MEET THE OWNER – TIM GIDDY AND HIS JENSEN-HEALEY

I used to have a TR6 back in my youth, which in my mind, is a good comparison car. I would say they are like different generations, the Triumph is very much harking back to an older generation, and the Jensen-Healey feels much more modern. There aren’t many around now, and people just haven’t heard of them. They really are super cars to drive, and who couldn’t love a Lotus engine?

And Tim is the proud owner of a car that, for many years, was far too underrated by the classic world. The Jensen-Healey resulted from the Norwegian-American businessman Kjell Qvale taking control of the famous West Bromwich firm in 1970. He intended the JH to appeal to former Austin-Healey 3000 drivers with its purposeful lines and Lotus 2-Litre alloy 16-valve DHOC engine.

Jensen unveiled the JH in early 1972, but the promising new model soon ran into difficulties. The Lotus power plant was not the epitome of reliability, and Qvale had acquired the units without a warranty. 1973 saw a much-improved Mk. II and the elegant ‘Jensen GT’ estate debuted two years later, but sales failed to improve. On Friday 21^st May 1976, the company ceased trading.

However, enthusiasts such as Mr. Giddy never forgot the Jensen-Healey. “I’d had British sports cars in my youth, and as years went by, I wanted another one. I remembered the J-H from the 1980s, and I always thought they were interesting; they were also relatively affordable”. So he acquired his 1973 example from a gentleman who “had owned it for 16 years. She looked quite nice, but I knew she needed some work”. This JH also had an intriguing history – “it was taken off the production line and completed in special engineering as the first ‘Mk 2’ version”.

A year after Tim bought the JH, “the cambelt slipped, which is never a good thing”. Fortunately, he is a typically bold Jensen owner and took this opportunity to carry out some improvements. “While rebuilding the engine, I updated it to 2.2 with a lot of other mods. She is now pushing out around 50% more power than factory”. Mr. Giddy also decided to install a new floor and have the paintwork refurbished, and he wryly remarks, “That was when the trouble started …. 900 hours of bodywork later, I got the shell back. She was back on the road five years to the day from when the engine went.”

The JH now looks as though it has strayed from a Jensen brochure, and Tim finds it “quick!” as well as “surprisingly comfortable and nimble”. However, the five-speed dog leg Getrag transmission “takes some getting used to, and the change isn’t great, so that might be an upgrade in the future”. As for the Lotus power plant, “it is very flexible but also revs very hard. The induction roar from those twin Dell’Orto carburettors is beautiful, but the homemade exhaust I made to get her on the road is a bit too loud, though, so she is booked in for a custom one to be made”.

Naturally, the JH causes a minor sensation at garages and supermarket car parks, even if many passers-by are unsure about its identity. In the past, the Giddy Jensen-Healey has been called an MG or a Triumph – “most people, if you mention the name Jensen only ever know the Interceptor”. However, Tim was very impressed by “the petrol station cashier who knew what it was” on his first drive. Today, Mr. Giddy rather likes “being photographed and waved at; it is nice to see people enjoying her” – which is, after all, the JH’s raison d'être.

With thanks to – Tim Giddy