Details of Cars

Jensen S-V8: the last Jensen roadster

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Jensen SV-8 at the Haynes International Motor Museum
Jensen SV-8. Photo by Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Jensen S-V8 is a two-seater roadster built by Jensen Motors and the most recent production car to carry the Jensen name. It was launched as a show car in 1998, reached production only in 2001, and the company went into administration the following year.

Jensen S-V8 at a glance

Jensen S-V8 key facts
Maker Jensen Motors, Speke, Merseyside
Shown British International Motor Show, 1998
Production from August 2001
Body two-seater convertible roadster
Engine Ford 4.6-litre (4601 cc) 32-valve V8
Power 325 bhp (242 kW; 330 PS)
Top speed 160 mph (260 km/h)
0–60 mph under five seconds
Planned price £40,000
Built 20 completed, 18 partly finished
Administration July 2002
Coupé one prototype only

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Jensen S-V8. Its history is short, so this article is shorter than usual.

History of the Jensen S-V8

A £10 million project

Rear view of a Jensen SV-8
Jensen SV-8, rear view. Photo by Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The S-V8 was backed by a £10 million investment that included Liverpool City Council and the Department of Trade and Industry. The two-seater convertible was launched at the 1998 British International Motor Show, with an initial production run of 300 deposit-paid vehicles planned at a selling price of £40,000 each. By October 1999, however, it was confirmed that only 110 orders had been placed.

Production at Speke

The new Merseyside factory at Speke began production in August 2001, but manufacturing troubles meant that production ceased with only 20 cars having left the factory and another 18 left partially completed. The company went into administration in July 2002.

SV Automotive

In 2003 the Jensen name and the partly completed cars were sold to SV Automotive of Carterton, Oxfordshire. SV Automotive was to finish 12 of the cars and sell them for £38,070, retaining the others for spares. A coupé version of the convertible was planned, but because of the company’s troubles it never saw the light of day beyond a single prototype.

Design and features

  • Ford V8: a 4.6-litre, 32-valve, four-cam engine from the Ford Mustang, with 325 bhp.
  • Performance: a claimed top speed of 160 mph and 0–60 mph in under five seconds.
  • Rarity: only 20 cars were completed by the factory, with 18 more left unfinished.

Jensen S-V8 versions

  • S-V8 roadster (2001): the production two-seater convertible.
  • SV Automotive cars: 12 of the unfinished cars completed after 2003.
  • S-V8 coupé: a single prototype, never produced.

The S-V8 revived a name used by the Jensen Interceptor and the Jensen FF. More cars are in the Jensen collection.

Video: Richard Hammond Checks Out The Jensen S-V8 Coupe (2000)

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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