Good As New
January 10, 2023
Our friends at Wyatt Polishing recently completed some restoration work and zinc plating for a number of seat runners and bonnet struts for the Jensens
1955 Jensen 541
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects. The
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
The Jensen 541 was a car produced by Jensen Motors. Each one of these cars has an individual story to tell, but the story of
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor
More Work On The Subframe Of Our 1955 Jensen 541
September 23, 2022
More repair work was needed on the subframe of our 1955 Jensen 541. This work has been undertaken and completed. The finished subframe will now
Fabricating a bulk load of Jensen parts
September 16, 2022
In the workshops right now, we have 6x Jensen 541’s in various states of repair or restoration. We have 3x Jensen 541’s and 3x Jensen
Repaired – Repairing the Subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 8, 2022
The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been reworked by the Bridge Classic Cars team. The part was in need of some
Stripped Back – Stripping the Subframe of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 6, 2022
The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been delivered back to the Bridge Classic Cars Pettistree workshop. The subframe has been checked
Teardown – Stripping Down the Body of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 1, 2022
The 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been further stripped down by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team. The workshop have removed the roof and
Taken Apart – Teardown Continues on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
August 26, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been given the delicate task of stripping down all of various pieces from the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number
Teardown Begins – Beginning to Teardown the Trim on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
August 25, 2022
As part of the inspection on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ by the Bridge Classic Cars team, the workshop have begun to tear down
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this
Nostalgia – 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” and Its Former Life
July 5, 2022
Our 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” has an amazing history. Through reference materials and historical documents, EX9090 is believed to be only the 8th Jensen
This Just In – 1955 Jensen 541 Arrives at the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop
July 1, 2022
The 1955 Jensen 541, which records show is the 8th car ever built, has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. The team recently
Good As New
January 10, 2023
Our friends at Wyatt Polishing recently completed some restoration work and zinc plating for a number of seat runners and bonnet struts for the Jensens currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
When components like this look as good as they now do, you can tell that the fully restored cars they become a part of will be as beautiful as ever.
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects.
The bonnet strips he made can be seen in the photos below.
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
The Jensen 541 was a car produced by Jensen Motors. Each one of these cars has an individual story to tell, but the story of the Jensen 541, in general, is one that many car enthusiasts should be keen to hear.
If you want to know more about these truly iconic classic cars, then this brief history of the Jensen 541 can give you a good idea of how special (and rare) these cars really are.
October 1953 – The Launch Of The Jensen 541
At the Earls Court Motor Show of 1953, the Jensen 541 was shown to the public for the very first time. It would be another eight months before production properly started but, this was the date when the world was officially introduced to the 541.
Up until the 541, Jensen had mostly been using aluminium for the bodywork of their Interceptors (there were restrictions on the use of steel still in place as the world recovered from the second world war). When it came to making the boot lids of the Interceptors though, Jensen played around with a new material of the time – fibreglass.
When working on the idea for the 541, Jensen wanted to do something big, so they decided to make a lot more of the car from this new wonder material.
June 1954 – Production Begins
In June of 1954, production of the Jensen 541 began. At the time, you could buy your very own 541 for £2146.
October 1956 – Say Hello To The 541 Deluxe
A little over 2 years after production of the 541 began, the 541 Deluxe was introduced. As this was a more luxurious car that featured all disc brakes, the price of the car increased to £2626.
Only 53 Jensen 541 Deluxes were made in total.
October 1957 – Here Comes The Jensen 541R
A year later, the 541R was introduced. When first released, these were fitted with Austin Princess (DS7) twin-carb engines, and an overdrive gearbox. The price tag for a 541R, at the time, was £2866.
January 1958 – No More Original Jensen 541
At the beginning of 1958, the very last Jensen 541 was made.
October 1960 – From R To S
Two years later, the Jensen 541R was pulled from production too. At this point, less than 200 541Rs had been made. Jensen had now moved on to the Jensen 541S which had a larger interior, and automatic transmission as standard. Due to these upgrades, the 541S cost £3195.
January 1963 – The End Of The Road
At the beginning of 1963, production of the Jensen 541S ended. Less than 150 had been made before being replaced by the Jensen CV-8 which had been introduced the previous year (1962).
Bridge Classic Cars And The Jensen 541
Jensens have had a strong presence in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a long time. Our team of classic car technicians have restored multiple 541s and some of our current projects include a few more too.
Considering only a few hundred of these classic cars were made, we love seeing them in the workshop. We love working on them, and we love getting them back on the road for everyone to enjoy.
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor MK3).
