This is the Jensen 541R and if you’ve never seen one before that’s probably because just 193 of them were made between 1957 and 1960, and very few were exported out of Britain. The Jensen 541R was the new and upgraded version of the Jensen 541 introduced in 1957. Like its forebear the 541R had a steel chassis, a lightweight fiberglass body, independent front suspension, a live axle rear, and it was powered by the 4.0 liter straight-six engine from the Austin Sheerline. The 541R was built during Jensen’s booming post-WWII period, and it was one of the first British cars with a composite body (fiberglass). The 541 was designed by Eric Neale using contemporary design cues with perhaps a little inspiration from the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Period magazine reviews of the 541R and its siblings were typically glowing, the cars were fast, they handled well, and the interiors were luxurious with leather upholstery, front bucket seats, and plenty of trunk space.
