The Brasinca Uirapuru was a GT -class sports coupe manufactured in Brazil between 1964 and 1966. Only 77 examples of the model were ever made because of the high production costs.
34-524: Originally named the 4200 GT, the Uirapuru was developed to showcase and promote the capabilities of Brasinca, who built trucks as well as stamped car parts for other manufacturers. 77 cars were made in total from 1964 to 1966, including three convertibles, when Brasinca shut it down due to high manufacturing costs. The Uirapuru bears a strong resemblance to the Jensen Interceptor , which entered production
68-618: A classic post-war automobile produced between 1945 and 1975 is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Jensen Interceptor The Jensen Interceptor is a grand touring car which was hand-built at the Kelvin Way Factory in West Bromwich , near Birmingham in England, by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for the Jensen Interceptor made between 1950 and 1957 at
102-428: A clock, wood grain on the dashboard and glove-box and padding as well as air conditioning as an option were added. 1976 Jensen GT models went even further by offering an elaborate burr walnut wood dashboard and paisley-patterned cloth seats, with leather as an option. The oil crisis hit Jensen Motors hard, greatly damaging the sales of its very large V8 Interceptor model and thus degrading its financial condition as
136-745: A factory team to compete in the Sports Car Club of America ( SCCA ) D Production Championship. This team was put together by Huffaker Engineering in California , USA. Although it was a new car, the Jensen-Healey went on to become one of the few cars in SCCA history to win a championship in its first year of racing (1973). The roadster also, uniquely in Sports Car Club of America history, captured five SCCA national "D" production championships. The initial drivers in 1973 were Lee Mueller and Jonathan Woodner . In 1974
170-527: A group of investors trading under the new Jensen Cars Limited brandname stepped in and relaunched production of the 1970s Interceptor, which was briefly re-introduced in the late 1980s as the Series 4 (S4) which was an updated version of the original Interceptor V8 series giving a new lifespan for the Jensen brand and its car production was resumed. The car came back as a low-volume hand-built and bespoke affair, marketed in
204-449: A similar way to Bristol , with a price of £ 70,000. Though the body remained essentially the same as the last of the main production run of Series 3, the engine was a much smaller, Chrysler-supplied, 360 cubic inch (5.9-litre) which used more modern controls to reduce emissions comparatively and still producing about 250 bhp. In addition, the interior was slightly re-designed with the addition of modern "sports" front seats as opposed to
238-508: A whole. The Jensen GT was then hurriedly brought to market, requiring massive labour expense and taxing the firm's budget even further. By 1974 Lotus was able to supply the required number of engines and production reached 86 cars a week but despite this, the overall situation proved to be too much for the company, which, amid strike action , component shortages and inflation , proceeded to liquidate in 1975 and then close in May 1976. Jensen Motors ran
272-680: Is a British two-seater convertible sports car , produced by Jensen Motors Ltd. in West Bromwich , England, from 1972 until 1976. Launched in 1972 as a luxurious and convertible sports car, it was positioned in the market between the Triumph TR6 and the Jaguar E-Type . A related fastback , the Jensen GT , was introduced in 1975. When production of the Austin-Healey 3000 ended, Donald Healey opened discussions with Jensen Motors, who had built
306-542: The Brasinca Uirapuru , with a distinctive large, curving wrap-around rear window that doubled as a tailgate . The original specification included electric windows, reclining front seats, a wood rimmed steering wheel, radio with twin speakers, reversing lights and an electric clock. Power steering was included as standard from September 1968. The Mark II was announced in October 1969, with slightly revised styling around
340-473: The 440 in (7,200 cc) Chrysler engine for 1971. For 1971, two 440 ci engines were offered. One had a four-barrel carburetor and produced 305 hp SAE net. The other, which had three 2-barrel carburetors and produced 330 hp SAE net, was only available in 1971. Only 232 cars were built with the 440 "six pack", called the Jensen SP (with no "Interceptor" badging) and it had the distinction of being
374-597: The Carters Green factory. Jensen had extensively used glass-reinforced plastic for the fabrication of body panels in the preceding two decades, but the new Interceptor was a return to a steel body-shell. The body was designed by an outside firm, Carrozzeria Touring of Italy, rather than the in-house staff. The early bodies were built in Italy by Vignale , before Jensen took production in house, making some subtle body modifications. Jensen Motors used Chrysler V8 engines for
