The

..... a gentleman’s carriage.

Blackcountry 541

 

Jensen 541 parts,

After a favourable reception at Earls Court the Jensen factory at West Bromwich went on to produce 4 versions of this Gran Tourismo, the 541, 541 deluxe, 541R and the 541S, some 546 in total.

1st car with overdrive as standard equipment.

1st production car with Disc brakes all round.

1st GRP production saloon to exceed 100 mph.

An original Jensen Motors artwork for press release prior to the 1954 Earls Court Motor Show. This particular car had an all aluminium body because due to the extreemly tough timeline the GRP body moulds could not be made in time.
 

On a February morning in 1953  Richard Jensen walked into the drawing office of Jensen Motors to request work start on a small lightweight four seat car based around a Austin 4 litre engine. It was to be ready in barely 9 months time for the Earls Court Motor Show. The Jensen 541 was born.

During the nine years the Jensen 541 series was in production it received many plaudits and won a number of accolades.

My car’s original Log Book deepening the car’s mystery by showing it as a 541 DeLuxe.
 

Early 1958 saw the end of production of the 541’s as the new R generation cars were starting to be produced. Car number 219, body number 5267 was not invoiced from the factory until April 1959 and then according to records, designated as a 541.

Jensen Motors in comparison to the bigger car firms was a low volume company and as such did not employ a modern production line approach to car building as we know it today. If cars were waiting parts from suppliers or designated for development work it could easily take cars from “the line”. Car 219 appears to have been one of these. It has many features of the 541R, for example Disc Brakes front and rear, although there is speculation these might have been retrofitted.

Whatever the origins, it was given a West Bromwich registration of UEA 393 and is now undergoing a full restoration process. This site is intended to be informative but at the same time be a record of the UEA’s restoration. I shall add to it frequently and progress can be seen on these pages over the coming years.

  Rather unimaginatively while under development in 1953 the Jensen 541 was know as The New Car until a suitable name could be thought of. Eric Neale, Jensen’s chief body engineer was credited with naming it simply because it was 1st in a series started in 1954!
 
  These pictures were likely taken in 1954 at Goodwood prior to the Earls Court Motor Show. KEA 858 is the second prototype, chassis  2/4563  but it is unknown if it survives today A wet Test Day out didn’t deter the writers of the  Guild of Motoring showing a great deal of interest. All I can think about is the muddy boots on the carpet!

Source: Tony Marshall

 
There was a bend in the Newton Road,West Bromwich whilst was not quite being the Parabolica was apparently capable of allowing 80mph drifts. Accounts suggest road tests on the early prototype cars were taken to the now long gone top bend and the mind boggles at what the Road Safety Partnership would make of it now! Presumably Jensen couldn’t stretch to Fiat rooftop facility.