Highlights of Previous Months' News

If you want to see what has been news in the 541 community in the past months, take a look below. Each month I'll take the best of the news items and preserve them here.    Happy Browsing!         ** Warning - they are now out-of-date **

ANNIVERSARY:
Colin Richard Riekie, Engineer

Wherever you are in the world, preparing for snow or sweltering in the heat, we wish you a Happy Christmas.

And while we are caught up in the hurly-burly of Christmas preparation, we should pause to recognise that it is now 30 years since the passing on Christmas Eve 1982 of Colin Riekie, chassis engineer.
Colin worked with Eric Neal (Jensen's designer) and the Jensen brothers to create the car we all know and love. He would have been 91 this December 14th.

Despite his huge contribution, his name is seldom mentioned so this month I intend to put that right with a short biography created with the help of his friends and family.

Colin came from a technical background.  His father worked for the truck manufacturers Latil; indeed, in 1935 he devised a road-tractor unit which had hidden flanged wheels.   This creation was driven up the Great West Road, Middlesex,  and to the cheers of a massed crowd he hauled a huge crane, drove up the steps to the Firestone factory, and then drove onto the rail tracks and shunted several heavy trucks with ease.

Riekie Senior apparently used his commercial expertise to help develop the Jen-Tug for Jensen, so it was little surprise that his son was joined the company.

Find out more about
the man behind the car at
Colin Riekie's Biography





And of course his colleague's information remains available at
Eric Neale's Biography

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
See below for a few ideas on how to spend money this Christmas:

BRITISH RESERVE

The slightly strange reserve pipe mechanism of the 541 requires a solenoid to close or vent a valve so that a short copper pipe normally picks up the fuel, whereas a slightly longer pipe is used when the reserve is selected. This part is no longer available.

However, Aston specialist
Four Ashes Garage is willing to take on the job of fixing them:

"We Recondition your Own Lucas Petrol Reserve valve These are stripped, ultrasound cleaned & examined. They are always rebuilt with new solenoids & looms, possibly metal tubes (they split or block up) a new gauze is made up & fitted then they are electrically tested & vacuum tested before despatch."

They further claim: "We are about to make new Anodised alloy bodies for this unit in early 2013."

Contact them on fourashesgarage@btconnect.com
for more details

CHASSIS SALE

Metal fabricator Ron Clay had a chassis on eBay at the start of December.

It is complete from the main 5 inch diameter tubes backwards, you only need your bulkhead assembly and the front chassis legs to complete this chassis



Note: The JOC and this website does not endorse any particular eBay products.

ERIC NEALE PRINT

We have been contacted by Gloria Stone who says:

I have a print of the Jensen 541 by Eric Neale. It is a limited edition, 15 of 40. The 541 is set against a Norfolk background. Mr.Neale lived in Dersingham, Norfolk, and was a great friend of my father's. Mr. Neale gave the print to my father; it is at present at an auction house, if anyone is interested in buying it.


This picture was completed by Eric after a break from the drawing board of some decades, and I believe he donated it to raise club funds. I hope to add more contact details soon. A nice little present under the Christmas tree?

LET IT SNOW

The charming picture at the top of this page shows the interior of OEA 939 at a snowy H&H auction back in the winter of late 2010. If you take a snap of your 541 against a winter background, let me know so I can use it next year!

NEC CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW    Event report

Picture credit: Zac Marshall

There was no 541 on the Jensen stand this year - and with the amazing cars on show, I can see why there was no room. However, in another part of the hall the Verey/Welch racing 541 was on display. This well sorted classic racer was on sale for £75,000, which would let you compete - and just possibly win - against Ferraris and such like.

JOC INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND 2013    21st-23rd June

Confirmation of the 2013 International location has been received. Further North this time, but still easily accessible to most, on 21st-23rd the JOC International Weekend will be at Cranage Hall, Cheshire CW4 8EW.
Rough timetable will be:

• 21st June Meet and greet.
• 22nd June AM - AGM
  John Lane (0151 9249621) general-john@joc.org.uk
• Followed by classic run or shopping
• 22nd June Evening - Dinner/Dance & trade bookings
  Tony Davies, (01270 761444). international@joc.org.uk.
• 23rd June Concours
  Richard Streeter (07717 674670) concours@joc.org.uk

This year, the Concours will again be part of the International Weekend, but just because there is a concours doesn't mean you have to enter - there will be parking available in the centre of the event for Jensens not entered in the concours.

Cranage Hall:    The hotel itself (pictured) boasts all the usual facilities & there will be a room price arranged via the Club. Watch the Forum events diary for updates.