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#1732869442023408-521: The Interceptor, starting with the 6,276 cc (383 c.i.) with optional manual (Mark I, 22 built) or TorqueFlite automatic transmissions driving the rear wheels through a limited slip differential in a conventional Salisbury rear axle. In 1970, the 383 c.i. produced 335 hp SAE gross, or 270 hp SAE net. Since this engine was detuned by Chrysler for use with low octane petrol, and only produced 250 hp SAE net in 1971, Jensen chose to use
442-400: The Jensen-Healey. Later cars used redesigned black rubber bumpers to comply with US government regulations and meet the new 5-mph crash standard. Various engines were tried out in the prototype stage including Vauxhall , Ford and BMW units. The Vauxhall 2.3 L engine met United States emission requirements but did not meet the power target of 130 hp (97 kW). A German Ford V6
476-415: The armchair style of the earlier models, as well as a revised dashboard and electronics. The then owner sold up in 1990 to an engineering company believed to be in a stronger position to manufacture the car; this lasted until 1993 with approximately 36 cars built, and while work commenced on development of a new Interceptor Series 5 (S5) for the 1990s however the receivers were called in for a second time and
510-466: The bodies for Healey's Austin-Healey cars. The largest Austin-Healey dealer in the U.S., San Francisco-based Kjell Qvale , was also keen to find a replacement to the Austin-Healey 3000; Qvale would become a major shareholder of Jensen, making Donald Healey the chairman. The Jensen-Healey was developed in a joint venture by Donald Healey, his son Geoffrey, and Jensen Motors. Hugo Poole did the styling of
544-636: The body, the front, and back of which were later modified by William Towns to take advantage of the low profile engine and to allow cars for the U.S. market to be fitted with bumpers to meet increasingly strict U.S. safety regulations. The unitary body understructure was designed by Barry Bilbie, who had been responsible for the Austin-Healey 100 , 100-6 and 3000 as well as the Sprite. It was designed to be easy to repair, with bolt-on panels, to keep insurance premiums down. Early cars (1973-1974.5) were fitted with two-piece steel and chrome bumpers originally designed for
578-402: The company was liquidated. Jensen was one of the first manufacturers to equip a production car with four-wheel drive , in the 1967 Jensen FF ( Ferguson Formula). At the time it was hailed as a remarkable development, coming also with Dunlop Maxaret mechanical anti-lock brakes and traction control . The car is five inches (127 mm) longer than the Interceptor. Although looking virtually
612-641: The company's new flagship replacing the FF and was one of the most powerful road cars anywhere in the world. This came with a vinyl roof, Learjet 8-track and a full louvred bonnet as standard. The 440 SP engine with its six pack carburettor produced 385 B.H.P. and a top speed of 147 mph (237 kph). SPs could be more economical than standard four-barrel Interceptors; 16–18 mpg could be achieved. Two hundred thirty-two SPs were made, 219 in RHD and 13 in LHD. A convertible with powered soft top
646-566: The earliest models. The initial transmission was a four-speed Chrysler unit, which was also used in the Sunbeam Rapier . The Mk 2 cars from 1975 onwards used the same Getrag 235/5 five-speed gearbox that was offered as an optional but rare gearbox on some models of the BMW 2002 , and the Chevette HS . As a deliberate sports car gearbox, this was a close-ratio gearbox : unusually, fifth gear
680-459: The emission controlled U.S. version). Vehicles for European distribution and sale contained dual side-draught twin-throat Dell'Orto DHLA carburettors (similar to Weber DCOE carburettors but with improved progression circuits); those exported to the United States had dual side-draught single-throat CD175 Zenith Strombergs in order to meet emissions requirements. The oil cooler was absent in
714-414: The headlamps, front grille and bumper and revised rear lights. The interior was substantially revised in order to meet US regulations, and air conditioning was an option. The Mark III , introduced in 1971, revised the front grille, headlamp finishers and bumper treatment again. It had GKN alloy wheels and air conditioning as standard, and revised seats. It was divided into G-, H-, and J-series depending on
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#1732869442023748-513: The likes of Carl Liebich, Stefan Edliss, Tim Lind, Joe Carr, Tom Kraft, and Jim Reilly. Bruce Qvale and Joe Huffaker Jr. from Huffaker Engineering, of Sears Point Raceway , Sonoma, California , successfully raced a Jensen-Healey in SCCA E Production, winning the SCCA title in 1995. From 2005 until 2007, Ron Earp of Cary, North Carolina , raced a 1974 Jensen-Healey in SCCA Improved Touring S class. The 1973 National Championship winning car
782-533: The lone entry was Lee Mueller. Mueller captured a second D Production championship in 1974. The factory support ended in 1974, however, the West Coast Jensen-Healey dealers combined to put together a late effort in 1975. Huffaker built a new car and although beginning the SCCA season late Mueller, driving again, was able to qualify for the runoffs in Atlanta. The Huffaker factory cars were later campaigned by
