Probably the greatest name a car has ever had

I was a typical broke USAF Staff Sgt stationed in the UK in the mid 70's who by chance teamed up with another Staff Sgt who came from a very rich family and was doing a bit of "slumming" with us. He bought one of these Jensen Interceptors just for something to drive. We made many a pleasant road trip from RAF Alconbury to London in it and I will never forget the experience. I just happened to stumble onto this episode late one night. Thanks Jay!

@bighands69

3 жыл бұрын

Your staff Sgt salary in the US military was higher than the normal salary at the time in the UK. In the UK any car above a 1.3 liter displacement was considered a premium car in the 1970s. You could have had a Mustang, Charger or Corvette in the US for a lot less than a Jensen car was in the late 60s or 1970s.

@1164mat

2 жыл бұрын

straight blatt down the A1 i guess

@robertmanfredthurrigl9424

2 жыл бұрын

by chance teamed up with another Staff Sgt who came from a very rich family and was doing a bit of "slumming" with us HAH HAH NOW THAT IS FUNNY !!!!

@philipmccarthy6175

Жыл бұрын

@@bighands69 The thing about engine size is an American thing . Most of those 60's & 70's American 5 & 6 litre V8's were woefully underpowered and most European cars with 2 to 3 litre engined were more powerful and better engineered. Still the case today and the build quality is superior (still).

@bighands69

Жыл бұрын

@@philipmccarthy6175 You are living in a fantasy if you think a European 2 litre was more powerful than an American 5 litre. A Mustang GT with a 5 litre engine produced 225 hp a Jaguar Mark 2 produced 120 hp from a 2.5 litre engine. A 3.8 litre MK2 had 190 hp. Those cars were twice as expensive as the Mustang and did not produce the same HP. If you are talking about larger vehicles it was not the horsepower that matter it was the torque and the application of power that made them very smooth to drive. A boxy little 1 litre engine that was very unstable was not as nice to drive.

As a kid growing up in England in the 70’s these were off the scale exotic!

@MrTubbymarshall

4 жыл бұрын

doogaltube true. We had the Gill family near us, the leisure clothing line family. They had one. It was a sight as he drive out his gravel drive. Just oooooooozed style and prestige.

@16rumpole

4 жыл бұрын

I remember them too. I would love to have one.

@millomweb

4 жыл бұрын

Likely the first car I saw with electric windows. I'd be about 8 years old at the time.

@michaelharrison1093

3 жыл бұрын

As a kid growing up in England I got to experience first hand what they were like when the rear end stepped out in the wet - I can still remember that vividly to this day. I can also remember the stereo which had an 8-track player. This was like some kind of alien technology that no other british cars had back then.

@ML-dl1cp

3 жыл бұрын

My dad (in Brighton) had not one but two (sequentially, not at the same time). He was constantly frustrated with their unreliability but he LOVED driving them when they worked.

That shirt hes wearing is hypnotizing me

@championthewonderhorse9733

3 жыл бұрын

The very definition of moire

@AsinineComment

3 жыл бұрын

The effect is called 'strobing'. It's odd that after all his years in t.v., Jay had no spare shirt for the weirdly sniffing guest.

@dooombringerrr

3 жыл бұрын

He's like The Predator from that film.

@johndrake2729

3 жыл бұрын

Not as much as the car itself.

@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261

3 жыл бұрын

@@dooombringerrr Oh yeah, that film about the Predator! What did they call it?

Without doubt, bar none, no argument, thee coolest name for any car ever, period.

@davekp6773

5 жыл бұрын

Monty Zuma True. The Kia interceptor. The Hyundai Interceptor, the Tata interceptor.

@ZGryphon

5 жыл бұрын

I put it just barely second to the Mercury Marauder, but mostly because of the alliteration.

@justas525

5 жыл бұрын

Jeremy Clarkson: should we take The Interceptor tonight darling ?

@realMaverickBuckley

5 жыл бұрын

@Dean Blake You don't think 'Interceptor' is a cool name ?

@DAP-mi7ck

4 жыл бұрын

You could be right.

I used to sell these in the 70”s...just put them behind the wheel..turn up the eight track player and cruise through the hills...instant sell. Love it....and you should see it as a convertible....wow

@paulfrancis6059

4 жыл бұрын

I knew someone with the convertible in the 70's .. a beautiful motor!

@ashsundar6117

4 жыл бұрын

Wow. I didn't. Know there was a convertible!..

@rocksteele6926

4 жыл бұрын

I have driven the convertible. Great car. My girlfriend's father is a collector of vintage cars.

@bighands69

3 жыл бұрын

They were a rich persons car in the UK like Aston, Jag or Bentley.

@pedinhuh16

3 жыл бұрын

@@bighands69 funnily enough, I heard they had the pricetag and maintenance costs, but commanded none of the glamour purely because they weren't a Jag, AM or Bentley. Pure nonsense if you ask me, this car is miles ahead.

Very Cool car, I give the owner a lot of credit for driving it to CA. from MA....

This is amazing especially when you realize this isn't scripted and is an off the cuff conversation. And Jay is actually listening to his guests. These interviews go really well when the owner actually holds the convo up.

It’s noteworthy that there is a lot of love for this car out there judging by the comments👍

That was one of the most genuine and comfortable dialogues yet between Jay and an owner. Also, I love the family inputs with the restoration of this car. It doesn't get more honest. Neat episode.