48 HEURES DE TROYES    Event Report

Picture credit: "Mimiss"

Since the first event in 1986, the "48 hours" has brought together car enthusiasts and vintage motorcycles from all over Europe. This year, on 7th to 9th September 2012, there were 400 vehicles, 700 hotel bookings, 2,500 meals and 15,000 spectators. Run by the Kiwanis Club of Troyes and Champagne Retro Automobile Club, there seems to be something for every taste and it also contirbutes to charity. This handsome 541 was spotted on display.

2012 NASHVILLE BRITISH CAR CLUB SHOW    Event Report

Picture credit: "That Car Guy"

A fine day in October brought out "a multitude of Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars" but also some rarities on US soil, such as the 1956 Jensen 541 pictured.
www.nashvillebritishcarclub.org

CHRISTMAS LITERARY CORNER    Part One

"The Jensen 541 is unusual" says this article from The Children's Newspaper in 1955. The one in this illustration certainly looked it! It also boasted a top speed of only 100mph and has a "thermostatic" grille flap, so their facts were as accurate as their illustration. I don't know about you, but I'd like to find out what happened to George in the sinister flooded mine...

CHRISTMAS LITERARY CORNER    Part Two

Raising the level for our second Christmas reading treat, I bring you
"A Silent Joy" by Elizabeth Jenkins. Despite appearances, this was no Mills & Boon pot-boiler but the prize-winning final book (1992) in the six decade long career of this noted author and biographer. Despite being in her late eighties when she wrote this account of life in 1950s London, she had the intelligence to put her hero in a Jensen:

Neil had now bought a car, a Jensen 541 'R' and this was the first time he had driven Phyll in it. She had always known he was besotted with machinery, but until this morning she'd never realised that he regarded cars as if they were people.


Tom Mercer had been out on the drive with Neil, examining the wonders and beauties of the Jensen; now he came indoors.


If you do come across a copy of this book, snap it up as it is collectable!

VIDEO CLIP: MERSEYSIDE MOTORING

Jon Sharples' freshly repainted 541, which was previously bright orangey-red, on New Brighton seafront. If you want more than a 20 second highlight, click onto the time bar.

Click here for alternative way to play clip using YouTube

NORMAL SERVICE...

...has been resumed.

You may have noticed that I have not updated the 541 site for a while, for which I apologise. I have been pre-occupied with helping my mother move home and preparing her old house for sale.

There is another grand old lady that also needs to move: my very own 541 is sitting in the house's garage and will need to find a new home before the sale is complete. I fear that I will be temporarily using a lockup garage until my own garage is ready.

You can see how she looks, with a light coating of dust and spiderwebs, in the pictures below.

BADGES IN STOCK

While others may promise 541 badges are heading for production, Andy from Appleyards personally proved to me that he holds many of the enamel badges in stock.

BOOK REVIEW

A chance this month to review a mainstream book that also features our favourite car! US based Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young (of Crosby Stills Nash and Young) has just brought out his biography and, alongside his life story and the music, there's plenty about the cars he loves. “I’m a material guy,” he concedes. Amongst his favourites is his 541.


In Feelgood's there is a 1957 Jensen. It is a 541, one of just thirty-five ever made. In 1975, while I was down in Florida ... I found the Jensen in Fort Lauderdale in a little used-car place on Sunrise Boulevard. It was $2,750. I had never seen one before, and it was very beautiful. I needed a car. It was in original condition, faded red, well-worn, but nice. This was and is still my favorite combination; beautiful, original, and worn. Its worst flaw was that the back window had been cracked from a falling coconut somewhere. It was a right-hand drive and had a unique little lever in the dash; if you pushed up, the horn honked, and if you pushed down, the brights would come on. Toggling it back and forth resulted in a classic European blasting-horn-and-flashing-lights combination effect. It also had been equipped with glasspacks. That meant it was loud as hell! I loved it and bought it the next day. I drove it everywhere in Florida.

He mentions picking up a girl in it, and other passing mentions show that it was very much his main car at times. In addition, the frontispiece of the whole book is a moody shot of his 541 leaving his California ranch!

If you want to discover his philosophy of life, why not ask for the book as a Christmas present? Available from Viking at £25 RRP, with the usual heavy discounts also available.

SILVER SCREEN STAR?

Classics Car Weekly (16th October 2012) featured the 541R as a "Coachbuilt Best Buy", concluding it was both glamorous and practical. They recommended it if you wanted to feel like a film star!

BONNETS GALORE

There have recently been several bonnets flying around on eBay (must have forgotten to clamp them down before setting off) as Jensen 541 restorers have bought sold or swapped to enable their own restorations to go ahead. The one pictured below (it's in a poor state) finishes its auction a couple of days after this is published, but it proves that parts are stillavailable if you keep your eyes open.

Transmission

Worn out 541S auto gearbox?
Geoff Rogers has contacted us to let us know that Homefield Garage in Kent keep in stock "an overhauled Rolls-Royce transmission for the 541 Jensen, full fitting service available or just the transmission exchange".



homefieldgarage.co.uk.

