When BMC built its last Austin-Healey Sprite in 1971, Donald Healey had to find someone else tu produce his sports car designs. He hooked up with Jensen Motors, who had done the bodywork for the "Big Healey" cars in the Sixties.
A new, low-slung unibody 2-seat convertible was designed and Healey went engine shopping. For one reason or another, Ford of Europe V-6's and BMW inline fours were rejected. Colin Chapman at Lotus had a new alloy 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder motor, designated the 907, that fit the bill and that's the one Jensen-Healey went with.
While home market cars got a brace of 2bbl sidedraft Dellortos, cars destined for the U.S. were fitted with a pair of 1bbl Zenith-Strombergs for emissions purposes. U.S. cars were rated at 140 SAE net horsepower, which may not sound like a bunch, but those ponies only had to haul 2,400 pounds down the road. The base 2-barrel 302 in a '72 Mustang was also rated at 140hp and it was laden with half a ton more car to drag around.
The Jensen-Healey was only around for a few model years, 1972 to 1976, over the course of which 10,503 were produced. That sweet Lotus 907 DOHC 2.0L motor, though, would pop up again in various Lotus cars, including the 1976 Lotus Esprit.
The Mark I in the pictures was photographed in July 2024 using a Fujifilm X-T2 & XF 16-80mm f/4 R WR OIS (the parked photos) and in September of 2021 using a Canon EOS 5DS and an EF 24-105mm f4L IS zoom lens (the pic on the street).