@JMichael2x2

Жыл бұрын

I agree, it was a most pleasant dialogue - relaxed, and so natural.

@kimfielding8010

10 ай бұрын

Respect to Mom n Sis on your classy interior work, Made with love....... But its a Jensen💰

They were made in West Bromwich - I used to see them being roadtested when I was a young man.

@tedrising4639

4 жыл бұрын

"Labor omnia vincit," - Baggies!

@wingcommanderdaltonwalton67

4 жыл бұрын

Rob Williams come on yow baggiz

@richlee509

4 жыл бұрын

Kelvin Ways Finest

@matthewwilliams9288

3 жыл бұрын

That'd be a great sight!

@gord307

3 жыл бұрын

Hello from Coseley :-)

An all-time personal favorite. The 440 has long been one of my favorite mills, but when wrapped in this sheet metal...put me in the “lust” camp for an Interceptor.

the owner is very likable, could listen to him and Jay talking for hours

@ilcool90

7 жыл бұрын

Same here

@dleetr

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, once you got over the unfortunate sniffling which was unavoidable, he knows his stuff, he was attentive to keeping the flow of the interaction going and had a pleasant demeanor. And didn't look bad on camera either. Good job mate.

@krutoysilnostarina

7 жыл бұрын

you're gay

@purplexenno

7 жыл бұрын

true, but that shirt is causing me to get a headache because of the moire pattern.

@willemp6432

7 жыл бұрын

But he should blow his fu......g nose....AAAGH!

One of the truly cool cars of all time. My cousin had one in London. In 1972 we were visiting from the states for another cousin's wedding there. A bunch of us crammed into the Jensen for the bachelor party that went until the early morning hours. As the youngest (17) I was crammed in the trunk under the bubble window as we careened around London from bar to bar and club to club. It was one of the best nights of my life, and the Interceptor played a significant role.

My Dad had one of the first Interceptors but it was a complete dog as the early bodies were built in Turin and it leaked like a sieve. Also they didn’t have limited slip diff and it kept scrubbing tyres on the windy roads in Italy when he used to drive over to the ancestral town. Eventually Jensen swapped it for a later model. The first was a metallic blue, and the replacement was a metallic sand colour with a black vinyl roof. As a kid I loved the growl of that beefy engine. Another story, we had a young beagle puppy which managed to get into the garage and into the car as Dad had left the window open. It proceeded to destroy the Connolly leather interior. Needless to say, after nearly being launched into orbit, the dog was returned to the kennels!

It still manages to be beautiful. The lines, angles, curves and sweeps. The car is just beyond criticism for looks.

Jay's shirt takes you back in time. That guy's shirts bends time itself.

@nkelly.9

10 күн бұрын

At 11:19 Jay's belt can be seen not going through the loop on his jeans on his left side. At 12:53 this is rectified. I guess they cut that bit out. Hollywood.

This guy was one of the most chill, likable guests I've seen on this channel. And I love the Interceptor. Really enjoyed this video a lot.

@lolafinch

6 жыл бұрын

Sensi Bleb - His shirt moires like eff too.

@Grom-rl8bm

10 ай бұрын

His runny nose was irritating, but good guy!

I could listen to him teach us all day long . And I dropped out . He is teaching , not just saying “I know everything “ . Never thought much of Jay Leno , but I love Jay Lenos Garage :)

I remember back in 1974, because of the "oil shortage" the gov came out with a list of cars and their proposed m.p.g. (miles per gallon). The Jensen Interceptor had the honor of having the worst rating. I believe it was about 5 mpg. Of course, it instantly became one of my favorite cars.

@johnsaccoccio7373

5 жыл бұрын

What a memory! A fellow student took his dad's to school one day (Danvers MA), must have been 1975, and that car ripped around campus all day. Bravo keeping it alive and beautiful all this time!

@jacobusderottmann1000

4 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I had a 5 ton motorhome with a 440 and it got 5 to 6 mpg initially, and 9 mpg highway after Z-Max engine and transmission treatments. Most applications in cars are geared too low. 440s will launch a 2 ton car very well with the tallest differential gears you can put behind it.

@larryjohnstone6260

4 жыл бұрын

The 1973 fake oil scandal! Lol

@garynew9637

4 жыл бұрын

Haha

@ammoalamo6485

4 жыл бұрын

@@larryjohnstone6260 It wasn't a fake scandal, it was a real scandal! Of course if they had shale oil, fracking, deep-water drilling, and all the North Slope and other harsh environment wells, plus a few decades in well drilling and extraction improvements, there would never have been an OPEC - created shortage. Now OPEC is crying in their beards, o boo hoo we are running out of oil please Mr USA don't push the prices down again... The idea of peak oil was true, except it failed to anticipate the new tech that found so much more oil that could be extracted. We will still reach a peak oil point, sometime in the future, but no one is worried about it today.

I worked for a Chrysler dealer in the 70s who also sold Jensen's. I was lucky enough to get to drive some of them when they were new.

@JAZZZZZ8

6 жыл бұрын

Let ya drive mine when I finish the restoration

Always thought this should have been a Bond car...as a kid growing up in the UK, it always turned my head...still love the look!

@mariogiresi6792

5 жыл бұрын

If I’m not mistaken this car was featured in OHMSS 1969. I’ll have to check.

