Ray Smyth:
English Electric Jensen lorry from about 1955. They had a factory in Liverpool. Ray Smyth.
I remember seeing lots of those as a lad, usually in pantechnicon van form though. Was it the same compnay as Jensen cars, and did they fold up at the same time?
Pity the poor driver in a rainstorm though.
Hi Spardo,
Yes it is the same Jensen brothers, cars were made in West Bromwich and the trucks made in either Kingswinford or Stoke on Trent, been a while since I read the book! Cheers Pete
Thanks Pete, didn’t know much about the lorries except for the iconic grill design, but the cars were something special.
I indeed do remember the Jensen Interceptor cars. They were fine cars, with a 4x4 transmission, if I’m not wrong. I would never have guessed they also produced trucks, but maybe, just as tractors were Lamborghini’s main productions, trucks were for Jensen?
Had a little read, started in the 30s and ended in the 90s after lots of changes of ownership along the way, but there have been resurrection efforts more recently, maybe ongoing. Latest Intercepter will set you back over £130,00, I think
Last of the 2 brothers died in the 90s.
Must admit that I made my original request to Pete because I was confusing Jensen cars (not the lorries) with Jowett.
Makers of light vans and also distinctive cars. I seem to remember that they were frozen out of business by suppliers.
Hiya,
Don’t know anything about the Jensen flat lorries were they chassisless
like the large vans something called monocoque (spelling) construction
or did the flats have a proper chassis.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Don’t know anything about the Jensen flat lorries were they chassisless
like the large vans something called monocoque (spelling) construction
or did the flats have a proper chassis.
thanks harry, long retired.
I don’t know, Harry, but I believe they had underfloor engines. Not sure about that though.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Don’t know anything about the Jensen flat lorries were they chassisless
like the large vans something called monocoque (spelling) construction
or did the flats have a proper chassis.
thanks harry, long retired.
I don’t know, Harry, but I believe they had underfloor engines. Not sure about that though.
Hiya,
Thanks David, I suppose someone will know , I suppose they could well
be monocoque construction they wouldn’t be capable of carrying a lot
of weight going off the size of them.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Don’t know anything about the Jensen flat lorries were they chassisless
like the large vans something called monocoque (spelling) construction
or did the flats have a proper chassis.
thanks harry, long retired.
I don’t know, Harry, but I believe they had underfloor engines. Not sure about that though.
Hiya,
Thanks David, I suppose someone will know , I suppose they could well
be monocoque construction they wouldn’t be capable of carrying a lot
of weight going off the size of them.
thanks harry, long retired.
They had Perkins P6 engines mounted vertically at the front which could be removed along with the gearbox very quickly as the engine was mounted on rollers in the chassis rails and you just rolled one engine out and rolled another in its place! Very light but expensive as there was a lot of alloy used in their construction.
NMP Wilfred Holden of Blackburn at Star Paper Mill nr Blackburn.
I can remember years ago Star Paper had a warehouse in my home town of Tonbridge in Kent with a couple of 4 wheeler Dodges based there and Holdens would trunk the paper down to them for distribution.
lawrence2765:
0NMP Wilfred Holden of Blackburn at Star Paper Mill nr Blackburn.
I can remember years ago Star Paper had a warehouse in my home town of Tonbridge in Kent with a couple of 4 wheeler Dodges based there and Holdens would trunk the paper down to them for distribution.
Holden sold out to W H Malcolm in the mid or late 90s
Nice photo, by the way! They were a tidy fleet, all ERFs of varying ages.
Developed for Jensen by the late Harry Ferguson of “Little Grey Fergie” tractor fame. If I remember correctly (Big deal, considering my age!) they also developed a four-wheel -drive system for one of the Welsh police forces, based on a Zodiac saloon car.
Somebody tell me if I’ve got any/all of this wrong!
Developed for Jensen by the late Harry Ferguson of “Little Grey Fergie” tractor fame. If I remember correctly (Big deal, considering my age!) they also developed a four-wheel -drive system for one of the Welsh police forces, based on a Zodiac saloon car.
Somebody tell me if I’ve got any/all of this wrong!
You have it right!
I worked on a couple of the FF Fords in my youth. There were Granadas and Capris built up, not just for the Welsh police (in fact I thought it was the Gloucester force!). The installation was quite interesting to enable the engineers to get all the whirling bits installed. FF was also seen on the race track to with, if I recall correctly, the Felday 2 litre BRM V8 powered sports racing car and in the Capris (I think it was…)in Rallycross.
In all the FF was well tried but ultimately not a commercial success. But then UK inventors have, over the years, had quite a few good ideas that did not quite cut the mustard.
Developed for Jensen by the late Harry Ferguson of “Little Grey Fergie” tractor fame. If I remember correctly (Big deal, considering my age!) they also developed a four-wheel -drive system for one of the Welsh police forces, based on a Zodiac saloon car.
Somebody tell me if I’ve got any/all of this wrong!
You have it right!
I worked on a couple of the FF Fords in my youth. There were Granadas and Capris built up, not just for the Welsh police (in fact I thought it was the Gloucester force!). The installation was quite interesting to enable the engineers to get all the whirling bits installed. FF was also seen on the race track to with, if I recall correctly, the Felday 2 litre BRM V8 powered sports racing car and in the Capris (I think it was…)in Rallycross.
In all the FF was well tried but ultimately not a commercial success. But then UK inventors have, over the years, had quite a few good ideas that did not quite cut the mustard.
Can you think of any more?
I’d forgotten those- there were some Mk.4 Zodiacs converted, I think. And didn’t BRM build a 4WD F1 car? I do remember the rallycross Capri too.
The Jensen FF had a longer wheelbase to accommodate the whirly bits of which you speak, all between the A post and the front wheel (two grilles on the FF and one on the Interceptor):
windrush:
They had Perkins P6 engines mounted vertically at the front which could be removed along with the gearbox very quickly as the engine was mounted on rollers in the chassis rails and you just rolled one engine out and rolled another in its place! Very light but expensive as there was a lot of alloy used in their construction.
Pete.
Hello Pete
Where the bloody 'ell have you been ? As you know the Jensen was produced to get below 3 tons U.L.W. and were quite popular.Luton van users liked them i.e. Reads of Peterbourgh
windrush:
They had Perkins P6 engines mounted vertically at the front which could be removed along with the gearbox very quickly as the engine was mounted on rollers in the chassis rails and you just rolled one engine out and rolled another in its place! Very light but expensive as there was a lot of alloy used in their construction.
Pete.
Hello Pete
Where the bloody 'ell have you been ? As you know the Jensen was produced to get below 3 tons U.L.W. and were quite popular.Luton van users liked them i.e. Reads of Peterbourgh
Very light but expensive as there was a lot of alloy used in their construction.
