Lot Ended
Description
Stalled restoration; original fully rebuilt Lotus engine included;
currently fitted with a Vauxhall Magnum 2.3 engine; new set of Pirelli
tyres; sound body shell; many spares; one of fewer than 450 surviving;
a rewarding project for someone
Produced between
1972 and 1976, the Jensen-Healey was a collaboration between Jensen Motors and
Donald Healey and was intended to both fill the void left by the Healey
3000 and provide a sophisticated alternative to the ageing MGB and Triumph
TR6.
The car’s trump card was Colin Chapman’s new
2.0 litre, 16-valve, all-aluminium Lotus 907 twin-cam engine. Pushing out some
144bhp and driving through a 4-speed manual box, it could launch the Jensen
Healey to 60mph in 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 120mph and 30mpg
economy.
Bluffly handsome with sharp-edged
Sixties lines and a Kamm tail, it had a notably stiff shell thanks to its Barry
Bilbie-designed unitary body understructure, with bolt-on panels which made it
easy to repair and kept insurance costs down.
Fast and agile, the Healey was praised by the motoring
press but reliability issues with the early cars meant that sales never really
took off, only around 10,000 being built in total, most of which went to
America, with a mere 2,000 or so in RHD for the UK market.
As the
Heritage Certificate confirms, this Jensen Healey Mk1 was built in December 1972
finished in blue with a black interior. First registered in Staffordshire in
January 1973, it has had five owners since, our vendor acquiring it in early
2023 from a gent in Cannock who had owned it for the previous 27
years.
When the original Lotus engine developed a
fault, the previous owner took it out to get it rebuilt and put a Vauxhall
Magnum 2.3 engine in as a temporary measure so he could continue to use the car.
(This was a logical transplant because Jensen had originally planned to use the
Vauxhall engine after testing it in the prototype Healeys so it slotted straight
in, but when Colin Chapman subsequently offered them the more powerful Lotus
engine they opted for that instead).
The
previous owner did indeed get the original Lotus engine rebuilt but he
subsequently fell ill and sold the car to the current owner with the engine yet
to be fitted. We are told that the Lotus engine is still in good shape and has
been regularly oiled and turned to keep it free. We are further told that
the Vauxhall Magnum engine currently fitted is also in good working order
so, for an easy life, you could just leave that in and sell the Lotus
engine to fund the restoration...
Six old
MOTs and various old tax discs show that the car was in regular light use from
1987 - 2001, clocking up just under 11,000 miles during this 14-year period. The
odometer was showing 78,184 miles at the last MOT in June 2001 so it has
presumably not turned a wheel since as the same total is still displayed
today.
There are various invoices for upkeep in
the late 1990s/early Noughties, including a new green tinted windscreen in March
1998. Our vendor has also fitted a new set of Pirelli tyres and sourced a new
set of carpets and underlay which are stored in the boot along with the door
cards, various trim parts etc.
We are told that
the car is complete and comes with many spares including what looks like the
majority of perhaps two spare Lotus engines (dismantled) plus a steering rack,
dynamo, starter motor etc. Bidders are encouraged to come and see all these
parts for themselves as we do not have a comprehensive list. The vendor
estimates that the spares alone are worth over £4,000.
These Jensen Healey models are getting very thin on the ground these
days, with only around 260 still licensed in the UK and another 180 or so on
SORN. Given that the last roadworthy one we sold made over £15k in 2021, this
solid example, with its freshly rebuilt original Lotus engine, should make a
worthwhile project for someone.
An active
owner’s club will provide plenty of encouragement and expertise, with good parts
supply from Martin Robey of Nuneaton. On offer here at no reserve, the best bid
takes it home.
Consigned by James Dennison –
07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com