While it may not be among the most valuable vintage European sports car or the one with the highest pedigree, the Jensen Interceptor (along with its AWD counterpart, the Jensen FF) is still one of the most iconic and influential automobiles ever to come out of Britain. There are a number of reasons why the interceptor made such an impact. For one, the 1960s Italian design is unmistakable, while the big block American V8 under the hood brought Detroit-style power to a market that lacked its own muscle car options.
The Interceptor also became a bit of a pop culture icon, starring in both movies and television shows. James Bond even drove a Jensen FF, at one point, albeit in a novel rather than in a movie. “Top Gear”‘s Jeremy Clarkson also ranked the Jensen Interceptor among his top 100 cars of all time. Knowing all this, it’s not surprising there’d be a market for high-end, resto-modded versions of the classic Interceptor.
But now, the maker of these restomods, Jensen International Automotive (JIA), is planning to take things to the next level by introducing an all-new, clean-sheet GT car inspired by the 1960s Interceptor. Details about what exactly this modern Interceptor will be are scarce at the time of writing, but this could be a huge and welcome development for fans of the original car.
A truly modern Interceptor?
Jensen Motors produced several different cars during its history, but most would agree that the second-generation Interceptor of the ’60s and ’70s was by far its most impactful vehicle. Primary production and development of the Jensen Interceptor ended in the mid-1970s when Jensen Motors went into liquidation, though variations of the car built using original tooling were produced into the early 1990s.
The restomodded Interceptors that JIA builds right now are essentially a British version of the American pro-touring muscle car, based on the existing Interceptor platform. JIA’s Interceptors are offered with a choice of saloon or convertible body styles, and the option between a naturally aspirated GM LS3 V8 or a supercharged LT4 V8, both mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The new Interceptor-inspired GT car that JIA is teasing, though, will be a new vehicle with an aluminum chassis and modern styling. So far, JIA has only released one side profile teaser image of the new car, which indeed looks contemporary while retaining a strong hint of the original Interceptor’s profile. JIA says it will build the new car in the U.K. as a limited-production vehicle under a new division of the company.
Not the first attempt
One of the good things about a modern interpretation of the Jensen Interceptor is that JIA won’t be locked into using any specific type of engine. The original was one of the many British Classics with American V8s under the hood, sporting Chrysler-supplied V8s. So the modern version could theoretically use any type of modern American V8 engine while still staying true to the formula of the original. JIA did not provide any details about the new car’s engine other than claiming it would be a “bespoke V8.” That could mean anything, really, from a specially modified version of the GM engines used in its current Interceptor restomods to something more exotic.
Either way, it should be said that there’s a big difference between simply ‘announcing’ a new GT car with teaser images and actually building a prototype vehicle — let alone producing them for purchase. This is not the first time that a company tried to revive the Jensen Interceptor, either. Back in 2011, a company called CPP Global Holdings announced plans to build a modern, retro-inspired version of the Interceptor, but the project never materialized beyond promises and renderings. Here’s hoping that JIA can finally give the Interceptor the contemporary interpretation that it deserves.
