Talk:Jensen Interceptor

"Interceptor " FF
"Jensen were one of the first manufacturers to equip a production car with four-wheel drive, in the shape of the 1967 Interceptor FF (Ferguson Formula). At the time it was hailed as a remarkable development, coming also with anti-lock brakes and traction control."

That is a common misconception. Although the FF shares the majority of its parts with the Interceptor, it was never called or marketed as Interceptor, but as a stand-alone model just by the name FF.


 * The article is taking a stab at distinguishing the two, but putting the production totals of the FF on the Interceptor page doesn't help. I think the FF came first, with the Interceptor brought in as a cheaper variant a few years later, like the Bora/Merak. Both articles need minor rework, with the start/end dates rechecked. Also - how many Interceptors were made? 66.77.124.61 01:29, 11 October 2006 (UTC)


 * The "FF" drivetrain was in existence already, before the Interceptors came along, but then so was the CV-8 which the rest of the car derives from. The Jenson FF launched in the same year as the two-wheel drive Interceptor.


 * Production figures from this month's (November 2006) "Classic and Sports Car" magazine (which I won't run into the main article myself as a reference since I'm away from home and I hate doing serious editing on a portable device like I'm currently using...)


 * Jensen Interceptor SI, 1966-69, 1024
 * Jensen Interceptor SII-IV, 1969-76 & 82-84, 5383
 * Jensen FF SI, 1966-69, 195
 * Jensen FF SII-III, 1969-72, 125


 * – Kieran T  ( talk  09:13, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Refurbished models
Is it worth mentioning the run of 50 refurbished models by V Eight Ltd (http://www.sibadesign.co.uk/v8/)? Alastairward (talk) 21:03, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

Jensen Sales new website at: http://www.jensen-cars.co.uk/ covers the 'new' 'S' and 'SX' models.--92.8.106.152 (talk) 19:12, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

Mistaken attribution
The "Design Influences" section reads "The Jensen Interceptor bears some obvious visual similarities to the Brasinca Uirapuru, a rare Brazilian car manufactured in 1964. This has led some to question what influence the Uirapuru had on the design of the Interceptor." I don't know who these "some" might be, but I doubt it's anyone who knows anything about the Interceptor's coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Touring (of Torino, Italy). Also from Torino was Carrozzeria Frua, who designed the Maserati Mistral, whose show car debuted in 1963, before either the Interceptor or the Uirapuru. The Mistral is the far more likely source of inspiration for the Uirapuru's distinctive back half, while the Uirapuru's front half seems to be inspired by the 1962 Iso Rivolta. I'd like to give the author of the "Design Influences" section a couple of weeks to respond, after which I'll remove the section unless they can justify it. Bricology (talk) 21:32, 26 May 2009 (UTC)


 * The "some have argued that" formulation is unfortunately common on Wikipedia (second only to "arguably"). I remember when I first realised that I could pass off my own opinions as objective, sourced fact by putting "some may argue that" in front of them; I was in college at the time. I have grown out of it, but a lot of Wikipedia editors haven't. -Ashley Pomeroy (talk) 20:26, 18 October 2009 (UTC)


 * When this para first appeared I was highly suspicious of it as pure speculation/original research. The above comments have increased my confidence that it should go so I've removed it. If someone can come up with a respectable source it can be replaced. Malcolma (talk) 08:10, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

The claim has crept back in, referenced to a YouTube video of a Brazilian TV show (in Portuguese, obviously), which is not a reliable source. Brazil's low-production sports cars have tended to copy European models in styling. The Farus ML-929 of 1978, styled by Italian expats Alfio and Giuseppe Russo, is pretty obviously derived from Giugiaro's Lotus Esprit. The Corona Dardo of 1979 is a Fiat X1/9 clone and actually had Fiat's approval. The Puma GT of 1966 (the work of another Italian expat, Rino Malzoni) is a pint-size fibreglass cartoon version of the Ferrari 275GTB. (See David Marques, Top Ten Brazilian Sports Cars, Classic and Sports Car September 2016, pp.170-173, where the dodgy claim about the Interceptor's supposed debt to the hideous Brasinca is repeated on a 'sometimes mentioned as providing the inspiration' basis by the Brazilian author, perhaps because 'it's on Wikipedia, so it must be true.')

