‘New’ Jensen Interceptor

There’s something very retro-chic about using a classic car as a daily driver, but it’s an activity that comes with the permanent risk that aged mechanicals might expire at any time.



Hence the concept of regeneration by substituting ancient components with fresh replacements. Handling, brakes and reliability are all dramatically improved, while the outward appearance remains unmolested. Various models have received this treatment in recent years, including numerous Jaguars and even the Shelby G.T.500CR.



Now it’s the turn of the Jensen Interceptor, a car originally built during the late 1906s and early 1970s. Jensen International Automotive, based in Thame, Oxfordshire, has just delivered the first of its Interceptor R models. And, with an annual production figure of 18 cars, it’s a product that will be very exclusive.

In a process lasting around five months, each Interceptor R is totally rebuilt from a suitable donor car. The body shell is stripped back to bare metal before it’s rust-proofed and painted in whatever colour the customer chooses. Then the improvements to the original specification can begin, including the installation of independent rear suspension, modern disc brakes all-round and bespoke 17” alloy wheels.



Meanwhile, the original Chrysler V8 is chucked in favour of a brand new General Motors LS3 engine, as used in cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette LT and Vauxhall VXR8. Displacing 6.2 litres (378 cu. in.), its 430 bhp (320 kW / 435 PS) and 575 Nm (424 lb/ft) of torque is good enough to get the Jensen from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in under 4.5 seconds, before propelling it onto a top speed of over 160 mph (257 km/h).



To finish everything off, the interior is comprehensively reworked. New leather trim and carpets are fitted, as is a modern in-car entertainment system.



The big question is how much does this all cost? Prices for the Interceptor R start at £105,000 which, no doubt about it, is a lot. There are contemporary V8-powered coupés available for less money - such as the £77,900 Jaguar XKR or £92,280 Mercedes-Benz CL 500 - but to make a direct comparison with the Jensen would be missing the point.

Allard J2X returns

Anyone thinking of spending around £95,000 on a performance car is spoilt for choice. A Porsche 911 GT3 perhaps, or how about an Audi R8, Maserati GranTurismo, or Aston Martin V8 Vantage?



Alternatively, European buyers can now go for something completely different. Allard may not be a name familiar to all (especially as the original company went out of business in 1966) but now it’s back with a MKII version of the J2X, a model previously produced between 1951 and 1954.

Like its predecessor, the J2X MKII features an American V8 engine, but it’s no longer British-built. The rights to the Allard name are now owned by Allard Motor Works Inc., which is based in Montreal, Canada.



Although the J2X - unsurprisingly - looks like something from the 1950s, the mechanical elements are bang up to date. Power comes from a GM Ram Jet 350 cubic inch (5.7 litres) fuel injected V8, which pumps out 350 bhp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 542 Nm (400 lb-ft) of torque.



That’s a lot in a car that weighs just 1,250 kg (2,750 pounds), and performance is consequently rapid: 0-60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration takes approximately 4.5 seconds, for example. Luckily the chassis has been developed to cope, and it features independent suspension all-round, together with modern four-piston vented disc brakes.



The Allard J2X MKII will be distributed throughout Europe by UK-based Premium Classic Cars Ltd, and pricing is expected to start from £95,000 (€112,000). Given the quality of manufacturing, the official Allard Registry grants official numbering to the Mk11 cars.

Alvis 4.3 Litre reborn

Visitors to next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will get to see the first steps towards the reintroduction of the Alvis 4.3 Litre, a model originally launched in 1937 and sold for just three years.

166 4.3 Litre chassis were originally made but Red Triangle - the firm that took over the complete stock of parts, nearly 22,000 Car Records, works drawings, correspondence files and data sheets after Alvis ceased all car manufacturing in 1967 - discovered there were 77 more chassis officially sanctioned. However, these were never built because the war halted production in 1940.



The newly-formed Alvis Car Company has been set up to manufacture these ‘missing’ chassis and their accompanying 4.3 litre straight-six engines as a continuation series. Examples of both will be displayed for the first time at Goodwood.



To ensue authenticity, the original technical drawings are being used as the basis for production, albeit allied to the benefits of CAD / CAM technology. The engine, which made the Alvis 4.3 Litre the quickest non-supercharged production car of its time, will also remain faithful to the original design. That is apart from a couple of changes: so that it complies with emissions standards, very un-1930s fuel injection and engine management will feature.



It’s planned that other carefully selected Alvis models will also get the continuation treatment in the future.

Shelby G.T.500CR

The appeal of a re-engineered classic car is not difficult to see - you get all the style, but upgraded modern components mean it’ll also stop properly, go around corners and start first time, every time.



It’s a concept that seems to have been particularly popular with Jaguars, with firms like KWE in the UK and Beacham in New Zealand modernising models of various vintages.



Classic Recreations of Yukon, Oklahoma are now doing something similar with the Ford Mustang. However, what makes their Shelby G.T.500CR special is that Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc. has granted them a licence to produce this continuation series.

Using a 1967 Ford Mustang as the start point, authentic Shelby performance parts are used throughout the conversion. Because of that, and the input and oversight given by Shelby technical personnel, each car will come with an official Shelby serial number and badges, and be included in the Shelby Worldwide Registry.



Three versions are on offer. The $119,000 Intro and $149,000 Performance both have a 427 cubic inch (7 litre) fuel injected engine producing 545 horsepower, connected to a Tremec manual transmission.

The range-topper is the $199,000 Venom, which has its power boosted to a jaw-dropping 780 horsepower courtesy of a Procharger F1-R intercooled supercharger.



And in case those figures just aren’t enough, the G.T.500CR also comes equipped with a nitrous oxide system that gives an extra 150 horsepower.

Fortunately, similar attention has also been paid to the chassis. Keeping the car on the road is an uprated suspension set-up, which features anti-roll bars front and rear, and there’s a powered rack and pinion steering system. Shelby / Baer disc brakes take care of stopping the G.T.500CR, and it rides on 17-inch Shelby alloy wheels with Goodyear high performance tyres.



The interior also gets a makeover, with the Carroll Shelby seats and Simpson five-point seatbelts being a great improvement on the originals.

So far, Classic Recreations has only unveiled the Performance version, but prototypes of the Intro and Venom are due soon.