@drsnz

5 жыл бұрын

@@mariogiresi6792 Nope - OHMSS was Aston Martin DBs. The Jensen Interceptor was driven by the British agent Quiller in some of the books

@mariogiresi6792

5 жыл бұрын

drsnz Thank you!

@dennisdreyer1439

4 жыл бұрын

A 1973 Jensen Interceptor was featured as DI Thomas Lynley’s car in the BBC One series Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Around the third season Lynley traded the Jensen for a 1969 Bristol 410. Perhaps they were competing against Inspector Morse' iconic Mark 2 Jag for the classiest car on TV?

@rcr76

4 жыл бұрын

Whenever I see a reliant scimitar coming in th the distance I think oh sweet a interceptor.

Worked at a Rolls Royce dealership in West Palm Beach back in the mid 70's. We also sold these. I loved these. I was a 18-19 years old mechanic. They had great seats and the best Lear 8-track going. I got to drive them every week or two.

Back in 1971, I worked for a short time at an Opel dealership in Dublin, Ireland. The place was in the city centre and in a fairly old building. Opel had just introduced its Ascona and the sexier Manta. One afternoon, a large lump of ceiling dropped smack onto the roof of a lovely metallic blue Manta sitting on the showroom floor. The rest of the car dusted off clean but the roof was in a sad state. One week later, a blue Manta with a black vinyl roof and a slight increase in price sat under the repaired ceiling. Always loved the Interceptor. Thanks for sharing your passion.

@zodrob7

4 жыл бұрын

I always quite liked the Manta, don't see any of them at all now

@bighands69

3 жыл бұрын

The Manta and Escort MK1 were sort of copying the likes of Dodge chargers and Mustangs and they were beautiful in their own right. Opel today is a sad shadow of its previous designs.

Jay Leno's Garage is America's classiest, most insightfully informative automotive show. Totally fantastic Mr Leno and thank you very much indeed.

@mironsiembida3786

5 жыл бұрын

Jeremy even we Europeans admire JL garage !

@robertmanfredthurrigl9424

4 жыл бұрын

Jay Leno is a cool bloke. Jeremy Clarkson from top gear fancied himself as a comedian which is why i never liked watching his naff show . This is how i like it . Laid back informative and justthe stats . Forget comedy!

@dennelclayton5188

4 жыл бұрын

Yes thanks indeed, I enjoy and learn so much information from watching his show.

@peterfeltham8065

4 жыл бұрын

@@robertmanfredthurrigl9424 Bang on Robert,totally agree.But you failed to mention one thing....Clarkson is rude,Leno has manners.

i'm proud to be british and I'm also proud that my American brothers also love this car, what a fine example of the best named car INTERCEPTOR. sounds so sweet too.

@epbrown01

7 жыл бұрын

I've got a Moto Guzzi 850t (see profile pic) and those were called Interceptors too. I vaguely recall there were other vehicles that used it too.

@robertmanfredthurrigl9424

4 жыл бұрын

In the first MAD MAX film his initial yellow high way patrol car had INTERCEPTOR written on it.

@garynew9637

4 жыл бұрын

Mad Max would downvote this.

@frufru0071

4 жыл бұрын

Mikael Jensen I should hope so! Did you like it so much that you bought the company? Oops! I’m confusing Jensen with Remington (shavers), & a man named Victor Kermit Kiam II, so, never mind me. I digress...

@hulado

4 жыл бұрын

of course ford had the interceptor also. a cop car. pursuit styling.

I remember the summer I was 14, my dad got a call from someone who needed towing and repair (I didn't know it a the time, but the vehicle in question was an Interceptor in dark blue metallic). My dad ordered one of the mechanics to take our sturdy Land Rover Defender 110, to go pick up the Jensen, and I was going along as a 'chaffeur' (solely for steering and applying the brakes (when needed!), getting the towed car back to our garage. This happened on an island at the coast of Norway in the late sixties, at the time there was only gravel roads all over the island, and the story went like this: An English couple had driven all the way from somewhere in England, they was to visit family on our island, and in an attempt to get up to the farm they were headed, the car hit a big rock protruding up from the middle of the old farm road, knocking a considerable hole in the engine's aluminum oil pan (the owner obviously assumed there was 'enough' of a clearing to pass over!) . . . By the help of a tractor, they had maneuvered the Interceptor back down to the main road, where it was waiting for us. The mechanic attached a solid piece of chain between the two (British!) cars, and so we started our journey back, a distance of about 20 km (12,5 miles). The trip went well, but I was sweating like a pig at the end, and my right foot was almost _cramped_ from braking the heavy car all throughout the towing! . . . I remember that the oil pan had to be sent to the closest city for to be properly mended (welded). It took a few days, and when it was at last fitted back on the car, the proper amount of oil filled, and the same (totally car nut!) mechanic started it up, he of course _had_ to 'test' that all was ship shape: I will _never_ forget 'throaty' roar from the powerful engine and the *_HUGE_* amount of gravel that was spun out from under the rear wheels - as he accelerated along the stretch of road in front of our garage! . . . . Funny how some things will stick with you . . .😄

They just rusted away in the UK so its great to see one being used the way it should be used and being wonderfully looked after into the bargain. What a treat to watch, thank you Jay and Mark

i like it when an owner does his own restoration and mods, and is knowlegable about the make history, Mark thanks for making the trip. super nice car! though you did look a little nervous when jay was driving.

