| The Astor Collection Friday, June 27, 2008 - Sunday, June 29, 2008 |
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| 1936 Jenson-Ford Tourer | |||||||||
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85hp, 221 cu. in. L-head V8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, front and rear transverse leaf spring suspension, four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Wheelbase: 121" Probably the most famous of all the Jensen-Fords, this car derives its celebrity from Clark Gable, the man who never owned it. Richard and Alan Jensen began bodying Austin Sevens in their native England. In 1934, they built a series of Ford racing bodies for the Tourist Trophy in Northern Ireland. This led to a small run of four-seater V8 tourers, first shown that October. The Motor tested one, and found it accelerated swiftly, and was “free from rolling, pitching or other suspension vices.” Early in 1936, Percy Morgan, a California industrialist, read about the Jensen-Fords in The Autocar, the other British motoring weekly. He liked the style and wrote to the Jensens, who promptly rewarded him with a franchise. He ordered two cars, one for himself and one for friend Clark Gable. The chassis were purchased through the Hollywood Ford dealer, to be shipped from the Ford branch in New Jersey to England for bodies – it was cheaper that way and easier to get them with left-hand drive. Morgan ordered a black car; Gable’s was to be silver with red leather. Perhaps thirty Jensen-Fords of all types were built from 1934 to 1936, only two or three of them imported to the US. The Jensens later developed a Ford-based car of their own, using suspension similar to that developed for the Edsel Ford Special Speedster that was sold at RM’s Amelia Island auction this past March. Some 50 of these S-Type Jensens, with Ford running gear and coachbuilt English bodies, were built from 1937, and a further twelve H-Types with Nash eight-cylinder engines – plus one with a Lincoln V-12. Percy Morgan imported some of these S-Type and H-Type Jensens as well. This beautifully restored example was Percy Morgan’s own car. When it arrived from England, Gable preferred it to the silver one he had ordered. Morgan, however, refused to let it go, so Gable canceled his order, but stood for an ongoing series of photo ops in deference to his friend. Owned for many years by the late Warren Wyman, it was later in the collection of Robert Gottlieb, whose “Classic Comments” column in Motor Trend started many of today’s enthusiasts in the hobby. It has appeared in many magazine articles, among them Automobile Quarterly Vol. 36, No. 2, which explains the entire complicated history of Jensen with Ford. Fully restored some years ago to concours condition, it is beginning to show some wear, mainly as surface scratching. The overall appearance, however, is still stunning. The brightwork has a like-new appearance; the glass is marred only by a thin scratch on the inside of the windshield. There is a tan convertible top, dual windshield wipers, and dual fender-mounted sidelamps. It is upholstered in cream leather and fitted with tan carpets. The dashboard comprises Ford instruments set in a varnished wood fascia. The engine is period correct, showing almost no wear or aging. The undercarriage is in similar condition. The car comes with a copy of The Ford Road, published in1978 and showing a photo of Clark Gable with the car. Also included is a photo of Gable himself. Many cars have had movie star owners. None, however, has gained such fame from a man who never owned one. |
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