ONE OWNER car. 31,865 original miles. Recent extensive service by British car specialist. Fantastic color combination with beautiful factory interior. Great-running twin-cam engine and 4-speed. The affordable British sports car that you won’t see at every show!

You read that correctly, this is a one owner car. It was purchased new and lovingly driven and maintained over the next 50+ years. At some point in the not-too-distant past, the owner realized it was starting to show its age, so it was treated to a high-quality repaint in its original black. The current paint is probably nicer than anything they were spraying in West Bromwich in the early 1970s. Styled by Hugo Poole, the look is holding up rather well and we often get compliments on the car as it sits in our showroom, although many onlookers don’t quite know what it is. That’s part of the Jensen-Healey’s appeal—unusual without being difficult to service or outrageously expensive. Black doesn’t hide flaws very well and you’ll note that this car is laser-straight, a testament to both the care it received over the years and the quality of the recent repaint. It has obviously never seen winter weather and panel fit is about as good as you could expect from the British cottage sports car industry in the dark days of the early ‘70s. The front end has a happy, enthusiastic look and the offset hood bulge is functional, adding some clearance for the carburetors. There’s not much chrome, but the bumpers, windshield surround, and bright stainless around the tail are all in very good condition. We challenge you to find a nicer example.

The lovely tan interior is largely original, which should tell you just how well-kept this car really is. There are supportive bucket seats, a few traces of wood, and a full array of gauges set into a wide instrument panel that looks racy. The two-spoke steering wheel has recesses perfectly suited for your hands and thumbs, while the 5-speed shifter offers a neat hand-tied boot that’s kind of a nod to the car’s somewhat hand-built status. The original AM/FM/8-track is in the center of the dash and it works (although we have not tested the 8-track). The other controls are haphazardly placed around the interior, as is typical of British cars of the era, but they all seem to work like they should. Only the handsome Jaeger clock is offline, although it’ll tick for a while if you turn the hands a bit, so it probably just needs to be cleaned and lubricated. A handsome set of tailored floor mats protect the carpets and there’s decent storage behind the seats. Overhead there’s a recent black canvas convertible top that fits rather well, although the boot does not (it’s just laying on top of the stack in our photos). There’s also a nicely finished trunk that’s deep enough for a weekend’s worth of luggage.

The engine is a Lotus-supplied 2.0-liter DOHC inline-4, which was actually cutting-edge for the mid-70s. It was the first modern DOHC 4-cylinder built on an assembly line, and it makes a respectable 144 horsepower. Fed by twin side-draft carburetors, it’s cleverly tilted at an angle to fit under the ultra-low hood. With only 32,000 miles on it, it has needed nothing but maintenance and a few gaskets to remain in top health, and it does run quite well. It’s a little grumpy when cold and on the choke, but once warmed up, it zings to its lofty 7000 RPM redline with enthusiasm and makes the kinds of sounds that are usually reserved for much more expensive cars. Bespoke cam covers announce that this is a Jensen-Healey, one of the few places on the car you’ll find any nomenclature at all. Service access is surprisingly good, with everything on top and the cam timing belt easy to access under sheetmetal covers at the front of the engine. The 4-speed offers clean shifts and light clutch action, and is a big part of what makes this car so much fun to drive. Underneath you’ll find a highly detailed chassis with a lot of new components, including a fresh exhaust system, new lines and hoses, a rebuilt steering rack, and more. Aside from some minor dirt splashed during the trip to our shop, it is in exemplary condition and is just a Saturday’s worth of work away from being show-worthy. Disc brakes and a competent suspension mean the Jensen-Healey is entertaining to drive and you’ll never get tired of the twin-cam’s baritone engine note as you run it through the gears. 15-inch Minilite-style aluminum wheels are the perfect touch, especially with black centers, and they wear recent 195/55/15 Michelin radials.

Beautifully finished and a lot of fun to drive, this is the sports car you never considered. Take a closer look at the specifications, the condition, and yes, the price, and then compare it to some of the more well-known marques and I think you’ll find the Jensen-Healey has a lot to offer. Add in the one-owner history and the quality restoration work, and you get a whole lot of car for the money. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.