816-401: The most powerful car ever to have been made by Jensen. For 1972, the 440 c.i. engine with three 2-barrel carburetors was no longer produced by Chrysler. The 440 ci engine that remained was detuned to 280 hp SAE net. Chrysler continued to offer a high performance 440 c.i. engine through to 1976 when it only produced 255 hp SAE net. The Interceptor may have taken some styling cues from
850-431: The production year. The 6.3-litre 383 ci engine was superseded by the 7.2-litre 440 ci in 1971. Jensen had fallen on hard times by 1975, owing to the then world-wide recession, and to problems with its Jensen-Healey sports car . The company was placed into receivership , and the receivers allowed production to continue until the available cache of parts was exhausted. Production of the Interceptor ended in 1976. Later,
884-550: The rear. Brakes consisted of discs at the front and drums at the rear. The suspension, steering gear, brakes and rear axle were adapted from the Vauxhall Firenza with the exception of the front brakes, which were the widely used Girling Type 14 calipers. Jensen-Healey interiors started out comparatively austere and functional, with plastic centre consoles and all-black colour schemes. (Some earlier models do sport brown interiors, however.) In August 1973, aesthetic extras such as
918-587: The same year that Uirapuru production ended, with many saying that the Interceptor took styling cues from the Uirapuru. Unlike many other sports cars of its time that used fiberglass bodies, the Uirapuru had a hand built sheet steel body placed on a bespoke monoblock frame. The Uirapuru was also one of the first Brazilian cars to undergo wind tunnel testing in the Aeronautical Technological Institute (ITA), in São José dos Campos. The original 4200 GT
952-408: The same, the extra length can be seen from additional side vent ahead of the doors on the front flanks, and an additional swage line in the leading edge of the front wing. Press articles from the time quote "drag-strip" performance when describing the car. In total 320 FFs were produced; 195 Mark I, 110 Mark II and 15 Mark III. The Jensen SP, with a Six-Pack carburettor system, was launched in 1971, as
986-627: Was considered but industrial action crippled supply. BMW could not supply an engine in the volumes needed. Colin Chapman of Lotus offered, and Jensen accepted, his company's new 1973 cc Lotus 907 dual overhead cam , 16- valve all-alloy engine. This multi-valve engine was the first modern dual overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder engine to be mass-produced on an assembly line. This setup put out approximately 144 bhp (107 kW), topping out at 119 mph (192 km/h) and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds (8.1 seconds for
1020-881: Was introduced in 1974, mainly intended for the American market but also sold in Europe. Two hundred sixty-seven convertibles were made. Rarer still is the Coupé version introduced in 1975; just 60 were made in the one year before the company's demise. The coupé was derived from the convertible and therefore lacks the distinctive rear window of the regular car. A Jensen specialist JIA based in Banbury Oxfordshire, England, rebuilds original Interceptors using modern components, with General Motors supplied LS 6.2-litre naturally aspirated or supercharged engines and six-speed automatic or manual transmissions. In May 2010, Jensen International Automotive
1054-460: Was not an overdrive gear but a direct 1:1 ratio. The Jensen-Healey was sold in Japan, with right-hand drive, but was fitted with USA-spec equipment. It complied with Japanese Government dimension regulations and the engine displacement did not impose a high annual road tax obligation. Suspension was double wishbone and coil springs at the front, and a live rear axle with trailing arms and coils at
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1088-452: Was powered by a 6-cylinder 4271 cc Chevrolet truck engine which used three SU carburetors and produced 155 hp (116 kW). The later 4200 S had 163 hp (122 kW) thanks to Iskenderian valve control and the 4200 GTS had 170 hp (130 kW). The 4200 GT accelerated from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 10.4 seconds and could reach a top speed of around 200 km/h (120 mph). This article about
1122-575: Was raced by Lind Bros Racing in Waterloo, Iowa , from 1974 to 1981. Stored from 1982 until 2006 when the car was sent back to Huffaker Engineering for a complete restoration to original 1973 specifications. The car is still owned by Lind Bros Racing and has been driven to victories in Vintage Racing by Pat Lind and Joe Huffaker. In 2013 the car won at the Rolex Monterey Historics, and was awarded
1156-465: Was set up, with the financial backing of Carphone Warehouse founder and chairman Charles Dunstone who joined its board of directors. A small number of Jensen Interceptor Ss, which had started production under a previous company, were completed by Jensen International Automotive (JIA), in parallel with JIA's own production of the new Jensen Interceptor R; deliveries of the latter started at the beginning of 2011. Jensen-Healey The Jensen-Healey
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