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1972 Jensen Interceptor SP

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£26,800

  • Mileage~79,657 on clock
  • TransmissionAutomatic
  • Engine7.2L
  • LocationKenilworth

SOLD

1972 Jensen Interceptor SP

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Introduction

Glyn Parry
Professional Consigner

A British engineering marvel, the SP blends a powerful American V8 with sleek Italian styling, making it one of the era's most coveted classics.

The Jensen SP (short for "Six Pack"), holds the distinction of being the most powerful car ever made by Jensen Motors. Considerably rare, only ~232 SP models were ever produced, with just 130 built with the '131' suffix for the right-hand-drive home market. At its release in August 1971, the SP was among the most powerful road cars in the world, with a specification that seemed to defy the times. The SP boasted an advanced Six-Pack carburettor system and a high-displacement V8 Chrysler engine—both cutting-edge features for its time.

The chassis register confirms that this particular model is a numbers-matching car and came as standard with air conditioning, a vinyl-trimmed roof, town and country horns, and Sundym tinted glass. Now finished in a burnt orange colour (having previously been "Jensen Tango"), with suitably matched black upholstery, the SP has undergone many upgrades over its last ~4 years under its current ownership. Upgrades include brake servo and master cylinder, new alternator, radiator flush, new fan sender, and reconditioned fans. The car also is currently fitted with an Edelbrock intake manifold and four-barrel carburettor, but comes with the original SP set-up.

This listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting David the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

This car is the ultimate long-distance cruiser—powerful, comfortable, and impressive. It turns heads wherever you go!

The current owner, David, has friends who also own Jensens, which is where his love for the cars came from. "We have friends who are active members of an owners' club; it was time for us to have one when this SP became available". He goes on to say, "We bought it because it's a rare car, one of around ~230 made to fill the high-performance car gap at Jensen when the FF was discontinued". David informs us, "We've really enjoyed the car and have spent many great journeys on the road in it. It has been to Goodwood Revival most years we have owned it".

The opportunity has recently arisen for David to purchase an Interceptor convertible and he can't justify keeping both cars. "I'd love to be able to keep both of my Jensens, but I just don't have the room to store and look after them as they should be". David will be happy to answer any questions about the car in the comments section below.

David
Vehicle Owner

David saved £4,680* when they
sold their Jensen with us.

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Exterior

A burnt orange colour, paired with iconic Italian styling and signature clamshell rear window, makes the SP a truly standout model.

Wheels and Tyres

The Jensen is fitted with branded Rostyle 15" 5-spoke alloys, finished in silver and grey. The wheels appear well cared for, with no signs of any concerning damage during our visit, just a few small marks of minor curbing on the edges.

The SP is fitted with Autogrip Grip1000 tyres, 205/70 all round. These appear to be in good condition, dated from 2016 with a good amount of tread remaining and no obvious cracking observed to the sidewalls.

Bodywork

Looking over the SP during our visit, the car largely maintains good visual panel gaps, and both doors, bonnet and boot open and close smoothly. We didn't note any major dings on the panels although there was a scratch to the rear offside quarter panel.

The bonnet has potentially been replaced in previous ownership. The original SP bonnet had louvres that ran down the length, whereas this example doesn't feature these. The underside of the car showed well and without major concerns.

We have highlighted our observations in more detail through our high-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to review all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Having originally been finished in "Jensen Tango", the car has been resprayed in a burnt orange colour during its last ownership in 1986. The burnt orange, triple layer paintwork has good coverage across all the panels.

We noted some issues with the paint work, with a crack to the paint on the nearside door edge and a few imperfections to the finish with paint bubbling, notably at the bonnet edge. We also observed signs of lacquer peel, a paint blemish to the offside front quarter and various small marks and stone chips. Ultimately, the SP would benefit from a future respray, or enjoy it as it is like David has done.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there yourself. Please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car to form your own opinion about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The glass sections and black vinyl roof on the Jensen were in good condition, consistent with the car's age; we didn’t notice any cracks or discolouration during our visit. The trim and window seals looked good. The Jensen and SP front badges and matching rear logos showed well also.

Both the front and rear lights were in good shape. The chrome sections around the car were well-presented and added to its stylish looks. We noted that sections like the door handles could benefit from future restorative work. A key note was that the rear glass and boot section showed well, an area more commonly seen with issues on Jensen models.

Check out the exterior gallery and review video. We guide you through all areas of the car as if you were standing there yourself, so you can see in greater detail how the car is presented.

Interior

The cabin of the SP is a haven of classic 70's luxury, featuring leather seats and leather trim both in the front and rear.

Seats and Carpets

The original seats are in good condition with no apparent damage, just a few signs of creasing and and wear to the leather that comes with age. We didn’t notice any concerns with rips or tears in the front or rear sections, David told us he has the velcro cushions for the headrests.

The main carpet in the interior is in good condition and is likely original. The carpet in the boot also looks respectable, but there are some signs of wear on the edges. Underneath the carpet sections, there were no obvious issues with the bodywork.

The tan headlining and sun visors showed well and without concern. We cover the cabin area of the SP in further detail in our interior review video.

Dashboard

The black leather covered dashboard looks to be in great condition, free from any significant marks. The dashboard presented well, with no visible cracking or warping, the odometer showed ~79,657 miles on the clock.

All the numbers and dials on the dash appeared clear and legible although the oil pressure gauge showed with a little condensation inside.

The gauges, switches, and controls all seemed to be in good condition, just minor signs of wear noted. The surfaces showed to be free from major scratching. Our interior gallery section offers a closer look at the SP’s dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel is finished in a lovely black leather trim and is in good condition, just a few signs of age. There a few notes of scratching to the centre badge section. The gear selector, with a wooden finish, is in good condition.