As there is a lot of work to get done on these classic cars, it’s usually very beneficial to bulk produce some of the smaller parts so they are always available if and when our classic car technicians need them.
Clinton has been busy handcrafting several components that will eventually go on to be part of several of our Jensens. As you can see from the photos below, he has been making bonnet hinges and rear seat location pins. Even small parts like this play a big role in classic car restoration.
More Work On The Subframe Of Our 1955 Jensen 541
September 23, 2022
More repair work was needed on the subframe of our 1955 Jensen 541.
This work has been undertaken and completed. The finished subframe will now be able to offer the support it needs to, in order to keep the classic car running smoothly and safely when it is fully restored.
Fabricating a bulk load of Jensen parts
September 16, 2022
In the workshops right now, we have 6x Jensen 541’s in various states of repair or restoration. We have 3x Jensen 541’s and 3x Jensen 541R’s.
Sometimes, when fabricating parts it is much more time and cost effective for Clinton to produce more than one item. In this instance, Clinton has been working on re-producing the rear demisters and vents as well as bonnet stops and clamps.
With so many successful Jensen restorations now complete, we have the tooling for a lot of the parts that are required on the Jensen. If you are looking for Jensen parts for your own car or need assistance with fabricating certain parts for your classic car feel free to get in touch and we’d be more than happy to assist.
Repaired – Repairing the Subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 8, 2022
The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been reworked by the Bridge Classic Cars team.
The part was in need of some repairs and revisions so was taken to the bench for the restoration technicians to rework. The team have completely remade some of the tabs and mounts which will be needed for it to be reattached to the frame while also reinforcing certain areas.
Stripped Back – Stripping the Subframe of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 6, 2022
The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been delivered back to the Bridge Classic Cars Pettistree workshop.
The subframe has been checked over and all areas in need of repair have been noted by the workshop for our amazing fabrication shop to carry out getting the piece back to full strength and squareness.
Teardown – Stripping Down the Body of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
September 1, 2022
The 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been further stripped down by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team.
The workshop have removed the roof and rear bodywork from the early 541 to expose its chassis to be thoroughly inspected. The fibreglass parts have been put away into storage after being catalogued for when the classic GT car is ready for restoration.
Taken Apart – Teardown Continues on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
August 26, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been given the delicate task of stripping down all of various pieces from the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’.
Our technician Paul has been carefully stripping down all of the various components from the classic GT car so they can be inspected and sorted out for refurbishment.
Each individual piece is being catalogued and reported as part of its teardown and ultimately the cars restoration.
Teardown Begins – Beginning to Teardown the Trim on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’
August 25, 2022
As part of the inspection on the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ by the Bridge Classic Cars team, the workshop have begun to tear down all the trims, doors and windows for the car.
This is to check the function and condition of each individual piece which will be put together in their report.
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this years Helmingham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival.
We brought along the 541R which is in the early stages of its restoration with us.
We’ve even got some photos of Paul at work while he roughed out the sketch which you can see below and head over to his website and check out some of the other amazing artwork he has done and the tuition courses he offers.
Nostalgia – 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” and Its Former Life
July 5, 2022
Our 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” has an amazing history. Through reference materials and historical documents, EX9090 is believed to be only the 8th Jensen 541 to be built by the factory. Through the years, it had been worked on, changed, rebuilt, and modified until it was a shadow of its former self.
We found the car in Lincolnshire as a parts car. Missing was the 4-litre straight-six it would have originally been supplied with, replaced with a Jaguar straight-six of the same time. The seats also appeared to be out of another car and its bright red paintwork had flaked, cracked and weathered. We know this from these photos we were sent of the car in what appears to be the early to mid-1990s from the background objects referenced.
But it wasn’t always this way. The other photos we were sent across are of another Jensen 541 which is in a matching colour scheme to how our 1955 Jensen 541 was originally delivered.
After checking documents and reference sources, we too believe that this is how the car was originally supplied in 1955. As part of its eventual restoration commission, this car will be put back to all original specifications, as seen in the photographs, and reunited with the 4-litre straight-six, a hallmark of the character of the car.
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This Just In – 1955 Jensen 541 Arrives at the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop
July 1, 2022
The 1955 Jensen 541, which records show is the 8th car ever built, has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.
The team recently picked up the classic Jensen from its previous owner in Lincolnshire before being bought home to Suffolk for our team to inspect. As soon as it came out of our enclosed trailer, the workshop technicians began to roughly reassemble the car’s panels back onto the framework before it was loaded back up and taken to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, to await its commission.
Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates on this very early 1955 Jensen 541.
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