1957 Jensen 541

Estimated Price: £15,000 - £20,000

The 541 deployed a torque-rich 4.0-litre Austin engine in a short, ladder-frame chassis, designed by John Riekie, offering significantly greater rear seat room than most of its rivals, while Eric Neale (previously with Daimler) laid out the new aerodynamic body
Introduced at the 1953 Motor Show, the 541 pioneered the use of glass-fibre bodywork and, like the Interceptor, used Austin A70-based suspension and transmission components but followed Jensen's own steering geometry
First registered on the 27/03/1957, this 541 was bought by our vendor's father 1973, and was used daily by his mother
Jensen 'Guru' Mike Byrne worked on it in 1980, when it was last run-up, but enthusiasm (by the father) and money (for our then 15-yr-old vendor) were lacking to get it back on the road
Subsequently, it was stripped of some parts (which still accompany it) in preparation for a restoration, but life got in the way; fitted with a 541R bonnet and a Weslake big-valve head
Inherited by our vendor and kept in professional storage for a number of years; believed to be complete and matching-numbers; accompanied by its green cardboard logbook