1960 Jensen 541S

Going Into Storage

Our award-winning 1960 Jensen 541S is safe and secure at our storage facility, The Hangar. It is being kept in a Carcoon which will keep

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Looking As Good As New

When the award-winning 1960 Jensen 541S returned to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at the end of last year, everyone was very excited to see

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Good As New

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

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Door Alterations

We love Jensens here at Bridge Classic Cars. We think they are very special cars and we have spent lots of time working on various

Read More »

Swapping Lights

After having an award-winning summer at a number of classic car shows, our 1960 Jensen 541S has returned to us. Before being put into storage,

Read More »

Jensen Tool Tray!

This tool tray is from the Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541S. It hasn’t got any tools that were in it, so the customer is going

Read More »

Ingenius idea!

Dave has been working on the 1960 peony red Jensen 541S. He’s adjusted the cover for the gearbox so it can come apart for an

Read More »

Getting Ready For Summer

Now that warmer (and hopefully drier) weather is coming, it is the time of year when the thought of getting your classic car back out on the road starts popping up.

We have been storing the award-winning 1960 Jensen 541S over winter, but the time has come for it to come out of The Hangar, and be prepared for its owner to collect it and enjoy it over the summer months.

Before it’s ready to leave us though, we are waiting on a new fuel gauge to arrive which will replace the current faulty one. Once this arrives and is installed, the car will be summer-ready and will soon leave us to be admired in the sun!

Going Into Storage

Our award-winning 1960 Jensen 541S is safe and secure at our storage facility, The Hangar.

It is being kept in a Carcoon which will keep the car in a protective environment and will keep the air conditions around the vehicle as good as they can possibly be. Inside the Carcoon, the air is continuously circulated and the quality of air is kept extremely high to ensure our 541S stays in show-winning condition.

After undergoing some work while back with us, the time has come for this beautiful classic car to sit safely and securely until its owner is ready to take it out again.

As you can see from the photos below, even in a Carcoon, our 1960 Jensen 541S looks as good as ever!

Looking As Good As New

When the award-winning 1960 Jensen 541S returned to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at the end of last year, everyone was very excited to see it again.

Since it has been back with us, its fog and spot lights have been swapped over and an issue with the driver’s side door alignment has been resolved too.

The next task that the workshop team have been looking at is a small area of damage to the paintwork above the driver’s side front wheel. Classic car technician Chris repaired the damage before priming the area.

Chris then went on to paint the repaired area and, as you can see from the photos below, our 1960 Jensen 541S is looking as impressive as ever.

Good As New

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.

Door Alterations

We love Jensens here at Bridge Classic Cars. We think they are very special cars and we have spent lots of time working on various Jensen models from Interceptors to FFs, 541, 541R, and more.

One extremely special Jensen is our 1960 Jensen 541S which has recently returned to the workshop.

While it has been with us, it had its fog and spot lights swapped over by classic car technician Ryan as well as receiving some attention from Dave too.

Dave’s focus was on the driver’s side door. The door didn’t quite align right with the body of the car when it was closed. Dave did some alteration work and was able to improve the alignment of the door so the chrome part of the frame now fits much better.

As the time approaches to once again say goodbye to our 1960 Jensen 541S, we are pleased to have been able to make improvements to this beautiful, award-winning classic car.

Swapping Lights

After having an award-winning summer at a number of classic car shows, our 1960 Jensen 541S has returned to us.

Before being put into storage, classic car technician Ryan swapped the fog and spot lights over on this beautiful classic car.

While Ryan has been looking at the lights, Dave was busy working to resolve an alignment issue with one of the door windows.

We have always known that our 1960 Jensen 541S is a beautiful and very special classic car. We love having it back in the workshop with us and the team here is enjoying being up close and personal with it preparing it for its time in storage.

Welcome Back To A Special Jensen

Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars has spent a lot of time around Jensens. Considering how rare 541’s are, we have had several in the workshop over the last few years.