The Brasinca 4200GT Uirapuru of 1964 bears a suspicious resemblance to Pietro Frua's Maserati Mistral of 1963, at least above the wingline, particularly in respect of the wrap-round glass hatchback mentioned in the article -- except that the Maserati is beautiful and the Brasinca looks awful. If anything, the Brasinca has an even stronger resemblance to the British LMB Debonair of 1960, of which some 50 examples were built. (The Debonair is obscure, but its chassis was later used for the Reliant Sabre, which was then developed into the Scimitar GTE, a favourite with Princess Anne and a classic British 'niche' car of its time.) Only 73 Brasincas were built, so it's not much less likely that the Brazilians copied the Debonair than it is that the Italians at Touring copied the Brasinca. Whereas it is very likely that Touring were aware of Frua's Mistral.

On the other hand, the Brasinca has a flat bonnet with no olde-tyme pontoon wings from windshield to headlamp, and it also has the distinctive side vents behind the front wheels. Touring's Interceptor does share those features, not found on the Mistral. Again, though, the relative quality of artistry is an issue, since the Interceptor, like the Mistral, is beautiful, whereas the Brasinca... looks like an LMB Debonair. (With the unfortunate addition of scalloped side panels which really do not help. They do not help at all.)

Even so, the popular Brazilian claim about the Interceptor seems to be an old wives' tale, and YouTube is not a reliable source, and nor are random fluff items on Brazilian TV. Khamba Tendal (talk) 18:49, 20 August 2016 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia recognizes TV programs as reliable sources, it has a cite episode tag for them. A cite video tag has been used here as it allows readers to view the actual program themselves.  A TV program produced by a multi-national media company is a reliable source, even if a copy of it is being accessed through YouTube. Unknown Unknowns (talk) 08:43, 22 August 2016 (UTC)

Interesting statement there is a "suspicious resemblance (to) Maserati Mistral of 1963" or "an even stronger resemblance to the British LMB Debonair of 1960". What I think is "suspicious" or "strongest", under all aspects, is the very own similarity between Jensen Interceptor and Uirapuru! I, personally, SEE no similarities among Uirapuru, Mistral and Debonair. Probably some "affinities" between Mistral and Debonair, but that's all. I can not agree that Jensen is similar to the Uirapuru just in relation to the rear window: I believe they are both VERY similar in the GENERAL aspect. I am not attributing ultra-nationalistic (yes, I am a Brazilian) aspects to my statements - on the contrary: I believe that the Uirapuru was the best response in a 1960s' Brazil to a demand for a super sports car, even considering the lack of good powertrains availability. That's why his designers used a specially prepared 4200cc lorry engine on it. Obviously it would be much better a 6 or 7-liter V8 as the Interceptor had. In addition to that Brasinca's quality was poor, and the car ended up classified as expensive and a headache for its owners. Said that, I need to complete: the so-called "similarities" between Interceptor and Uirapuru are undeniable, I'm sorry if the gentlemen above do not agree, but it's a matter of eyes, not opinions! RobertoRMola (talk) 14:57, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

First with alloy wheels ?
Should we add that this was the first production car with alloy wheels as standard? A colleague has pointed out that he thinks that it was either the Jensen Interceptor or possibly the Ford Capri RS2600, also in 1971. The Triumph Dolomite page claims this accolade albeit for a few years later, I've asked the question on both the other cars' disucssion pages.

Photo of the interior
The photo of the interior is driving me crazy. This is a British car and the steering wheel should be on the right (they are in the other pictures), and all the cars should be parked on the other side of the road if they are facing the way they are facing. I think this photo is flipped. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.69.163.106 (talk) 23:54, 29 September 2013 (UTC)


 * No, that Jensen is in Germany, and is a left-hand drive model. (You can see a picture of the person who took the photo, Sebastian Claus, along with the car, here: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/jensen-interceptor-iii-der-glamour-sportwagen-fotostrecke-67800.html gothick (talk) 08:56, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

(The Mark III) "It was divided into G-, H-, and J-series depending on the production year. "
"It was divided into G-, H-, and J-series depending on the production year." was inserted by User 212.86.22.55 on 17 December 2006. These correspond to the letters for the same UK licensing years. So is it true or has a an editor unwittingly added wrong information? Eddaido (talk) 09:13, 30 January 2015 (UTC)

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