Jensen C-V8 - A Misunderstood Gem
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- čas přidán 30. 12. 2022
- Hello all! :D
Often described as a car with a face only a mother could love, the reality is that behind the contentious slanted headlights and low profile of the Jensen C-V8, lies a car that could easily grapple with venerable rivals such as the Jaguar E-Type and Aston Martin DB5, this extremely rare, low production machine also being instrumental in that it highlighted to Jensen the need to expand its assembly facilities so as to remain competitive, and thereby paving the way for its signature Interceptor of 1966.
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References:
- The Jensen Museum (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references) - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Last summer a Jenson owners club meet was held at the Rural Life Living museum in Tilford Surrey. There were a gaggle of C-V8s present all of which sounded magnificent when fired up for the processional run they headed off on. In real life the car design appears to be very colour sensitive to my eye - the blues appearing to be much more sympathetic to the design
That convertible is to die for!
My late step father worked at Jensen many years ago. He told me that one day a well known customer came to collect a car from the factory (I think it might have been Adam Faith but I may be completely mistaken, it was definitely a very well known singer or musician of the day, though) and a few of the chaps there watched. Apparently, he walked around this gleaming masterpiece examining it, got in for a look inside, got out…and KICKED the door shut. The blokes wanted to lynch him.
Do not besmirch a man’s name unless you are sure he committed an offense.
@@johntechwriter Hmm. Do you think I should remove my comment? I don’t want to sully the name of a dead 60s/70s pop singer/actor.
@@numberstation nice to hear don't remove it
I did my apprenticeship at Roger Clark cars in the 1970s . He was a Jenson dealer & one of the managers used to pick me up & take me to Kelvin Way to drive either a Healey or Intercepter back to work every few weeks ! Happy times .
A grey example, with red interior trim, was driven by Steve Forrest (as John Mannering) in the ITC adventure series "The Baron".
'The Baron' aha yes glad someone mentioned it! a British show with an American lead... that covers both the car and the acting!
That was a great program !
We owned the "Lord Carrington CV8 convertible, it was the only factory built car, although one or two others have been privately decapitated. We purchased it from the second owners family who bought it from Charles Follet in around 1968, after Lord Carrington part exchanged it for a new Interceptor. We had some real fun with it for three years, and then sold it to a private collector, where it resides today. The truth is, Lord Carrington did not commission it, but he saw it as a prototype being built in the factory and said that he would like to buy it. Jensen eventually Jensen agreed to sell it to him.
Years ago, down in Jupiter Florida, one of these showed up at my friend’s house. Never forget my jaw dropping, trying to figure out what it was. 383 Chrysler power, LHD.
We have the Red Prototype CV-8 MKIII in the extended family, has been owned since it came out of West Brom factory, it’s the car that drove me to my wedding, such a beautiful car!
What a well considered documentary, with the usual professional voice over, presenting as much genuine information as is needed.
There's something about Mid-50s to Mid-60s Euro Grand Tourers that have fascinated me, even more so as an American as this era of European cars reminds me of Pre-War cars stateside as there were so many more independent makes producing some extraordinary machines.
I wasn't aware of the C-V8, yet it looks so familiar,
seems like a concoction of many different designs imprented in my memory.
Sean Connery owned one.
The performance figjres for this car were amazing for its time.
Hope you have a great 2023 Man! Keep up the amazing work!
I've only been aware of these cars a few months and certainly appreciate the heritage.
Power + grip and definitive looks. As they used to say, be hairy of chest! A real machine!
Time to cover Foden, and ERF, a split off from Foden… a family fallout.
Yes, but didn't they patch it up on a personal level? I knew someone who worked at ERF, and he said the ERF branch always looked forward to Christmas for full family get togethers, it was just that they couldn't work together.
From all of us in Australia i wish you and your family a Happy New Year for 2023 Rory. Keep up the awesome work into your CZcams Clips as i find them getting better with each and every one of them.
Just a point, but Carters green was the site of the original factory, and when demand increased they moved to Kelvin Way.
Carters Green and Kelvin Way are about 1.5 miles apart.
Very nice video - a good history and overview of a car company not often covered. Thanks.
Absolutely beautiful car; if only I had a spare £100K!
I saw a dark blue one of these a few days ago near Stafford. Great video, as always, thanks.
Gud vid 😍, as always. All the best for the new year. Ty for amazing content.
Great video as always Ruairidh! Happy new year to you, hope you and your family are well going into the new year!
Your content has been great this year, and can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2023. Would love a video on Waterloo International Eurostar Terminal as I think it’s a topic within your wheelhouse, and there’s not many videos about it.
Thanks for giving us something to look forward to wake up to on a Saturday morning!
I'd always thought Alvis, Bristol and maybe AC to be Jensen's competitors then. Not Aston or Jag: not til Interceptor vs. DB6. Good informative vid as always. Thanx
Oh Ruairidh, you should do the Guy Wulfrunian! A double decker bus that nearly hit the nail on the head, but ended up hitting itself in the foot.
The C-V8 is a cool car, and I for one really appreciate the looks of this car. Very cool, but the FF is still my favorite!
This Jensen C-V8 is a stateless drop top, I have not seen the early Jensens being a Chrysler fan I would read about Chrysler drive lines in various other vehicles the only one that I'm most familiar is the Jensen Healy. Love the history of Jensen and thank you From New Jersey.
