Jensen 541 History
Catalog record
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History
Introduced in 1954, the Jensen 541 was an advanced grand tourer with a streamlined fibreglass body over a steel chassis, designed by Eric Neale. A distinctive front-hinged grille flap could be opened or closed to control airflow and cooling. Power came from a 4.0-litre Austin D-Series straight-six.
The 541 was a technical pioneer: the 541 Deluxe (from 1956) was among the first British production cars fitted with disc brakes on all four wheels. The line evolved through the 541R (from 1957), with a one-piece body and more power, and the 541S (from 1960), wider and offered with automatic transmission, before production ended in early 1963.
Generations
541 · Original
The original fibreglass GT (226 built); the 541 Deluxe added four-wheel disc brakes, a British production first.
1955 Photo: “Jensen 541 (1955).jpg” by andreboeni / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
1956 Photo: “Jensen 541 (1956).jpg” by SG2012 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
1957 Photo: “Jensen 541 Deluxe of 1957.JPG” by GTHO / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
541R
Faster development with a one-piece fibreglass body and rack-and-pinion steering.
541S
Wider, more luxurious final version, available with automatic transmission.
Body styles
- Coupé
Related models
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