STILL OVERLOOKED BY MUCH OF THE MOVEMENT, BUT WITH NO GOOD REASON
ENGINE 1973cc/4-cyl/DOHC POWER 140bhp @ 6500rpm TORQUE 134lb ft@6500rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 120mph 0-60MPH 8SEC FUEL CONSUMPTION 18-25mpg TRANSMISSION RWD 4-/5-sp man ENGINE OIL Castrol Classic XL20w/50 7.5 litres TRANSMISSION OIL Castrol Classic XL20w/50 1.5 litres
Just what is it about the Jensen-Healey that means it’s still seeking universal acceptance in the classic movement? While enthusiasts chase a seemingly endless stream of MGBs and GT6s, they could be buying a slice of early- to midSeventies British sporting greatness carrying the still-vaunted ‘Healey moniker.
But this car never had mainstream sporting products as its rivals: the Jensen-Healey, in both convertible and sporting estate guises, was way more like a Reliant Scimitar, Gilbern Invader or Lotus Elite. In fact, the ‘Healey used the recentlylaunched Lotus 907 16-valve engine with twin Dell’Ortos and a Chrysler-sourced five-speed gearbox.
Vauxhall provided the front subframe and rear axle, as well as the disc/drum braking set-up, so the template for a reliable car was clearly in the making. Add in the bolt-on front and rear wings and here was a car that, on paper at least, should have been both reliable and surprisingly easy to run.
Sadly, the reality was rather different. Quality issues with the car’s construction surfaced straightaway (as if Jensen had learned nothing from its Volvo P1800 bodybuilding…) while the Lotus engine was unreliable.
The upshot was an improved MkII model, launched in 1973, just a year after the car’s debut. This was the car it should always have been, with improvements extending right through to the soundproofing, and five-speed Getrag gearbox. Two year later the GT – a sporting estate derivative – was launched but it had its work cut out in a small market dominated by the Reliant Scimitar and partially fulfilled by Gilbern’s estate. Figures suggest that the Jensen-Healey makes up more than half of the Jensen cars built, and its name, fusing two accomplished British car makes and engineers, deserved greater success. And it does today, but a general lack of Jensen-Healey awareness in the market means that anyone looking for one of these relatively plain yet competent motors won’t be paying a lot to enjoy a car that’s pleasingly unusual.
The convertible derivative means that comparisons with MGB Roadsters will be inevitable. The Lotus engine gives the car its sophistication, but also damaged the car’s reputation and image in its infancy, much like the Triumph Stag’s turbulent early days. Now, like the Stag, JensenHealey survivors have, generally, been sorted out mechanically and good ones are highly entertaining, useful drivers’ cars. It’s more involving than an MGB – the engine is a delight once it’s properly sorted – and there are specialists to keep these cars in fine fettle. The caveat is that many examples on the market are scruffy, poorly-maintained cars that will cost too much to put right, while better, on-the-button ones won’t cost that much more due to the market’s lack of understanding.
So, two great names in a rare, yet intensely affordable and attractive package – so the question remains: why aren’t they more popular?