Book Reviews, August 1974, August 1974

The names of two well-known British sports cars, the Jensen and the Healey, are now linked together in the new 2-litre Jensen-Healey, so it is fitting to find one-make history extended to cover this rather specialised field. This little book with the nice colour dust-jacket is packed with interesting data about all the Jensen and Jensen-Healey models, not forgetting that rugged Riley-powered Silverstone Healey and other Healey cars. The beginnings of Jensen match those of Lotus for romance and applied effort, and from these small specials stemmed those handsome later Jensens, with various engines, which are now quite sought-after. The first big Jensen, I remember, had a standard Ford V8 30 power unit the identity of which was concealed in contemporary Press descriptions — as if you could disguise the fact that there was a standard Ford V8 under the bonnet! The S-type Jensen, in particular, was a very handsome touring car, and this book is full of excellent pictures of cars and people in the Jensen image. Some of them are rare, like that showing an experimental turbo-impeller on an S-type. There are production and sales figures and a table of specifications of Jensen and Jensen-Healey cars from 1935 to the present day. Altogether, just the sort of coverage the make deserves, fascinatingly presented.

But now, having said that, I am going to scream out loud, at once again finding T & T (of Brooklands) spelt with a “p”.—W.B.

***

To supplement their normal guide the Shuttleworth Trust has issued a 48p guide to its historic aircraft, with many excellent colour pictures of its exhibits. Written by David Ogilvy, who used to compile light aeroplane flight-test reports for us, this pleasing booklet contains much of interest about these pre-1914, 1914-18, post-1918 Service, and between-wars, sporting and private aeroplanes, and there is a table of technical data. It is available for 40p postfree, from the Shuttleworth Trust, The Aerodrome, Old Warden, Biggleswade, Beds.

MINIATURES NEWS

RECENT RELEASES include an Auto Replicas’ Porsche 356 Speedster, and Aston Martin Zagato and 1938 Porsche Le Mans coupe kits, from Grand Prix Models of Radlett. We have also seen the D.G. 1-1/2-1itre 1938 Jaguar d/head disc-wheeled miniature and the D.G. 2-1/2 -litre wire-wheeled Jaguar Police-car; the former costs £3 or £4.50 as a made-up model, the latter, if still available, £5, kits for this not being available. Both are part of Grand Prix Models’ stock. Grand Prix Models also supply the Japanese Gakken constructional kit of an SSI00, to 1/16 scale, which needs little or no painting, and costs £4.80, plus 30p post and packing. We hope to report further on this model, which is No. 8 in the 1939 Classic Car Series (A16 from Grand Prix Models), when we have made it up. A Ferrari Model Club has been formed, catering for all types of Ferrari models, the first modellers’ club exclusively for a single make of car. A quarterly journal “Ferrari Models” will cover 1/43-scale Ferraris. The Secretary is F. Roveda, Nocton Rise, Stratford Road, Watford, WDI 3NY.

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—W.B.