AUTO HISTORY
A stunning British sports car when it was introduced in 1972, the Jensen-Healey enjoyed a quick sales bloom that died during the energy crisis of 1973-74.
Donald Healey was a natural engineer, a man with an innate mechanical talent. His engineering training, natural ability and initiative resulted in his name being carried on several cars. Our subject is the last one.
Donald Healey grew up in the Cornish town of Perranporth and after serving in the First World War came home to open an auto repair shop. He participated in motor sports driving his own specials usually powered by Ford V8 engines. He was skilled enough to win the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally driving an Invicta. With his experience and engineering expertise he became technical director of Triumph Motor Co. in Coventry.
Following the Second World War Healey and son Geoff established the Donald Healey Motor Co. in Warwick in 1946. It built a limited number of well regarded cars with mostly Riley and Austin engines, including what was then reputedly the world's fastest production car.
In the early 1950s they developed the Healey Hundred sports car which was adopted by the British Motor Corporation to become the very popular AustinHealey.
He also teamed up with Nash Motor Co. in the United States on the attractive Nash-powered Nash-Healey sports car. His tiny Austin-Healey Sprite introduced in 1958 became a favourite entrylevel sports car.
By 1968 British Leyland, now the parent of the Austin-Healey, decided to discontinue their aging sports car. Although Donald Healey was now 70 he was determined to return to the automobile business.
He contacted an acquaintance, wealthy transplanted Norwegin Kjell Qvale (shell cuv-all-ee), British Leyland’s San Francisco distributor who had suddenly found himself without AustinHealeys to sell.
With Qvale's money and Healey's ingenuity they joined forces to produce an AustinHealey replacement. The A-H's unitized body had been built by Jensen Motors of West Bromwich, Staffordshire, but with Austin-Healey’s demise the Jensen brothers put the company up for sale.
In 1970 Qvale became the majority shareholder in Jensen. He appointed Healey as chairman and they began designing the Austin-Healey replacement Jensen-Healey.
The Jensen-Healey was an open two-passenger unit construction roadster with projected performance higher than the A-H’s. Jensen would assemble it using mechanical components from outside suppliers.
After considering several engines they chose a new Lotus double-overhead cam, aluminum two litre (1,973 cc) 140 horsepower four. Driving through a Sunbeam Rapier fourspeed transmission it was powerful enough to give the desired performance.
They used Vauxhall A-arm-andcoil-spring front suspension, and solid rear axle with coil springs, trailing links and control arms. Steering was rack-and-pinion and brakes were disc front and drum rear.
Styling was pleasant with a 2337 mm (92 in.) wheelbase and overall length of 4115 mm (162 in.). Its hood sloped to the bumper, and admitting cooling air under the bumper eliminated a grille. Headlamps were set back in "sugar scoops" and the tail was chopped off vertically. The snug roadster had front vent-wings, wind-up windows and a folding top that would prove awkward.
Sales began in mid-1972 and Road & Track (12/72) reported "excellent roadholding," although with some "pronounced cowl shake," suggesting more bracing was required. Performance of the 953 kg (2,100 lb) roadster was excellent at zero to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 8.1 seconds and top speed of 193 km/h (120 mph). Its good handling and speed were destined to give the JensenHealeys considerable competition success.
There were some initial quality and engine problems, but production ramped up with some 700 built in 1972, almost 4,000 in '73, and over 4,500 in '74, its best year. Despite such upgrades as a five-speed transmission, higher rear axle ratio and trim enhancements 1975 sales sank to 1,300.
Recovery was tried by adding a small station wagon version with a hatch type rear window and minimal rear seat, a la the Volvo 1800 ES. It was called the Jensen GT, not Jensen-Healey, because Healey and Qvale had parted ways in 1974 following a disagreement over finances.
The little Jensen GT station wagon arrived in 1975 and was priced far higher than the Jensen Healey. The general decline of the company hastened by labour problems doomed the Jensen GT to failure; under 500 were built.
The energy crisis of 1973-1974 had virtually killed the Jensen's big Interceptor model and after just a handful of Jensen-Healeys were produced in 1976 the factory closed its doors.
Donald Healey was disappointed, but surprisingly philosophical at the demise of the last car to bear his name. Although approaching 80 he was eager to develop another car but it was not to be. His career thus ended on a rather unfulfilling note for the man whose name had adorned so many popular models. He died in Truro, Cornwall in 1988 at age 89.
Although the Jensen-Healey was not officially imported into Canada, some found their way in privately.