With more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba, the Jensen Interceptor must surely be the most revived name in automotive history. It was first used between 1950-57 for a 4.0 liter convertible based on Austin componentry, then rose to international awareness with its second coming as the dream car of the sixties when in 1966 it was released as a Grand Tourer designed by Italian design house Carrozzeria Touring.
The Jensen Interceptor of this period was a genuine supercar, running huge Chrysler V8s with first 6276 cc and later 7212 cc. In 1967, the FF variant had four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control, technological forerunners of the active safety features which are still not yet commonplace.
The Interceptor III arrived in 1971 and enjoyed excellent sales before the marque was shelved in 1976.
In the Automotive business though, a great name never dies, and the Interceptor reappeared in 1984 as the Mk IV before production ceased once more in 1991.
Over the last few years the Jensen name has been revived once more, with Oxfordshire-based JIA rebuilding original Interceptors using a 429 bhp General Motors LS3 V8 engine and a range of other modern components to create the Interceptor R. There's even a 600 bhp supercharged version which will no doubt have already surprised a few people on the motorway.
JIA has shown that there is a market for an expensive, hand-built Grand Tourer based on the iconic Interceptor and now the revival appears ready to finally move past the 45 year-old Interceptor design to full blown production of the next generation.
The next generation of Jensen Interceptor will be built in Great Britain and will cost in the vicinity of US$200,000 when it hits showrooms in 2014.
An all-new Jensen Interceptor will be engineered, developed and built by CPP Global Holdings, though ownership will remain with Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd (HSCS) which owns all assets, intellectual property, designs, and brand rights for the Jensen and Interceptor brands.
The new Jensen Interceptor will be a four-seat grand tourer with an all-new aluminum chassis and handcrafted aluminum body. The public unveiling of the Interceptor is planned for late 2012, with deliveries to customers beginning in 2014.
Annual production numbers and pricing are yet to be confirmed, but will be fixed to ensure ultra-exclusivity.
Expressions of interest can be registered on the new company website.