Jensen C-V8
| Jensen CV8 | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Jensen |
| Production | 1962–1966 |
| Designer | Eric Neale |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door saloon |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
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| Transmission |
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| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 105 in (2,667 mm) |
| Length | 184 in (4,674 mm) |
| Width | 67 in (1,702 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Jensen 541S |
| Successor | Jensen Interceptor |
The Jensen C-V8 is a four-seater GT car produced by Jensen Motors between 1962 and 1966.
Launched in October 1962, the C-V8 series had fibreglass bodywork with aluminium door skins, as did the preceding 541 series.
All C-V8s used big-block engines sourced from Chrysler; first the 361 and then, from 1964, the 330 bhp (246 kW) 383 in³. Most of the cars had three-speed Chrysler Torqueflite automatic transmission, but seven Mk2 C-V8s were produced with the 6-litre engine and four-speed manual gearbox , followed by two manual Mk3s. While the great majority of C-V8s were made in right-hand drive (RHD), ten were made in left-hand drive (LHD).
The car was one of the fastest production four-seaters of its era. The Mk II, capable of 136 mph (219 km/h), ran a quarter mile (~400 m) in 14.6 seconds, and accelerated from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.7 seconds.
The upgraded Mk II, introduced in October 1963, had Selectaride rear dampers and minor styling changes. Changes on the Mk III, the final version of the series which was introduced in June 1965, included a minor reduction in overall length, deeper windscreen, equal size headlamps without chrome bezels, improved interior ventilation, wood-veneer dashboard, the addition of overriders to the bumpers, and a dual-circuit braking system. 104/2308, the blue car illustrated in this article is a mildly modified Mark Two which left the factory in May, 1965.
The factory made two convertibles: a cabriolet, and a Sedanca that opened only above the front seats. The 1963 Sedanca was featured in an article by Paul Walton in the June 2008 issue of Ruoteclassiche, Italy's leading classic car magazine.
The front of the C-V8 was styled with covered headlamps, similar to those on the Ferrari 275 GTB and Jaguar 3.8 E-type as a key element of the design. But because of concerns that they might reduce the effectiveness of the headlamps, the covers were deleted for the production cars. As a consequence the C-V8's front-end appearance was compromised and proved controversial for decades. Owners are now starting to return their cars to the original streamlined styling intended by the car's designer Eric Neale. The model was discontinued in 1966 after a total production run of 500. The fibreglass body, and the fact that the twin-tube frame was set in from the perimeter of the car, have contributed to the model's comparatively high survival rate.
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