Great episode Jay and a real blast back to my teens. When I was 16, my very first job was as a trainee at a local resto shop here in the UK and I'd only been there for a few days when a guy brought in a 71 Interceptor for work. The car in question only had 270 miles on the clock. It had been bought new, unfortunately the original owner passed away shortly after purchasing the car, so it had been left sitting in a damp wooden garage which eventually collapsed onto the car. Well roll forward to 1983 and it came into the shop with for bodywork etc. The car had never been run in all that time so there was work to be done, obviously I wanted to be involved with it. At that time I'd already built my first car on the drive at home, a British Ford Consul powered by a Ford 302, furthermore I'd spent a lot of time hanging around with a friend of the family helping and working on his cars. He owned both a 69 Ford LTD 429 and a 70 Chrysler 300 with the 440 so felt confident enough to tackle a Jensen's 440, but the older guys there would have none of it. Anyway long story short they couldn't get it to fire up, however I had already spotted the problem. They had the plug wires hooked up as if for Big Block Ford, and I knew the 440's were different. I tried telling them but I was 16 and hand;'t even been there a week so I was ignored. Well during lunch I went out to the car and was just standing looking at the engine when the owner of the shop walked in. He asked what I was doing and I just said looking, Any we begin chatting, like me he was a huge American car fan, at that time he had a 70 Cougar and a 75 F250, actually I think that was why I got the job in the first place. However, as we talked I mentioned I thought they had the plug wire on wrong so he just said, well put them right. So I did and it fired straight up. Obviously;y that did not go down well with the older guys at the shop, one of whom did everything he could to make my life hell from that point on! Thankfully, a couple of the other guys were cool and I ended up working on the car with them for over a year. Sadly the shop went out of business before the car was completed so I never got to see it finished, but, I did drive it a few times on the country lanes around the town. You know just to be sure things were working correctly, but it was such a cool experience!

@neilgibbons2532

6 жыл бұрын

cheyennedogsoldiers nice little story i almost cried jus kid n good job

@jacobusderottmann1000

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this. In the 70s, a young friend (maybe 20 at the time, looked younger) and his cousins were out looking for possible project cars. They stopped at a junkyard to ask about one they had seen in the yard and found three middle aged guys including the business owner around a Chrysler cussing it profusely. Cranking it was not working. The young guys were into Mopars, and my friend started trying to explain about the distributor. The older guys glared at him and the owner said that if he was so smart, he'd sell the car to him for $100 on condition it was out of his shop in 15 minutes and off his property by closing time. $100 and a title exchange later, they pushed it outside, my friend loosened the distributor and turned the symmetrical shaft 180 degrees and set it back in... and cranked it up. The fellows inside looked out and glared again. And the young Mopar dudes drove it away.

I’m a guy who’s usually into BMWs, Porsches and 90s JDM stuff but the Jenson Interceptor just gave me so much joy the first time I’d seen one and still does for some reason. It’s my favourite car, just brilliantly cool and unique idc if the dynamics aren’t anything like my e92 335i, I’d be happy to just cruise along in comfort doing smooth overtakes when needed.

This Jensen is one of the best cars who had ever shown here! Thank you, gentlemen!

Hooligans. Jay Leno is an unaffected, naturally funny guy. Two relaxed individuals talking knowledgeablely about an automobile built in small numbers for a small market. This episode is a classic. The exhaust cutout is a classic. Way to go,thanks and Merry Christmas, Jay.Ya done good.

@deeremeyer1749

6 жыл бұрын

Great. You can blow them later.

@stevecamp06

6 жыл бұрын

Any blowing probably happened a while back mate.

@joecebu2791

5 жыл бұрын

@@deeremeyer1749 You had to go there. Homophobe much?

@bigredc222

5 жыл бұрын

I was thinking it would nice if Jay took him to dinner or did something else with him, the guy drove 3000 miles, it would be cool to just hang out in the shop for a few days looking at everything, maybe lend a hand.

I always have a strong urge to take a drive every time I watch one of Jay's videos, regardless of the car or bike he features. He's a true gearhead! Right on!

@Vicus_of_Utrecht

11 ай бұрын

Finding this channel really brings back my gearhead passion

One of the most stylish and iconic GT cars ever made and I just love them.

When I was in the Navy and going to an NSA school at Ft. Meade in 74, our captain owned one that was identical to this one. She drove it like a maniac!

European style with American grunt. What a combination. Thanks for the video Jay and Mark.

@trespire

7 жыл бұрын

and Italian styling.

@elliottanderson2453

7 жыл бұрын

trespire No offence but Italy is in Europe.

@davekp6773

5 жыл бұрын

Stag (Rover V8 started off as a Buick) Cobra (AC Ace) and Ford GT40 also in this family of cars.

I love the look of these cars, first introduced to them on old Top Gear episodes and have just fell in love with their looks. Old School British muscle.

Absolute CLASSIC classy car from back in the day.....The guy did a fantastic job restoring this beauty and big respect to his Mum and sister for taking care of the interior........ Awesome.

One of my friends Dad had one of these Jensens, I'll never forget the couple of times that he took me for a drive.. It was even the same colour.. I've got a huge respect for these cars !

The last time I saw one of those was on the old Top Gear show.

@iot1452

7 жыл бұрын

buckaroobonsi555 It was featured on The Grand Tour too. In the first of the two episodes in England. Also, in Fast and Furious 6. 😁

@boleynali

7 жыл бұрын

Wheeler Dealers did a restoration on one some time ago.