One very special Jensen is our 1960 Jensen 541S which has recently returned to us.

After having an award-winning summer, the owner of this stunning car has bought it to us for storage over winter. However, before it goes into hibernation, our team of classic car technicians will be looking to re-align one of the door windows as well as doing some work on the lights too.

We love this very special car and, after a summer of awards being won, it’s earned a rest with us.

A Brief History Of The Jensen 541

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.

Winner – 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ Wins at Classic at Glemham 2022

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ which was restored by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house team has won Best Restored Car at Classic at Glemham 2022.

It’s amazing to see the reception and accolades that this particular Jensen has been chalking up since being completed by the workshop here at our Suffolk HQ. We can’t wait to see what it does next!

Success – The 1960 Jensen 541S Wins Best Car

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony Red’, which was restored by the Bridge Classic Cars team, has won Best Car 1956 to 1980 at the 2022 Stonham Barns Classic Vehicle Display.

It’s amazing to see the reception this beautiful classic Jensen has received every time it goes to a show!

Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham

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.

Out & About – 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ at a Car Show

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’, which was restored by Bridge Classic Cars, has been to several recent classic car shows with its proud owner sending us over some photos of the gorgeous classic Jensen GT car in pride of place.

Helmingham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival 2022

This Sunday, the Bridge Classic Cars team were at the Helmingham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival 2022.

The team had set up our stand the day before and carefully positioned our collection of competition and restoration cars to show off to everyone walking past.

Our stand was instantly busy as the gates opened at 10 am on Sunday. Crowds and lines of people waiting to get their tickets for our competition cars or to talk to the team about a project they have. In front of us, the rows of concourse cars laid out an incredible sight.

From an original Lamborghini Countach Anniversary to an Mk2 Jaguar with a leopard print interior. Included in those rows of incredible machinery was a 1960 Jensen 541S – It was Peony Red, the car we had restored for its proud owner on display and mentioned as a finalist in the Best in Show later that day.

In the multiple fields and paddocks, all manner of cars were on show. From new supercars to rarely seen and incredible classics from every corner of the automotive world. There was also amazing food, dancing, bands and stands for everyone to look at.

Families lined the shaded driveway, nestled under a long row of oak trees as the sun grew higher throughout the day as the concourse cars would do their exhibition runs. Filling the Suffolk countryside with every type of engine noise imaginable.

At the Bridge Classic Cars stand, the line of people didn’t stop. We love seeing our friends, new and old, so it was always a pleasure for the team to have a chat and enjoy the atmosphere.

As the afternoon went on, it was time to do our annual live draw from the Heveningham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival. This time, it was for our beautiful 1971 MG B Roadster.

Molly and Freddie went live on our Facebook page to find out who the lucky new owner of the classic sports car. With the tickets having sold out several days before and the entry list being live, it was time to fire up the Google Random Number Generator. As Molly and Freddie hit the button, the future of the MG B was decided. The winner was Richard Hancox with ticket number 1027.

To check out the full gallery from the 2022 Helimgham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival 2022 have a look below:

Safely Returned – 1960 Jensen 541S Hubcap Returned

We’re lucky to have an amazing community surrounding our restoration workshops in Suffolk. Recently on a test drive, the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ lost one of its aftermarket wheel trims.

The team at Bridge Classic Cars scoured the road for hours trying to find the wheel trim. We couldn’t find it anywhere – but thankfully our local community came together.

Our local community group put out a message saying they had found a new shiny wheel trim on the same road we had lost it on! Well today, a member of the local litter picking group turned up with our missing trim right to our workshops!

We’re massively grateful for its safe return and we have looked into why the trim fell off in the first place and due to the fit being not as good as an original piece, it worked itself loose.

Empty – Draining the Fuel Tank on the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘’Peony Red’’

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been looking at the 1960 Jensen 541S as part of an investigation into a running issue on the classic GT car.

