FAB WHEELS DIGEST (F.W.D.): September 2013

The Jensen S-V8, a two-door convertible, was the most recent in a series of Jensen cars. After a £10 million investment to restart the company since it ceased production in 1976, the two-seater convertible was launched at the 1998 British International Motor Show, with an initial production run of 300 vehicles planned at a selling price of £40,000 each. Troubles with manufacture meant production ceased with only 20 ever leaving the factory and another 18 cars left partially completed. The company went into administration in July 2002. The Jensen name and partially completed cars were later sold to SV Automotive of Oxfordshire in 2003 who decided to complete the build of 12 of the cars, retaining the others for spares. A grand total of 32 cars were built. Powered by the superb Mustang Cobra 4·6-litre, 32-valve, four-cam, lightweight V8 engine, the S-V8 promised 160mph and 0-60mph in less than five seconds. The C-V8, a coupe version of the convertible S-V8 was planned, but due to the company's troubles it never saw the light of day bar one prototype. (wikipedia)

The one-off C-V8 prototype, a coupe version of the convertible S-V8

(Photos from flickr.com, hiltonandmoss.com, silverstoneauctions.com,

chelseacars.com & autowp.ru)

In 1954 Ghia designed the Adventurer II as a prototype to showcase their own version of a Rocket Age Desoto. It came from Ghia's own Supersonic design by Giovanni Savonuzzi. It was reworked by Virgil Exner to accommodate the length of the Desoto chassis and in doing so he created a much more dramatic design. A unique feature of this Ghia special is the sliding sunroof which hides into the trunk area. The Adventurer II was built on the Desoto Imperial Series S-19 chassis and is powered by the Chrysler Firepower Hemi displacing 276 cu in. It was sold for $1,430,000 in an auction in 2012. (supercars.net)

The Ghia Supersonic body was also built on the 8V Fiat. Jaguar XK120, and Aston Martin DB2/4 chassis. (wikipedia)