@buckaroobonsi555

7 жыл бұрын

I have not watched "The Grand Tour" yet. I am proud to say I have not watched a Fast and Furious past the second one. The first one was a bit too cheesy for me and the second one was not much better and the bits and pieces I have scene of the other's is just dreadful. I can not stand movies designed for 12 year old....So no bullets sparking off glass or not penetrating glass or a car door, exploding fuel tanks and all the other stupid Hollywood stuff just does not do it for me! At least on TopGear when they got up to stupid stuff they actually did it in real life no CGI etc...Most movies once yo get past part II it is all down hill look at horror movies and the stupid nonsense that we get with X-Men and Spider-man and the like with constant re-boots and time lines that zig and zag all over the place etc...

@wavejumpinseadoo

7 жыл бұрын

The Grand Tour is not Top Gear. It can't be for legal reasons. Some of it is really stupid honestly. In every episode so far (there have been 5 until now) rather than appear on the show, celebrities end up dying before they make it to the stage to play some game that hasn't been played yet. And every episode James May makes the same stupid joke asking "So that means they aren't coming on the show?" and Richard Hammond explains, in graphic detail, why the celebrity will not appear on the show. But aside from that, it's actually pretty good and a lot like what Top Gear was.

@DogsBAwesome

7 жыл бұрын

I saw a trailer for the next F&F movie and it looks a right bag of bollocks.

One of the best episodes in a while. Mark seemed like a real stand up guy and he was realistic with the car. He likes the nostalgia, but isn't afraid to improve the car with modern/better parts.

Lovely to see an owner on screen with such a passion and knowledge of his car :)This is possibly the video on YT that has made me smile and chuckle more than any other.

Jensen interceptor, that has to be one of the greatest car names ever. I saw one in Aldershot England in the late 70s a car to behold. Great video as always Jay, lovely guest. Wonderful. John

High praise to his mom and sister for helping with the interior.

@plane_guy6051

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you mentioned that. His sister did an AMAZING job restoring that leather and it must have been a horrible job so I hope he paid her well and didn't just take advantage of his family like some people do.

A beautiful vehicle, featured in the classic "The Interceptors" along with great actors like James Steed, Roger St. Hammond and Jason Clarkson.

@garygritter5701

2 жыл бұрын

Yea I remember that, great series.

Thanks to Jay and Mark. This car is vaguely familiar and I think I might have seen one once or twice in a lifetime pre-adolesence in the US or France. What a beautiful car. By the way excellenct photography from the people doing the filming on the drive. IT was at this time that I realized the beauty of the rear glass hatch. Thanks again to Mark for Driving and Jay for hosting what is a unique vehicle and interesting part of British automotive history.

Very enjoyable episode! Love Jay's relaxed manner and sense of humor. I was in stitches when he was ribbing the owner about the work on the car done by all his family members, and when he did his impression of a Mercedes air conditioning unit kicking in compared to a Caddy. Guys love cars. Thanks Jay.

One of THE coolest cars of all time

Thanks Jay. This was a nice Christmas surprise. There were no awkward moments and Mark was a really smart car guy too. You both complemented each other.

Hi there Jay - Love your programs. My Jensen story… I was crashing at an old Churchhouse in Old Windsor about 1963 when the I spotted this silver jensen locked up in the driveway. The owner was away so I used a spyglass to look through the rear window and took down the ignition key number. A local garage provided me with a ‘Replacement’ key (no questions asked) and it fitted the drivers door as well…BINGO. along with three friends I gunned the three litre Chrysler engine to near on a hundred mile an hour up the three lane highway alongside Virginia Water on the A30 and even the screams of my ‘passengers’ couldn’t spoil my enthusiasm for dodging the oncoming traffic. Later that night I parked up this wonder car in the driveway and no one was any the wiser - up til now!

@mwilliamshs

3 жыл бұрын

A Chrysler 440ci is more like 7.3 liters, not 3L

I’ve lusted after one of these cars since I was first aware of cars on the road. It also has the sexiest rear window of any car ever! 😎

This is the best kind of guest in my opinion in every way, not on my top list car but I was stuck to the screen because it was like a very friendly and calm jokes, a gentleman's conversation, simply brilliant ! Cheers from Portugal !

sounds like Mark picked up that cold everyone is getting on his cross country trip (sniff)

@wardenerbros

7 жыл бұрын

I counted 86 sniffs, forgot about the car and skipped video

@MarvelousWesty

7 жыл бұрын

simensays better call your therapist's after hours emergency line for a session.

@wardenerbros

7 жыл бұрын

@MarvelousWesty Yup, that's probably more correct than your grammar...

@Three_Random_Words

7 жыл бұрын

I didn't consciously pick up the sniffing, but his mannerisms, speaking style (and yes the sniffs) reminds of actor James Woods acting style. I like Woods and I'm not anal-retentive so I kept watching. Simon I hope my grammar and punctuation had some vex worthiness.

@MarvelousWesty

7 жыл бұрын

simensays nice edit. 😂

I've loved these Jensens for ever. Beautiful shape, interiour, tech, sound. This one is very nice in the old school Englisch colours.

Great to see this vehicle. When I was a child I knew a bloke up the road from my family who had a Jensen Interceptor and it was like something from a different planet. Lovely to see it... thank you guys 😊

tons of respect for making that trip

The large rear glass reminds me of the 1st gen Barracuda. Thanks for showing the car!

