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Top Ten: Classic estate cars

Jensen GT
IN THIS FEATURE
Classic estate cars
1. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake
2. 1982 Lynx Eventer
3. Vanden Plas 4.0-litre R Estate
4. 1980 Jaguar Avon Stevens Estate
5. 1967 Rover P6 Estate
6. 1966 Mercedes 'Fintail' Estate
7. Austin 3.0-litre Estate
8. Jensen GT
9. Lancia Gamma Olgiata
10. 1963 Alfa Giulia Colli Estate
This was Jensen's answer to the trendy Reliant Scimitar GTE, although it was too late to market to effectively challenge the cheaper foreign competition. Certainly the GT was a more interesting car than the unlovely Jensen Healey roadster (the Healey name was dropped after Donald Healey fell out with Jensen) on which it was based. That said, the underpinnings were much the same, with the spectre of unreliability hanging over the Lotus-designed (but underdeveloped) 2.0-litre, twin-cam engine that powered it.

In fact, that engine was sorted by the time the unlucky GT emerged and you can't help thinking that, in happier times, this car, with its plush cabin, useful load space, five-speed gearbox and 120 mph performance, might have been a modest success. Sadly, with the fuel crisis affecting sales of its thirsty Interceptor models, Jensen went into liquidation in 1975, and only 473 GTs were produced.


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