A friend of mine has a 541R. What a beautiful car that is.
Retropower are doing a carbon-fibre bodied one… it’s going to be epic.
watching also
The photograph of the factory with a CV8 production line flanked by the AH3000 production line was fascinating. There might have been a time when another production line of Sunbeam Tigers would have been on the right. The Tiger is my favourite Jensen, closely followed by the C-V8. What I cannot understand is why the Chrysler clutch pedal pressure should be greater nat high revs. The physics do not add up. The problem of a heavy clutch manifests nitself in City driving when the car only progresses a few yards at a time in traffic and the clutch is always being finessed and slipped.
The Chrysler PRNDL was a nasty slushy sluch-box so an aching left leg in heavy traffic was worth suffering to get a proper driving experience. Today a Tremec conversion would be brilliant.
Always liked it, one of the ITC featured cars along with the P1800. Wasn't it a bit earlier than the Miura though, but with the advantage you could actually get in and out of it.
Always loved the CV8
Thank you Rory!
Ooooh, I am an absolute sucker for Jensen, thank you!
Excellent video - as usual!
Another great informative video 👍😄
Tried to buy a C-V8 from a barn in the north-east, sadly the owner couldn't decide what he wanted for it. Now it keeps appearing in the background of a well-known programme about a classic car auction house, grrr :-)
and the 541 rear screen was taken from a speedboat ; )
7:50 note the Austin Healeys on the production line to the left of the Jensen. Jensen made various cars for other manufacturers under contract, such as the Austin Healey and Volvo P1800.
You could have mentioned the FF derivative of the C-V8. It was a 4wd version of the C-V8 with Dunlop Maxaret mechanical anti-lock brakes - the first production road car with either of these features. Not many were made, particularly due to its great extra cost.
A beast from another era, but a fun review of how life used to be.
Beast of a Car 😍
Aw, I love that thing!
I remember reading that Carrington also had a Fiat 130 Coupe.
Who knew that Lord Carrington was a petrol head ?
That headlight arrangement was common those days - Lincoln Continental, Ferrari 330 GT 2+2, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Mulliner Park Ward, Lancia Flaminia, Triumph Vitesse, Lagonda Rapide and Gordon-Keeble. I don't think it's ugly but not that keen on it.
None of those cars were that prolific, I wouldn't call it common at all.
@@kw9849 Missed a couple of more common cars - 1959 Buick and 1963 Dodge Polara. Also 1961 DeSoto. Maybe common was the wrong word to use, but there were many different cars with the light arrangement within a short space of time.
I kind of like it! It looks " Italian", maybe a bit "Japanese".The weird canted headlights were a bit of a trend during that late 50's into the early 60's period. Lincoln, Buick, Ford and eventually Chrysler tried them. It sort of fits with the contemporary Chryslers, especially since they were using Chrysler engines. While the 361 is a decent engine, and certainly outclassed any rival six, using the 383 makes more sense. Almost makes you wonder if a 440 would fit under that sleek hood.
I wonder what the brakes were like - Did it have discs, or dangerous fading drums like the much prettier Facel Vega?
Discs, all round.
Was one of the first three UK Cars to feature that, with the other two being the Rover P6, and the Jaguar MK.II (the latter being first, in 1959).
Dunlop discs with a separate cable operated pads for the handbrake on the back. They are similar to the brakes used on Aston Martin DB4s.
the fact that they used a Lancia B24 instead the B20 make me doubt about the rest of the video data…
I had a yellow Corgi 541 when I was a kid. It is a shame the Lotus engine in the Jensen Healey was a disaster 🍋
What is the maroon coupe stood next to it?
Perhaps a 1991 to 2000 series Lexus SC / Toyota Soarer.
There was a convertible? Also, this has to be the best place inn the world for a 440 Chrysler crate motor.
Change the headlights and it would be perfect.
The Baron.
6:50- 70--IKEA LOL
“Unique style” ❓
The regular repetition of certain facts and points, is weird. Then there's the incessant use of just one intonation pattern, and one phrasing pattern... That's even weirder!
Please consider using just a little more _variety_ in the writing and recording of the narration.
A topic becomes much less interesting, if delivered without thought of how it actually *sounds* for the listener. You don't need to be theatrical - just a bit more engaging. 🙂
Utterly bost. What were they thinking.
Every post war car was UGLY, even the Interceptor was a bulbous lump.
@OLD SCHOOL
You forgot to add 'in your opinion'.
^^
junk
Again, too much bottom end on your voice, I can barely make out what you are saying, it sounds like you are sat in a box inside my wardrobe.
No problem for me.
fine this end too..
Nope, probably the settings on whatever it is you're listening on.
Kaitlyn, you gotta come out from your wardrobe sometimes! 🤗
As a red blooded American Mopar guy, I can only imagine what the CV8 could have done to the Corvette... when you look at the legendary AC/Shelby Cobra and it's racing history, you have to think of could have... especially since that 426 Hemi mentioned in the story is based on the same basic design as the 361/383 B series Chrysler engine in the CV8... and style-wise, I prefer the CV8 over the Interceptor any day...
Only a Brit could name a colour "pigskin".
It’s not a colour, it’s literally tanned pig hide. The skin of a pig.
Probably the material, not colour?