This next tip comes from Zach Z who wrote a nice poem to go with the 1973 Jensen Healey offered for $6000 in Bend, OR via craigslist:
I stumbled upon a local Jensen Healey a few years back where the owner was asking a very low price and the car looked decent from the outside. However, when I sat in the drivers seat I noticed the seat wasn't attached to the body anymore, the seat tracks having rusted out of the frame, and a moldy carpet was the only thing between me and the ground. Naturally, I passed on that car, but if you want something that is slower and handles worse than a Miata in every possible way...but isn't a Miata...you could get one of these. Find this 1973 Jensen Healey bidding here on eBay for $6,800 reserve-not-met with $10,850 buy-it-now located in Lebanon, TN.
When production of the Austin-Healey 3000 ended in 1967, noted driver & designer Donald Healey need another place to put his name, so he worked with Jensen to produce something called the Jensen-Healey. A guy by the name of William Towns ('67 Aston Martin DBS, 74 Aston Martin Lagonda) helped with the design, and a company named Lotus provided the engine...and the rest is history. Find this 1973 Jensen-Healey offered for $1,800 in Granite City, MO via craigslist. Tip from Zach Z.
The Lotus 907 motor, though not expensive to rebuild today, was likely seen as a huge liability back in the disco days. Given the supply of unwanted Capris and their compact and torquey Cologne V6's, this Jensen had its alloy swapped for iron pretty early in life. Find this 1975 Jensen-Healey for sale in Thousand Oaks, CA for an extraordinary bargain price of $2,975 via craigslist. Tip from Sean
by Adam -- Summertime is here and convertibles are finally enjoying their time
in the sun, if you are lucky you could have a nice British classic for your weekend fun. Take for
example this 1974 Jensen-Healey Mk II
two seat convertible located in Lenoir North Carolina offered for sale
for $9500. With only 7,142 produced between August 1973 in August 1975
this fun car might actually be worth more after you enjoy it than when
you first buy it. What a novel concept. The two door front engine, rear
wheel drive ended up the best-selling Jensen of all time selling more
copies than the V8 Interceptor Mad Max was so mad about.
The Jensen-Healey was one of those automotive mashups that didn't quite gel into something memorable enough for everyone to instantly recognize & adore, decades later. The combination of names sounds impressive, but the finished product left something to be desired, unlike the more successful joint ventures that have reached LEGEND status... e.g. Shelby Cobra. Kaiser Darrin. Nash Metropolitan. BMW Isetta. OK, maybe I'm getting a bit far into left field here. At any rate, find this 1974 Jensen Healey for sale in Alamagordo, NM for $6,500 via craigslist. Tip from Johnny Bouncewell.
If you think the Volvo 1800ES was alone in the segment of Northern European shooting brakes from the early 70s, you would be mistaken. A little company called Jensen Motors built the Jensen-Healey convertible starting in 1972, but added a hardtop in 1974 to create the Jensen GT. Find this 1976 Jensen GT currently bidding here on eBay
for $7,100 buy-it-now with 1 day to go, located in Florence, Oregon. Tip from Roy F.
The Jensen-Healey was the by-product of a union between Donald Healey, noted British car designer Bill Towns, and Jensen Motors. It was a failed attempt to recreate the magic that made the Austin-Healey 3000 such a hit (and collectible today) but it was too late for Jensen Motors as financial and operational difficulties led to the company folding in 1976. Equipped wtih a Lotus built inline-4 cylinder engine the Jensen-Healey was a fun and sporty convertible, but we think it really doesn't come alive until you shove something bigger under the hood. Find this 1974 Jensen-Healey with a Buick 3.8 V6 turbo swap for sale in West Bend, WI currently bidding at $4,500 on ebay with 5 days to go (buy it now of $7,500). Big thanks to tip from Scot!
The Jensen-Healey was a two seat sports car produced by British Automaker Jensen Motors from 1972 to 1976. Jensen made some fantastic looking cars in the late '50s and early '60s, but by the early '70s was in its death throes. They did manage to turn out the Jensen-Healey before going belly-up, a plain looking car with some cool mechanical tricks under the hood. This 1974 Jensen-Healey is a claimed 1-owner garage find and for sale in Redding, CA, currently bidding on ebay at $5,655 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go (Big thanks to reader Tom for the tip!).