eBay Find of the Day: 1972 Jensen Interceptor III

1972 Jensen Interceptor III - Click above for high-res image gallery

Dude. Talk about a find. In case you have no idea what you're looking at, that's an honest to goodness Jensen Interceptor III. Designed in England, styled by Vignale of Italy and powered by a big block Mopar, the Interceptor is just one of those special cars. Special because there is no good reason for them to have ever existed – yet here one is, just waiting for you to put in a bid.

Now it's true, when the Interceptors were first introduced in 1966 they were dismal. The Chrysler 383 V8 could sluggishly move the steel-bodied 2+2 around, but then the steel would rust when it left the garage. Besides, the factory was on strike and the early Interceptors were most likely assembled by frenzied executives. Or rats. But all of that changed when the Series III Interceptors (finally) appeared in 1971. Most important, the 383 had been ditched in favor of a 440 – the same engine in the black Charger that Steve McQueen toys with in Bullitt (with maybe a smog control or two and a bit less compression). Also – the seller's claiming this car has a "472" V8, no doubt trying to convince unwary collectors that this Jensen has a 426 Hemi – but you know better.

This particular low-mileage beauty (ad says 63K miles, odometer says 77k) lives in rust-free Ventura, CA. Moreover it comes with Mopar's bulletproof Torqueflite 3-speed auto and lightweight alloy wheels. Sadly the engine's seized up, but you can pull 440s out of junkyards until the cows come home. The interior can only be described as well worn, but at least all the glass is in good shape. It could be worse. You could be bidding on the Interceptor's infinitely more desirable/complex big brother, the FF. You know, the first production car to feature AWD, ABS and an insanely primitive form of traction control. That would a nightmare. Need a little more convincing? Led Zepplin's John Bonham owned two Interceptor IIIs. The first bid of $1,000 didn't meet the reserve, so its yours for the taking. Happy bidding.



[Source: eBay]


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