The team have decided to drain the fuel tank on the classic Jensen to both inspect the fuel and the tank itself as part of the diagnostics. For this, the team use a small electric fuel pump to siphon the fuel out of the tank to be stored in transparent containers for visual inspection of sediment or dirt.

Then, the team can begin the visual inspection of the fuel tank itself to check for debris or dirt in different areas. At the same time, they will begin to inspect the carburettor for any build-up of dirt and debris. After looking into the bowls of the carburettor, they found some small deposits of sediment at the base of the bowls but not an amount which could cause the issue.

The team will continue to inspect and investigate the root cause of the running issue on the 1960 Jensen 541S.

Newest Member – 1960 Jensen 541S at The Hangar

If this isn’t one of the most beautiful cars then we don’t know what is. Finished in a beautiful shade of red with a grey roof and camel leather, this 1960 Jensen 541S is definitely stealing the show at The Hangar. It is, of course, Peony Red.

Peony Red is one of the Jensen 541’s that Bridge Classic Cars has had the honour of restoring down to the smallest detail for its very special owner. There isn’t an angle where this car doesn’t look absolutely phenomenal. This afternoon it was transported from our workshop in Pettistree inside the enclosed vehicle transporter to our classic car storage facility, The Hangar. This is where Peony Red will be stored and cared for over the winter months by our in-house restoration technicians until the weather becomes more suited and the temperatures are perfect for driving such an incredible sports car.

While The Hangar was being readied for Peony’s arrival, Nick managed to grab some photos of this truly unique and one-off Grand Tourer in the sun while he could. These photos, couldn’t even do justice to just how incredible this car looks and sounds in the flesh.

Looking Ahead Behind – Fitting the Mirror to the 1960 Jensen 541S

The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy working on a couple of jobs on the 1960 Jensen 541S before it goes to The Hangar for its winter storage.

One of the most important jobs to be done was to fit a rearview mirror at the request of the owner. The mirrors for the 541’s did not come as standard, however, because of our history with their restorations, we managed to source a piece for the owners’ peace of mind while driving.

Carefully, the mirror was placed into the door at the right place after dozens of test fits to ensure the part sat properly and also looked right. The detailing on the mirror itself is a beautiful part of its story. With exposed, bright hardware and a simple flat disc but with the base coming to a sharply defined point, it looks completely at home on the 541.

There are a couple of other jobs to have a look at on Peony Red, which will you’ll be able to see about here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Ready for Take-Off – Pre-Delivery Inspection on the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony Red’

It’s nearly time for Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S to go off to her new home away from us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Every square inch of Peony Red has been worked on in-house at Bridge Classic Cars by our expert in-house restoration teams.

We will be sad to see her go but before she leaves, our workshop manager and senior technician John has been giving her a pre-delivery inspection ahead of our travels. John has been going through each individual system on the car to ensure everything is all present and correct before the end of the week.

Alongside John is Tamas, one of our junior technicians to work on getting Peony Red ready.

Safe travels.

Finishing Touches – Making the Tunnel Carpets for the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony Red’

As part of Peony Red’s pre-delivery inspection, our in-house trim team have been busy finishing off parts of the interior. Mainly the tunnel carpet.

This Jensen 541 has been a long-loved restoration by us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Every department of our in-house restoration team has worked on this car in one way or another. Now, our trim shop is finishing off the last bits. Mainly it needed to have its transmission tunnel carpets finished.

The sound-deadening and insulation were fitted to the tunnel and then the templates could be made for the piece. After they had been cut, edged and fitted a small inspection flap needed to be carefully cut into the finished carpets for future use if ever needed. Kath carefully made a small ear from the matching carpet and trimmed it just like the other carpet to match and bring the whole piece together.

Next was the all-important tool tray. A unique piece of the Jensen 541, it lives underneath the glove box. The tray itself has been in our body and paint shop to make sure it looks absolutely perfect before it’s cover was made by Kath and fitted to the glovebox.