Additional images of the cabin area, including the steering wheel, are available in our "Interior Gallery" section to see more details of what the Jensen has to offer.

Mechanics

One of the 1970s' fastest cars, the Chrysler 7.2L V8 with Six-Pack produced ~385BHP from factory, paired to a smooth TorqueFlite automatic transmission, a powerful combination to the road.

Engine and Gearbox

Jensens most powerful car, the 7.2L Chrysler provides impressive performance figures. The big block V8 is coupled to a TorqueFlite automatic transmission which offered a smooth ride whilst out on the road. The car was fitted with a new Edelbrock Performer aluminium intake manifold and Edelbrock 4 barrel carburettor a year ago, replacing the heavy cast iron manifold and a Carter 4 barrel carburettor that was fitted, this to increase reliability and save weight. The car comes with the original Six-Pack as pictured, this was removed some years ago - possibly at the factory as many were.

The engine appears to be in a respectable condition, there a few indications in the engine bay of repair works previously carried out. During our cold start video, you can see and hear the engine start up with no issues, smoke, or unusual noises. The SP performed without any problems and made a beautiful noise with power under the throttle. David tells us the car does not overheat or run hot in traffic, the cooling fans cut in and out correctly and manage the engine temperature in all conditions.

Take a look at our "On the Road" video, where we cover the engine start-up and take the Jensen around the local area to learn more about the car.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs, or other issues with the suspension while on the road, and it gave us no concerns regarding its performance or handling.

The brake callipers and flexi hoses have been replaced under previous ownership, and the brake servo and master cylinders were replaced in the current ownership, around ~2 years ago. With these upgrades, the brakes felt great and were easily able to bring the SP to a stop.

We cover the underside of the car in our 'Mechanical Gallery' section. Head over to our video section, where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view. We take you through the mechanical elements of the car and give you an overview of what's on offer.

The Drive

The Jensen SP experience is all about classic V8 power combined with a luxury cabin. With the smooth Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic transmission and upgraded carburettor, the engine allowed for effortless low-speed driving, comfortable high-speed cruising, and exhilarating high-performance driving whenever desired.

David, the current owner gives us his feedback on the SP, "The car is the ultimate long distance cruiser, it's powerful and comfortable and it sounds great. It creates a stir wherever you go". Our 'On the Road' video offers an overview of the car and its performance while driving.

Electrics and Other

All switches, dials, and gauges appear undamaged and in good condition, just some minor signs of usage, the battery has been replaced in the last two years. The odometer is stuck and has been for some time as per the MOT records, the speedometer is working though. David tells us you can hear the clock clicking a little when driving slowly.

Part of the AC system was replaced in David's ownership, although it had previously worked, it now needs re-gassing and possibly further component replacement from the next owner, David tells us the heater runs lukewarm too it may need checked with the AC. Equally, David has not used the fog lights or window de-mister during his ownership as he has only ever used the car in fair weather, the wipers do work David said the slow speed is quiet slow.

The SP has been upgraded with a Pioneer stereo unit. David mentioned that he hasn't ever used the antenna or stereo system as he prefers the sound of the engine on the open road so we were unable to verify this as working. We did confirm with David that one of the horns was working but didn't test both of the town and country horn variants.

History and Paperwork

Coming to market from ~5 year ownership, this matching numbers rare Interceptor SP, as confirmed by the Jensen club, is a solid example and a great candidate for enjoying as is, or putting the effort in to taking back to factory standard.

The Jensen Interceptor SP featured six throttle chokes via triple Holley carburettors, this car comes with the original manifold and carbs as pictured. Many buyers at the time had this setup removed for reliability, like this car, now featuring a Edelbrock 4 barrel unit which David replaced around a year ago from the heavy cast iron manifold that was on the car. The engine, transmission, and rear axle are all upgraded parts from Chrysler and Salisbury, as originally specified. The car still has its matching number original engine, and it is believed the rest of the driveline is original as well.

The car was refinished in ~June 1986 from the factory original "Jensen Tango" (Yellow) to a "Burnt Orange" with a triple-layer paint. It has previously undergone body sill repairs when it was last painted.

During previous ownership, the brake callipers and flexi hoses were replaced shortly before the current owner purchased the car ~4 years ago. Additionally, the brake servo and master cylinder, low-pressure brake lines, fluid reservoirs, alternator, fan sender, fans and wiring, as well as a radiator flush, were all replaced during David's ownership in September 2021. The Jensen has also had a new exhaust manifold gasket, fuel filter, starter solenoid, and replacement spark plugs in December 2021 and a new battery in September 2021. Elements of the chrome plating were carried out in January 2021.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History
Date Type Mileage
05.08.2024 MOT 79,657
12.09.2019 Ignition Coil, Relay & Solenoid
05.09.2019 Filters & Window Regulator
15.08.2016 MOT 79,657
05.06.2015 MOT 79,657
02.04.2014 MOT 4,100
Key Details
  • ModelInterceptor SP
  • TransmissionAutomatic
  • Reg. Date13.09.1972
  • CC7,212
  • Mileage~79,657 on clock
  • Colour"Burnt Orange"
  • Interior ColourBlack
  • Interior TrimLeather
  • Chassis #1314749
  • Engine #HC10462
  • Matching #sYes
  • Engine RebuildYes
  • MOTYes - Exp 04.08.2025
  • MOT ExemptYes
  • Road Tax ExemptYes
  • HPi ClearYes
  • Former Keepers5
  • Tyre BrandAutogrip
  • Tyre Age2016
  • LHD or RHDRHD
  • VisitedYes
  • Sale TypePrivate
  • Owned~5 years
  • Key FeatureRare model, matching numbers
  • Auction ID2081