@eldo59

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah a British version of the Cuda with a V-12.

@yuppiemobile69

4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, it also looks a little pre-Pacer, imho, and the rear of the car looks like its weighted down more than front...perhaps b/c it is?

My neighbor had one in purple & I loved going in the rear, so comfortable & awesome stereo. my dad had mk1 Capri Ghia which did look a bit like the Interceptor & cool car but nothing close to the Jensen

His Sister did an incredible job with that interior!! That's a beautiful car.

When I was a kid, I had a Matchbox Jensen...had never seen one before that. Loved the design for that time period. I really like the rear roofline and window.

@Onesize17

5 жыл бұрын

I still have one. Never saw the actual car until this show.

@andrewphippsphillips1455

4 жыл бұрын

Have a look about and search "Corgi Whizzwheels Jensen" and you may well find a miniature 2"/3" version of the Interceptor. I have one intact and another I'm tidying up, it just needs new wheels that will give it a decent low ride look....

@fishhuntadventure

4 жыл бұрын

I had one (matchbox) but I didn’t know... I thought it was as a showcase custom built to advertise car stereos...

@ammoalamo6485

4 жыл бұрын

@Squirmin Herman the one eyed German That's called OC for Obsessive Compulsive. What good are the little cars sitting in the box? They were made to zoom around the floor on imaginary roads, or in a kid's hand driving on the back of the couch, or even run through the plastic roads in a kit. At least buy two, and let some kids play with the spares. Geeezz.

@gustavochinchilla4324

3 жыл бұрын

@@andrewphippsphillips1455 Woow, as a diecast collector, i will find one for my collection, tanks for the information

That cars me! I'm British, born in '74...... only difference is I'm in dire need of a body-off restoration whereas that car looks mint!

@gollypo448

7 жыл бұрын

How odd: "Hooligan switch" popped into my head just before Jay said it. LOL

Beautiful car...beautiful name for a car too.Jensen Interceptor.top ride Thank you..Jay & Mark..loved your info i too had a love affair for the JI...in 1974 a town called Naracoorte South Australia,my dad and i met a man who lived there 7.30 pm sitting in the pub & owned a grey looking FF Jensen, we went outside then went powering out the road around these severe corners at 110 mph.. sign said 60 mph..it was awesome..said the 7.2 liter would do 140mph about..it did feel solid cornering & grunty, many yrs later i bought a yellow JI 5K deceased estate,owned for a yr,very pricy to fix & get parts and traded for a Mitsubishi Starion..i wish i had kept it.!

Jensen Interceptor one of the best designs from Europe. Jay again shows off his vast knowledge. This dude is very nice to allow someone to really open up the engine on the drive. Very cool car. Thanks!

The way the camera picks up that guys shirt is fkn trippy lol

@ericbarnett6771

7 жыл бұрын

Beat me to it. Who approved that shirt for on-camera?

@sclogse1

7 жыл бұрын

I had the moire problem when I first used my Canon 5D Mark II. I was trying to shoot a nightime film noir, and distant grids on the San Francisco piers were going crazy. New camera...so it took some time before I realized that if I shot with a tripod, I could take plates of the scene and layer them over the action later in photoshop. That even got rid of digital noise in shadows...

@Rocketninja200

7 жыл бұрын

I know! He looks like a cuddle fish!

5 жыл бұрын

Like window blinds in the wind.

I like Mark. He's from Massachusetts, but I like him anyway.

@burlatsdemontaigne6147

7 жыл бұрын

I think he's from England originally. Very pleasant chap.

@drewb242

7 жыл бұрын

He doesn't seem like your average masshole.

When I was a kid, I owned three of these!!!

@vcolinc

4 жыл бұрын

I had two: one mustard yellow and another in royal blue, but I would have loved a green one like this.

Back in the mid 60's Sir Matt Busby manager of Man. Utd football club had a Jenson Interseptor car. Even after 50 odd years I can remember him exiting his on match day opposite the main entrance to Old Trafford football ground.

This car is special, you have a Italian Design, a 440 Big Block V8 from the USA and its made in England :D

@davem5333

5 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately American engines from that era (1970-1977) ran like sh!t. Strangled by emission control, stalling, poor gas mileage.

@SvenTviking

5 жыл бұрын

Daytona 6263 Probably not at Jensen as they were a small company. Leyland, Ford and Vauxhall (GM) were infiltrated by Union shop stewards who were literally officers in the KGB. They would strike for the slightest thing, regularly, and this, plus some very underwhelming design at Leyland, later Rover cars, slowly killed them. Ford built better cars but still moved major production to Germany. Vauxhall, by some miracle, are still going. They didn’t bother infiltrating the smaller businesses like Jensen, Morgan, Panther, Lotus etc.

@SvenTviking

5 жыл бұрын

Daytona 6263 It’s probably prettier than most Ferraris. There are a LOT of ugly Ferraris. The Interceptor is actually classic Italian design, like the TR6.

@tskraj3190

5 жыл бұрын

@@SvenTviking Actually Ford built the worst cars in the 1970s in the United States. Ford was having alot of issues with the "Brain Box", our first automotive computer that controlled emissions, fuel pressure and ignition voltage. Chrysler was having issues with the Torqueflite transmissions and the porcelain emission control valve. GM's issue was they went overboard on their Catalytic Converter filters and they were plugging up very quickly and their electronic carburetors not feeding or overfeeding fuel to the engine.

