1968 Jensen FF Coupe

Description

In the Sixties, Jensen were going from strength to strength. Not only did they have their own in-house production vehicles- such as the CV8 which housed Chrysler engine and driveline components to a British chassis/body, they also had contracts to build bodies for Austin-Healey and Volvo's sleek P1800 coupe. By 1966 the company wanted to update the relatively successful CV8 with a new car, still based on CV8 underpinnings but rebodied to provide a more modern look. The result was the Touring-designed Interceptor, stylish GT car that combined V8 grunt with European refinement. From this base, Jensen decided to develop a technological flagship, the result being called the FF. 'FF' stood for 'Ferguson Formula', a four-wheel drive system developed by Harry Ferguson. This system mated to the first Dunlop 'Maxaret' mechanical ABS system and was mounted to an Interceptor chassis, stretched four inches to 109in. A 383ci version of the Chrysler V8 was installed, the Torqueflite automatic also continuing. The interior was trimmed in splendid Connolly leather and the airy cabin gave a sense of opulence to go with its 325bhp performance. Drive for the Ferguson system was split 37/63 front/rear while the rear Salisbury differential featured limited-slip functionality for even greater traction. The FF survived across three guises, with 196 Mk1s produced from 1967-69, 109 Mk2s from 1969-71 and only 15 1971 Mk3s. Production had dropped off amid extra US safety requirements that involved extensive crash testing- something Jensen could no longer justify with such small production runs. As a result this trail-blazing machine slowly disappeared off forecourts. Today, however, they are well revered amongst classic collectors, and rightly so.