| When you look at this 1966 Jensen C-V8 you will either love or hate the headlights. There's no middle ground. We found the car at the 2010 RACQ Brisbane Motorfest. It was not hard to spot with controversial styling that jumps out at you like an after-dark street gang. By far the most interesting aspect though are the slanted headlights.
It is worth examining the Jensen C-V8 in retrospect. In Australia it is doubtful if more than a handful of enthusiasts knew the car even existed. It was the predecessor of a Jensen we did know well, the Interceptor. Our interest has been sparked by the relationship between styling and sales. What impact did the headlight design have on the showroom floor?
Before our thoughts on that subject, we need to look at the C-V8 in it's entirety. After all, if the car was a dog that might explain poor sales. If it was a dog though it's mechanical pedigree was, overall, impressive thanks to Chrysler. All C-V8's were powered by large Chrysler V8s and many were fitted with the tough Chrysler Torqueflite transmission. These gearboxes were pretty well bullet-proof and we have fond memories of the similar transmission in a car we once owned, an S-Series Valiant. The C-V8 had it's changer on the column, while our Valiant had the quirky push-button system on the dash.
The CV-8 used two Chrysler V8s during it's short lifespan between 1962 – 66. The first was a 361 cubic inch big block and cars like our featured beauty uses a 383 cubic inch big block that produced a whopping (for 1966) 246 kW. The bottom line is that this car was about as fast as any four seat production vehicle in the world at that time. How fast was the C-V8 Mk 111?
The 0-100 km/h sprint was covered in a tad over 6.7 seconds, the standing quarter mile in just 14.6 seconds and top speed was 219 km/h. So Jensen produced a supercar even before the term was coined. In terms of performance, there was little for British buyers to complain about. But, pricing was an issue. The Jensen C-V8 cost around twice as much as a Corvette – which explains why only five went to the US, and one remained unsold – and you'd have plenty of English pounds left from buying a couple of MK 2 Jaguars for what the Jensen cost.
The Torqueflite transmission was not the only gear changer fitted to the Jensen C-V8 with just a handful getting a manual shifter, and others gaining a non-Torqueflite auto. The manuals were, reportedly heavy in the clutch and as speed increased so did the need for an athletic left leg to tramp the clutch into submission. The Torqueflite transmission not only handles large torque but is also as smooth as many modern transmissions, so the uptake on the Chrysler auto was not surprising.
That leads us to the styling. In overall terms the C-V8 ticks all the boxes. We really like the SL-Mercedes `eyebrows' above the wheel arches. The bonnet scoop is a bit over the top and detracts from the car's generally smooth lines. Which leaves us with those slanted headlamps. There's no doubt today's C-V8 owners like them. They certainly give the car an individual appearance which sets it apart from anything else from this or almost any era – including the earlier Jensen 541.
Our feeling is the headlights design probably played second-fiddle to a number of other issues of far greater importance. Jensen was a boutique manufacturer in its own right and it's profile was insignificant in this period of British motoring history. At best they could build three C-V8s a week, so supply was an issue, and a car such as the C-V8 was never going to be a volume-seller. Add to that the cost of purchase and the C-V8 was doomed from the start.
While Jensen was producing the C-V8 for itself, it was also busy on behalf of other makers with its outside contract work. This included the V8-powered Sunbeam Tiger, Austin Healey 3000 and perhaps the most emotive Volvo of all time, the P1800. Jensen was run by brothers Alan and Richard Jensen and the C-V8 was their swansong as they left the company in 1966, as the new Interceptor was coming off the production line. The Interceptor went on to become much more popular than the C-V8 with sales of more than 6400.
There were three series in the C-V8 run, with the car first introduced at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1962. A year later, in October 1963 the Mk 11 made it's debut, with a minor facelift and this run lasted until mid 1965. At this time the Mk 111 was introduced and included the 383 cubic inch Chrysler engine. This engine was used in the Interceptor until 1972. Jensen also fiddled with the headlights on the Mk 111, with the headlamps altered to be the same size.
Other changes included an improved front end, the scuttle was lowered and a deeper windscreen fitted, the body was slightly shortened. The bumpers were also fitted with over-riders. Like it or not this is an impressive car that demands attention.
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