No longer content with bringing old Interceptors back to life, Jensen International Automotive this week announced a clean-sheet design inspired by the classic 1960s British grand tourer. This car will be new from the ground up and “feature an aluminum chassis, bespoke V8 power, and a fully analogue driving experience,” according to a company press release.
Further details, including pricing, will be released at a later date. But Jensen International Automotive confirmed that the Interceptor tribute will be built in the United Kingdom “in ultra-low numbers.” The company is only discussing U.K. sales at this point and emphasizes that references to the Interceptor name “are made solely as design inspiration and do not imply corporate, manufacturing, or commercial lineage.” Without control of the appropriate copyrights, the company might have to sell its creation under a different name.
That would be a shame, not only because “Interceptor” is a very cool name, but because the Jensen inspiration might be muddled otherwise. A teaser image hints that the new car will take some liberties with the classic Interceptor look. It has the requisite long hood, but with much sleeker rear glass that flows into a beveled rear end that, with its stretched taillights, has strong Jaguar F-Type vibes. The Interceptor’s flat front has been replaced with something more rakish and modern.
The original Jensen Interceptor was one of the most distinctive British cars of the 1960s, combining a fastback shape from Italy’s Carrozzeria Touring with Chrysler V8 power. The Interceptor FF was named for its Ferguson Formula system, supplied by a company that also developed an (unsuccessful) four-wheel drive F1 car. The FF was also one of the first cars with anti-lock brakes.
Jensen produced about 6,400 Interceptors over a roughly decade-long production run ending in the mid-1970s. Jensen International Automotive takes care of the survivors, offering restorations as well as restomod upgrades, including General Motors LS3 and LT4 engine swaps. But building an entirely new car—one that’s worth buying instead of a vintage Interceptor—is a much bigger challenge.
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