA E Production, winning the SCCA title in 1995. From 2005 until 2007, Ron Earp of Cary, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
campaigned a 1974 Jensen Healey in SCCA Improved Touring S class.
Model timeline
- Jensen Healey Mark I: March 1972 – May 1973; VINVinVin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
10000 – 13349 (3356 manufactured) - Jensen Healey Mark II and JH5: August 1973 – August 1975; VIN 13500 – 20504 (7142 manufactured)
- Jensen GT: September 1975 – May 1976; VIN 3000 – 30510 (509 manufactured)
Jensen-Healey sales by country in 1973
| Market | Jensen-Healey sales |
|---|---|
| UK, Éire and Channel Islands | 890 |
| USA and Canada | 2501 |
| Belgium | 16 |
| Switzerland | 56 |
| Germany | 30 |
| the Netherlands | 9 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 8 |
| Australia | 92 |
| New Zealand | 35 |
| Japan | 86 |
| Hong Kong | 32 |
| Total | 3777 |