The 1974 Jensen Interceptor III Convertible featured at 2011 Mecum Indy

The 1974 Jensen Interceptor III offered British design and styling with the heart and soul of a classic American muscle car thanks to the Chrysler 440 4-barrel under the hood – and one of these rare Chrysler-powered luxury drop-tops made an appearance at the 2011 Mecum Spring Classic in Indianapolis.

By the time the 1974 model year vehicles rolled off of the assembly lines at Chrysler plants around the US, big block V8s like the 440 4-barrel were badly watered down due to new regulations in the US. However, when Jensen fitted their new 1974 Interceptor III convertible with the 440 big block, they used the “pre-smog” motor that churned out a whopping 375 horsepower. The 1974 Dodge Charger, for comparison, offered just 280 horsepower – making the Jensen Interceptor III one seriously powerful convertible. In addition to being one of the most powerful cars available in the US in 1974, the Interceptor III Convertible was also one of the most unique with just 267 made for the US and Europe.

This rare high performance British convertible is a rarity in any form but at the 2011 Mecum Spring Classic, show goers had a chance to check out a 1974 Jensen Interceptor III Convertible in showroom-like condition. The paint, chrome, soft top and interior fabrics are as clean as they were the day that the car rolled off of the assembly lines and the 440 Chrysler big block needs only minor detailing to be show-ready. This car is certainly an interesting piece of history – especially considering that Chrysler currently uses an advertising campaign poking fun at the British for the fact that muscle cars are what “America got right” thanks to their new Dodge Challenger.

The crowd at the 2011 Mecum Spring Classic Auction is one that leans towards American vehicles and evidently, the Mopar muscle under the hood wasn’t enough for this year’s crowd in Indy as this Jensen went unsold with a high bid of $47,000. If you are interested in purchasing this incredibly rare, Moparized British ragtop click here for more information from the Mecum website!

Other Mecum Coverage:
The 2002 Panoz Esperante Jan Magnussen Driver’s Edition at 2011 Mecum Indy
The original BMW M6 hits the block at the 2011 Mecum Indy Auction
The 1974 Plymouth Cuda Tooling Car at the 2011 Mecum Indy Auction
Paul Dehnert’s 1994 Corvette ZR-1s sell at 2011 Mecum Indy
The Mecum 2011 Indy Spring Classic has something for everyone