The interior of Peony Red looks absolutely sensational if we do say so ourselves.

Background Sounds – New Speakers and Speakerbox on the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony Red’

Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S, is reaching the end of its restoration and its pre-delivery inspection. So it’s time to get the last few finishing touches completed and in the car.

One of these systems that is being finished by our in-house trim experts is the sound system. Peony Red has got a modern stereo unit, although it is a classic-looking head unit it is thoroughly up to date. With that, it does require a set of new speakers.

Kath has been working on making new speaker boxes from scratch for the car. These were made from a simple wooden box but finished in matching carpet to the rest of the interior to blend into the car and be completely useable for her new owner.

Just because it’s a classic car, doesn’t mean you can’t have some of the modern luxuries. We think its a good balance of old and new in this stunning 1960 Jensen 541S

Jensen Tool Tray!

This tool tray is from the Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541S. It hasn’t got any tools that were in it, so the customer is going to source those separately. Kath is going to shape a new piece of foam and cover it in black vinyl to match the dash. This piece of foam is the handle part, and the piece you see while sitting in the car. The tool tray sits underneath the dash, on the passenger side, and slots in like a draw into a metal frame.

Ingenius idea!

Dave has been working on the 1960 peony red Jensen 541S. He’s adjusted the cover for the gearbox so it can come apart for an easier inspection. Bolts have been fitted so it’s fixed in securely but also has a way to undo. We definitely have clever people working for us!

Lydia has also had a part to play in this process by sanding carpet, glue and paint off one of the floor panels that sits underneath the gearbox.

Cold blowing hot on the Jensen 541S!

John has been giving the heater valve some attention on the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. When it was being tested, the heater was blowing hot when it was actually being set to cold on the control. So John set about changing the valve for it to work properly.

Small adjustment for the red Jensen!

Kath has been laying the carpet back down in the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. The pedals needed some adjustment, so the sound deadening and carpet were glued back down after this was done.

Jensen finishing touches

John has now fitted the new steering wheels

…and has been adjusting the throttle linkage and gear change linkage.

Jensen Journaal – July 2021

It is lovely to receive a copy of the Zomer 2021 Jensen Journaal in the post this week.

Several of our Jensens that we have restored have been featured in this month’s copy of the Dutch magazine, Jensen Journaal! https://jensenholland.nl/ It’s an absolute privilege, so thank you.

The magazine talks about our 1957 Jensen 541R, the 1958 Jensen 541R, the 1960 Jensen 541R and the 1960 Jensen 541S (The Prototype).

Here are our website links to the cars that were featured to find out more information on each of the restoration projects.

https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/category/projects/completed/1958-jensen-541r-navy/

https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/category/projects/completed/1957-jensen-541r/

https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/category/projects/completed/1960-jensen-541r-01/

https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/category/projects/completed/1960-jensen-541s/

Jensen 541S Air Box Bolt

Paul has re-produced an air box bolt for our 1960 Jensen 541S air box. It is now complete and ready to fit.

Bespoke Jensen book bag!

We call it the Jensen bible and in order to protect it Kath has made a bespoke leather book bag.

Jensen Genome Richard Calver July 2019 Edition

She started the process by drawing, measuring and working out the dimensions and design for the bag. Black leather was cut out to the required shapes and measurements and then mounted onto 3mm foam. She then sewed around the edges of the mounted pieces to make sure they were secure.

The first step in putting it all together was to sew a zip between two pieces of mounted leather with a zipper foot. Red topstitching went down either side of the zip as a finishing touch. Kath attached the zip and sidebands with clips onto the front of the book bag, to make sure it all fitted together, before sewing in place. She checked the book fitted inside, before sewing the back of the bag on. Red topstitching running around the outside edges of the front and back matched the zipper.

Jensen 541S engine running up

Please to show our Jensen 541S bursting into life and sounding beautiful.

Next job will be to set the gearbox up.