FUNKEN SCHWACHE!    Germans blow a fuse

David Jayne of Wiesbaden in Germany contacted us to let us know that his 541S was featured in the August/September edition of the major German magazine 'Oldtimer Praxis'
He reports:

As you will see from the photos, the subject of the article is the incredibly botched electrics of this vehicle (NOT my work I hasten to add!) and the resultant instrument, charging, ignition and overheating problems. You'll probably also be able to see the coil fitted to the side of the engine block and no, before you ask, I haven't the faintest idea why, apart from making room for the 18 fuses that the previous owner fitted! I've since moved it because it wasn't entirely happy being cooked from within. Since the photos were taken I've fitted (invisible) Ignitor electric points and I'm getting a new vacuum advance unit any day now which together should cure all my ignition problems for a very long time.

Photo: : Britta Huening, Fotorismus

Does anyone have a template for the exhaust/carburettor heat shield (currently missing)? Now the car is running properly this is one on a long list of Winter jobs for David to carry out.

ACE CAFE, LONDON   Event Report

As part of the news roundup, here's a picture of the only 541 to make it to the Ace Cafe in London back in July. It was hailed as the first dry weekend this Summer (and maybe the last?) Does anyone know the name of the motorcycling gent on the right, with the stripey top and purple shirt, who introduced himself as "Colin". We had a long chat about a 541 he'd been restoring for many years but never driven as it was too rusty.   

JENSEN C-V8 50th BIRTHDAY PARTY  Event Report

A fortunate gap in the dire Summer weather gave the CV8 birthday bash a real boost. On arrival at the venue, the impressive Waddesdon Manor, the CV8s were arranged on the gravel in front of the building but other models were banished to line up on the driveway. Several handsome 541s were spotted in attendance at this very successful and busy event, such as Brian Philpott and the Turnage's in their 541S models, and Lennie Boulton in his immaculate 541R. Passersby were very interested in these cars, and despite the generosity of Paul Anderson in lending me his CV8 for the weekend, I still think nothing beats a straight six.

NATIONAAL OLDTIMERS, Netherlands  Event Report

At the end of September, members of the Jensen Club Holland (including 541S owner Anton) attended the Nationaal Oldtimers Festival 2012. It might look like the 541 was with a few other cars on a windswept beach, but I believe that thousands of cars were involved, with a major concours and race events too!

SADCASE Storrington   Event Report

SADCASE or Storrington And District Classic And Sportscar Enthusiasts to give it its full name, is an automotive based club with a difference. Set up for all Petrol-heads living or working in Storrington and the surrounding areas of West Sussex.
Why is it different? Because there is NO membership fee, NO committee (to tell you what to do) and NO regular agenda. You just visit the website to see where we are meeting next (usually a pub) for a chat between like minded individuals.

This anarchy obviously appealled to Brian Philpott, the rebel! He turned out in September for their local show - it looks a real mix of vehicles.

Link to SADCASE

COOL WALL  Ice cold 541

The JOC Forum is holding an informal discussion to see which Jensen had the coolest owner. I expect some rock god guitarist will top the list, but I like my heroes cooler than that. And for car enthusiasts, what is cooler than the inventor of the ultimate gadget, the hovercraft?

In the late 50s and early sixties, the word was going mad for the futuristic hovercraft designs which had come from nowhere to challenge as the transport choice of tomorrow. SR.N1 made its first hover on 11 June 1959, and made its famed successful crossing of the English Channel on 25 July 1959. Against this background, inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell was the star of the world of new technology, and his choice of road vehicle would have been regarded as significant. And what did he choose? A Jensen 541 of course. Seen here is his car in 1962, no doubt exiting a leading-edge British research unit!

THE HIDDEN PERSUADER  541 in ads

Popular mythology suggests that few things sell a product as effectively as a good-looking car in the background. Sometimes it takes an enthusiast to spot the model, which is what happened with the examples below.

First up is a Yamaha advert from last year, and Keith Lee spotted the vehicle lurking in the background of the garage.





I did contact the GB Yamaha press office, who referred it to the Worldwide Office, and nothing more was heard from them, so the thinking behind the advert and the owner of the car remain a mystery - unless you know otherwise?


Also last year, Thomas from Hannover spotted a poster at a South African airport; this time the car has been identified as one based in South Africa and available for hire for adverts and films. (The GHD TV advert featuring it is still viewable on the JOC main web page.)



Do you know of any more that I can feature?

VIDEO CLIP: LENNIE'S 541 ON THE MOVE

One thing that seems constant as the years pass is that Lennie Boulton's car will remain in the same immaculate condition as is has for the last couple of decades. Seeing him on the driveway at the CV8 event reminded me that there is an old documentary on YouTube featuring his car.

