The story of Jensen Motors began in the mid-Thirties when brothers Alan and Richard Jensen got together to establish the Jensen Motor Company.

Both only in their Twenties, the Jensen brothers were already well known in the UK car industry, thanks to their love and passion for motor vehicles.

Even before they formed their company, the brothers had a strong reputation for being both talented and ambitious.

The Jensen Brothers established their company from a coach building concern by the name of W. J. Smith and Sons, based in the town of Lyng, in the Midlands of England, traditionally a hotbed for the UK motor industry.

The owners of W.J. Smith, on the serious lookout for some talent to restore the fortunes of the company, made the genius move of offering the Jensen Brothers the role of joint Managing Directors of the company.

The Jensens were delighted at the opportunity had been looking for the opportunity to work together and grasped the offer with all four hands.

Over the next few years revived the company’s fortunes and eventually acquired full fiscal control.

From the moment that the Jensen company sign was hung over the door of their West Bromwich plant, the partnership took on a whole new stratosphere, rapidly gaining a solid reputation thanks to the consistently high standards of craftsmanship, design flair and engineering excellence.

Until the outbreak of the Second World War, Jensen’s activities were based almost entirely on producing car bodies for such UK industry giants as Morris, Singer, Standard and Wolseley, as well as some companies involved in the commercial vehicle sector.

Despite the difficulties, Richard and Alan Jensen succeeded in keeping the company afloat throughout the Second World War, playing their part in helping the war effort.

From 1946 onwards the Jensen brothers decided that the time was right to diversify and expand their activities, taking their first tentative steps into production.

During the Fifties, Jensen Motors developed just three models, the first two, the PW and Interceptor meeting with little commercial success or interest. On the other hand, the Jensen 541 model, with the glass-fibre body, created tremendous interest and so well, becoming generally regarded as one of the most exciting sports saloons of the decade.

As well as getting the car manufacturing division underway, Jensen also continued to produce bodies for the U.K.'s leading car companies, among them the iconic Austin A40 Sports, Austin-Healey 100/3000 and Sunbeam Tiger.

Many of the lessons that the Jensens learned in the Fifties in the field of car production were carried on successfully into the next decade.

A decade where they enhanced their reputation as top-class manufacturers of specialist cars.

Jensen stepped into the Sixties with the launch of the 541S, an almost totally updated version of the 541R, broader and longer than its predecessor, and powered by a three-carburettor, 4-litre BMC engine matched up to the Rolls-Royce version of GM Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.

As before, the body was made up of glass-fibre, apart from the aluminium-panelled doors. with a host of refinements, -- while luggage space was also improved.

Seat belts were also standardised (and many other items usually available only as extras were standard in the Jensen), making this the first British car so equipped.

Despite the usual high hopes, sales for the 541S did not really take off, with just over one hundred sold in the two years that the car was in production.

Even before the plug was pulled on the 541S, its replacement, the C-V8 was already in production, launched in October 1962.

The allure of the large-capacity American V8 engine with it's easy, smooth torque and power output, had attracted Jensen just as it had attracted Bristol, and they chose a 5916-cc Chrysler V8 producing 305 bhp gross and dropped it into a body very similar to the basic type 541 shell.

Still produced in glass-fibre, still beautifully finished and lavishly equipped, the C-V8 used another version of the massive tubular and boxed pressing, mating the Chrysler engine to a Torqueflite transmission from the same manufacturer.

Among the standard equipment found on the C-V8 were reclining front seats, a Motorola radio with twin speakers and a roof-concealed aerial, laminated glass throughout, safety belts, a fascia-controlled filler cap and even a fire extinguisher.

Despite it a wealth of features, the Jensen C-V8 Mark I offered good value regarding performance, individuality, luxury, and fittings.

Top speed was a true 136 mph, 0-50 time under 6 sec, and fuel consumption about 16 mpg.