Jensen SV8

By Ross Pinnock

14th February 2008

Spring is just around the corner, which can mean only one thing for cabrio sales: a price rise. Interest in convertibles will boom in the coming months, and all that’s needed to spark buyer interest is one sunny weekend.

If you’re planning to invest in a sporty open-topped motor, we spotted one that comes with an almost unrivalled degree of exclusivity. Production of the Jensen SV8 was short-lived, and only a handful of vehicles left the factory complete. However, if you look hard enough, you can still find the odd one for sale – and this 2000 W-reg example is virtually brand new, with only 400 miles on the clock.

At £29,950, it certainly isn’t cheap, but you’ll be buying a piece of motoring history – and it comes with air-conditioning and full leather upholstery, too.

The Jensen’s 4.6-litre V8 engine is borrowed from the Ford Mustang Cobra, so performance is first-rate. What’s more, the solid chassis is admirably stiff considering that the SV8 is a soft-top. You can’t expect the kind of build quality we take for granted from mass-produced motors, but this is no ordinary sports car.

You could spend the same amount of money on a nearly new Porsche Boxster, but the German model is a much more common sight than the ultra-rare Brit.