The first 3 minutes of this clip are devoted to the 541. But who is that smart man in the suit?!

Click here for alternative way to play clip using YouTube

JULY 2012

TRACKED DOWN

I now think I have established the current location of abandoned 541S 727 BYK, and I'm trying to get in touch with the owner to find out more about it. Watch this space! Any information about the earlier history of this car is welcome.

CHASSIS
OFF-THE-PEG

I have been contacted by Ron Everitt-Clay, aka "Chassis Man" on the forum, with an intriguing offer. Due to a change of plans, he has available the main chassis for a 541 or deluxe (not R or S) completely finished and ready to be picked up and used in your restoration. Usually, you would have to place an order and join the waiting list. In addition, he is able to offer a sizeable discount on the usual price. Note: this is still a substantial investment, because unlike many chassis this is not just a simple frame but a major part of the car's construction. Contact via chassisman@hotmail.co.uk - he is based in the Midlands.


Seen above is a typical 541 chassis, as built by Ron.

WHAT'S ON?
(RAIN PERMITTING)

If your favourite event has been cancelled due to waterlogged ground, why not check for another classic car show using your smartphone? Colin and Di Mayes, from the JOC Regalia section, have brought out an app for i-phone, Android and Blackberry which lets you track down what's on and where and all the details when you are planning a visit to a classic event. More details of the free CLASSIC CAR APP are on our Links page here.

NO COMPARISON

Classics Monthly featured Dave Turnage's 541R in the July 2012 issue. This magazine does seems to have a rather limited distribution when I tried to locate a copy, but keep an eye out at autojumbles.
I don't think that Dave was overly impressed at the opposition, but he praised the "good pictures" and "good article".

I-Spy

What will YOU spot on the road this month?
Don't forget to tick it off in your little I-spy book!

SAVED!    541's HOME SURVIVES

Of all the once great Jensen buildings, the only real survivor is the Admin block at the Carters Green site where the 541 was conceived and built.
You may remember a couple of years ago I reported the closure of the council offices based in "Control House" and how it was expected that demolition and redevelopment seemed likely. I dropped by this year and was stunned to see that the new owners had not only lightly refurbished the site but had taken the trouble to proudly rename it across the front as "JENSEN HOUSE", using a good copy of the original typeface.

Photo: S.Carter

Further investigation revealed that a local shopfitting company has bought it. The purchase and refurb was personally arranged by the MD, who knows some of the history but is not a committed Jensen fan. They are not sure what they will do with it yet - move in themselves or rent it out - but demolition is not on the cards.

There are suggestions that there may be an official opening in which the JOC can be involved, especially as there is an ample car parking area. There may even be a case for a local council "Blue Plaque" to mark the site. Watch this space!

INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND  Event Report

We were back to the traditional all-in-one social and Concours this year. One sad side-effect is that few people were willing to take to the road after the AGM and try out the mystery tour (well, it was a mystery if you got the directions wrong), as they were busy preparing the car for Sunday's judging. Inevitably the 541 Registrars were keen to get a few miles under their wheels, although the next day their car looked extremely presentable - I don't think I have ever seen it before without a few honourable travel stains!
As usual there were cars there that I'd never seen before (where do they keep coming from?) and a wide range of approaches, from President's Cup standard, to just keeping it on the road. Results of the Concours will be published in the late Summer issue of Jensen, but I can say that the 541 contingent didn't let the side down!  Keith Lee's car is pictured above, on a weekend that was remarkably dry and even sunny, but his wife Jenny deserves a mention too as even injury to her foot didn't stop her joining in:

BROMLEY PAGEANT   Event Report

Despite the Bromley organisers cheekily picking the International weekend to hold their show, there was still a good Jensen presence. Tim Clark, who co-ordinated the Jensen turn-out, said:
"Well, no rain & warm, most importantly a fantastic display of great J's. Thanks to everyone who came & made a great display, we really were a talking point! Even the AMOC sent a advance party to check us out! They were a nice bunch & very, very complimentary of the stand & cars."

JAGUAR ENTHUSIASTS CLUB  Event Report

The Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club invited the JOC, as a guest Club, along to their International Weekend at Weston Park on 24th June. Despite the grey skies there were only a couple of short showers, and a selection of Jensens brightened the day for those passing our stand.

Not all the Jaguars met the usual description of Grace, Space and Pace:

Picture credits: N.Mumby

VIDEO CLIP: TRULY "INTERNATIONAL" WEEKEND

Early on Sunday we were greeted by the sound of a Bhangra beat. At first we thought Tony Davies had excelled himself with the entertainment he'd organised, but it soon became apparent it was actually an Indian wedding procession heading into the Hotel. The music forms a backdrop to a quick view of the site, including a delicious 541S.

Video credit: S.Carter

Click here for alternative way to play clip using YouTube

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