Launched in 1972 as a fast, luxurious and competent convertible sports car, the Jensen-Healey was positioned in the market between the Triumph TR6 and the Jaguar E-Type. The 50/50 weight balance achieved using the all-alloy Lotus 907 engine led to universal praise of the car for having excellent handling, and getting great gas mileage with the innovative 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine. Only 7,142 Mark II series were manufactured, with only 5,689 units delivered to the U.S. and Canada markets. So, we are talking about an extremely rare and unique car, with unheard of low mileage (56,455 original miles!!) for a car this age.
The second owner of the car wanted a nice sports car in 1984. He completely stripped the car to bare metal, fixed the rust areas including new metal on the part of the floors under the chair rail (you probably wouldn’t notice this even if you looked as it was a very professional job), applied a rust inhibitor coating to the under body including removing the gas tank and thoroughly coating it. He then applied the current blue paint which has held up extremely well. He also replaced the headlight cowlings. A photographic record of this work and a journal of mechanical and descriptive Jensen-Healey-related articles are included with the purchase of this car.
Additional work on the car includes adding the anti-roll/sway stabilization bars, roll bar, Dellorto air horns, high performance Dellorto carbs, high performance camshafts and valve shims, clutch and pressure plate, timing belt, new exhaust system, exhaust gaskets up to the block, upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, master cylinder, all brake cylinders, brake pads and shoes (including turning drums and rotors), water pump, thermostat, radiator hoses, optical ignition and coil, battery, differential seal, transmission seal, spoiler, a Kenwood stereo w/ 4 Pioneer speakers, new tires and alignment, new front suspension and re-packing of the wheel bearings. I’ve had additional exhaust system work done, replaced the head gasket seals, had the clutch adjusted, the radiator cleaned out, and replaced the thermostat. I also have a set of four lightly used Pirelli tires with rims that will be included with the car.
All the gauges work including the clock. The seat belt indicator and the brake fluid indicator don’t work but can be fixed if they are important to the buyer. Most of the switches and internal systems work well, although the heater and fan system probably need some attention (I never bothered to address this as I never drove it for long duration during winter months and it’s a convertible) and the hazard light switch currently does not work, but I have a replacement switch for it. The interior is in generally very good condition, but the dash has a small “ding” and some very minor cracking at the extreme right end and on top of the windshield frame on the left end. The steering cowling has a tear but I have a replacement part. The rubber seals have all been replaced and are in excellent condition. The seats have no tears except for a small break in the bead on the driver’s seat and a wear spot down low from sliding in and out of the car. The rear deck has a seat belt for a baby’s car seat. The quad stereo w/ removable faceplate is cassette but made to accept a remote CD player and has very nice speakers.
There are a few small paint chips and scratches, otherwise the body is in excellent condition. No door dings. The ragtop is just about perfect and the car also comes with a tonneau cover. The glass is in very good condition except the windscreen has minor speckling from sandblasting years ago. It can only be seen when the sun is just right and is easily confused for dust. The engine compartment has one place with paint damage from an old leaking master cylinder that was replaced, otherwise it’s in excellent condition. There is some minor surface rust in two of the wheel wells and on some of the under-body components but nothing structural. This car has the chrome bumpers, which vastly improves the elegant and sporty look of this car. This is a superb looking and performing Jensen-Healey and has been meticulously maintained throughout its life. It blows away all other British sports cars and the Dellorto twin carb system upgrade really does the 907 justice. All the doors and lids are extremely straight and all the hinges are still in good shape. The car has been garaged for at least the past two decades and has not been driven in the rain or on gravel roads. It’s a head turner!