@NightMoves1969

5 жыл бұрын

@@davem5333 he fixed that with fuel injection and hopefully higher compression pistons during the rebuild.

This brought back memories of cruising with my grandmother in the 70's. She had a blue Interceptor with a 440 Chrysler motor. I love that car.

@CockatooDude

7 жыл бұрын

Your grandma was badass.

@AightBro123

6 жыл бұрын

Cool. Still have it?

@richardpehtown2412

5 жыл бұрын

Pitties and a STI, Would that have happened to have been in Pasadena?

Always a thrill to see one of these cars .... something special about it. Really enjoy Jay's easy going, car-appreciating videos.

As a kid circa 1982 in Long Beach there was one of these in the neighborhood. Amazing presence and that V8 fuelie rocks.

@Porsche996driver

Жыл бұрын

It’s been a few years, so just rewatched this video. I remember this Interceptor reminded me of a submarine coming to surface.

Jensen interceptor, my favorite gran turismo car

@HANSE658

7 жыл бұрын

Faheem Elamin you mean besides the Jensen FF

@faheemjerseyxs4222

7 жыл бұрын

HANSE658 different version?

@HANSE658

7 жыл бұрын

Faheem Elamin yup basically the same car but with awd

@Crimsonedge1

7 жыл бұрын

The Jenson SP was better than the FF. :)

@RealSB

7 жыл бұрын

Faheem Elamin I've never even seen one before. It's a really sweet car. Love the inside.

Now that's a proper car! ...in the best colour too, really love the Jensen Interceptor, got to not only be one of the best looking cars of the 60's/70's but also the one with the best name - thanks for sharing it with us Jay and Mark. By the way (I'm English) and bought petrol [gas] today, it's currently $5.43 per USG...so a little cheaper than you thought...a bargain ;0) !!!

@craigz9590

7 жыл бұрын

TheMissendenFlyer have to agree! What a beautiful color! I'm glad somebody can appreciate that dark green metallic color...

@ianashton886

6 жыл бұрын

Agree completely, remember these as a youngster when I’d just passed my test. Guy had one locally and I always loved the way it looked and sounded.

@Lilzsnr

6 жыл бұрын

You bought petrol over here for $5.43 a gallon? I think you need to redo the maths mate. £1.30 a litre and hour gallons are bigger than their gallons and its $1.37 to the £ today.

@richardmessina9475

6 жыл бұрын

The green is the best color!😎

@dyer2cycle

5 жыл бұрын

....but the steering wheel isn't on the passenger side on this one?.....

I was a kid in the 60's and a Jenson used to go through our village in Norfolk England every day and i would hear it coming minutes before seeing it. It looked so different it was like a car from the future.

I fell in love with the Interceptor when I saw Tony Franciosa drove one in the 70s TV show Search. I thought it was the coolest.

Enjoyed this video very much. Being a Brit and listening to Jay's comments on the price of gas, air-conditioning and American engines in European cars does bring debatable comparisons and differences faced by British manufacturers as opposed to American back in the sixties, even, fifties. Economics, the size of the average British road in that era, the lack of motorways, the price of fuel and the physical size of cars, all presented the British motor industry with a definite set of limitations not faced by the Americans. As regards air-conditioning, well, until we ordinary Brits started taking trips into Europe, especially Southern France and Spain from the late sixties onwards, air-conditioning was seen by most as an un-required luxury. Efficient heaters had a greater priority. It made sense in the UK to have smaller cars with 4 cylinder engines rather than gas guzzling v8s. As a very young boy at the end of WW2 where I lived, in the NW of England, we used to see many a US military man driving around in a big American car that they had shipped over to show off to us Brits what a real car was made of. They were huge in our eyes! It filled the young British generation, fed upon Gene Vincent and Elvis, with wonderment - the older Brits' thinking, why the hell don't those Yanks clear off back to the states, and, take their flaming obscene chariots back with them! My father's friend was in the Canadian military over in England where he lived a while. He shipped over his Canadian built American car - a Ford Meteor or similar. It was left hand drive, had a front bench seat and a column gear shift. He would put on his Fedora hat, and with his clipped moustache, setting the cool scene, come to our house, pick me and my young friends up and take us for a ride - boy! Did we think we were big time! All the other kids, green with envy. Far off days, but the memories, most enjoyable. Regards to all at the garage. Bill.

@annother3350

5 жыл бұрын

You don't think people will he talking about Honda vtec? The g-wiz, the tesla??

@Odessa45

5 жыл бұрын

@@annother3350 hahaha...NOPE!

@richardjames5006

4 жыл бұрын

Ann Other No

@bighands69

4 жыл бұрын

+William Rance Britain's post WW2 economy was a planned economy. While the German economy was free-market and all about trade. Britain tried to engineer a planned economy and it crashed and burned dreadfully. The Auto industry in the UK was nationalized which to be honest was not that far of what the USSR was doing. The UK Auto industry went from being the second biggest in the world to being about 10th and producing dreadful cars that did not sell. In the mean time German free market cars were coming in at a lower price and higher quality. Britain is an example of how to take one of the world wealthiest economies and ruining that wealth.

@chrisj197438

4 жыл бұрын

bighand69 That’s the way the Rothschild family wants it.

Great episode, excellent car, some real fun car details and car talk, and Jay was truly enjoying himself, totally relaxed and funny.

Thank you for the ride in the In the Jensen Interceptor. Glad you mentioned the FF, as the stories about its cornering ability were legendary - until it let go all of a sudden that is!

Nice memories of the unusual .....but, beautiful Jensen in the 60's and 70's in SoCal. My formative years were in Costa Mesa! Best wishes to all!

You can see by how the owner wanted to close the hood himself how much he really loves his car. Nice car

as a Brit I approve tremendously! see these around sometimes..

@celestialfix

7 жыл бұрын

Josh Briggs great car

@trespire

7 жыл бұрын

Ame Hurnik If I recall correctly, I read in a feature article in Classic Cars magazine that the AWD FF was an attempt to improve performance & handling.

@bairdandrew77

6 жыл бұрын

Josh Briggs one of my favorite cars, and I've never seen one in person yet

My FAVORITE GT car of all time. As a kid in Oklahoma the neighbor's dad had a brown one. I lusted after this car until we moved away. Engineer that inspected my boat in Fairhaven, Mass got a 124 from Jay as a gift. We compared notes (500c Abarth, here.) Always good to talk cars and hear normal people have a normal conversation. Leno seems like a great guy.

jay Leno's relaxed unassuming attitude makes him a pleasure to listen to...

I was born 72 from England loved these cars as a kid would love one now nice looking car my favourite classic mat busby owned one remember seeing him in it Manchester United manager beautiful car.

Remember reading of this car in the automobile magazines of the 70's, the name 'Interceptor' was just too cool.

These are beautiful cars. When I was young, I remember drooling over one in the show room of a local British car dealership here in Canada. If I can remember correctly they cost about $7600 CDN. This was in 1974. More than I could afford. I bought an MGBGT instead for $2700. Still have it!

@joycemiller4716

4 жыл бұрын

I bought a bgt in73 still got it when I was at school American Air Force personal used to go past our gate from upper heyford just had to get one did it when I was21 new from the factory my aunt who worked in the factory must have done some of the upholstery on it

@garethgoodchild2643

4 жыл бұрын

Joyce Miller similar story for me too. I envied the young lady (bosses daughter) who owned a new BGT when I was working a summer job in 1967. I bought a brand new B in 1970 hours after getting my first job. Fast forward a few years and my new wife declared she was not going through another Canadian winter in that car. So the only solution was a BGT. New 1974 BGTs were very rare then as they stopped importing the GTs for some reason. I found a 73 GT that had been purchased in England and imported to Canada. They had a tax dodge system going then where you could drive it around the UK on holiday and then the dealer would export it for you. Still have it and still enjoy it. A happy wife is a happy life!

@marka2468

4 жыл бұрын

You're only 1/2 way there. 1974 Interceptor had an MSRP of $14,700.

The Jensen Interceptor along with the Jaguar XJ40 are pure gangster cars. Love em

I just wanted to give you a big thanks Jay, every Monday morning i head in to work and it always brightens my day going into the break room for lunch and enjoying a new episode and learning new things. 👍

HaHa, Jay is like a walking encyclopedia on auto stuff...covered in denim.

The owner of the Jensen should have his own show ! very smooth and relaxed

Watched this with big smile on my face. Growing up in England this was the car I always wanted. Great show.

Absolutely beautiful car, to me is tied with the Jag E-type for #1. My dad rented one in London in 74 and we drove to Scotland in it. 140 mph up the M6 and the car just purred along effortlessly, solid and majestic. I believe they were as expensive as a Rolls Royce, if not more so. Only drawback was the legroom in the back - even as a 10 year old I was cramped. Breathtaking car.

@neilgibbons2532

6 жыл бұрын

ntiffin1 if a 10y old is 2big 4a car not the best design sorry

@CPS2

6 жыл бұрын

Neil Gibbons That sentence wasn't the best design either. Stay in school, kids!

yea....a favorite of mine, definitely on my top ten list when I hit the lotto!

@garybullwinkle6784

6 жыл бұрын

The convertible style is much better looking! My friend's mom had one back in high school, and I remember riding in the back! We took it out once, and got it up to 90 mph in first gear; he was driving!!! You could be going 65 mph and only turning over at 1700 rpm!!

@opticracer3927

5 жыл бұрын

What would be your other nine car choices? Thanks.

As a Brit growing up in the 60's I always wanted one of those. Thanks - this has been a time machine for me!

This car is everything to this owner. You can tell because h knows every bit he's worked on. I credit him for his project car

I want a shirt like that to confuse my enemies.

@drivesideways6550

4 жыл бұрын

Cuttlefish

@Timonator3

4 жыл бұрын

@Rex B Barkin' I thought only Mel Gibson knew about that.

@ghw7192

4 жыл бұрын

It's callied the Moire Effect and that is why many of the higher end cameras have antiz-sliasing filters, whatever they are.

@ZzaphodD

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I saw all the sneaky 🤘🤘🤘 too.. Damn satanists! 😂

@gazzertrn

4 жыл бұрын

@Rex B Barkin' stealth t shirt , good for hunting snakes confuses the f**k out of em

That Jensen's a handsome car. I could see Jay was looking forward to driving it. Hell... I'd love to drive it as well!

One of the most elegant vehicles ever...

Refreshing to see a so dedicated car lover, with seemingly low budget, restore such a classic! Sure it's great that über-rich people restores cars by letting other do all the work and pay for labor but seeing him get help by his sister and mom to fix the car is priceless! =)