World's Fastest Jensen

The Dream

Ship the car to the west coast of America, fly out, collect the car from the port.

Drive through California up to Las Vegas.

Carry on via the Grand Canyon into Utah, and then compete during the Speed Week event.

After the event continue to drive down through Texas and the southern states to Florida.

Proceed up the East coast to New York to ship the car home.

Taking every opportunity along the way, to take in as many sights and to meet as many people as possible.

The Reality of the first trip

After a very rushed build the car was shipped to Houston mid July. Ian flew out and picked the car up on 2nd August then drove the 1800 miles to Wendover Utah. The team flew out over the next few days and we all had a fantastically exciting week working and racing the car.

After Speed week the car spent a few days travelling to Las Vegas. We all had a well earned rest, spending time relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds.

We then took another three days taking the car back to the Houston where it was left in the care of the shippers.

Six weeks later the car arrived back in the UK safe and sound all be it a little rusty.

Our second attempt at Bonneville speed week.

During 2018 our first trip was brilliant. The car created as many opportunities for us to prove our engineering expertise as is normal for a first trip to speed week.

It became obvious during the first trip that we were enjoying a triumph of optimism over preparedness. We managed to break a lot of parts and our major success was that we proved beyond doubt that the car was capable of a lot more speed than we managed to get out of it.

Having learned from our previous efforts and from taking advice from a lot of the new friends and more experienced racers we met. The car has been completely rebuilt from the bottom up. More power has been added and all of the safety and car handling structures have been strengthened and improved for the higher speeds we are now attempting.

This time the car will be shipped to the west coast as per our original plan, but will be stored at a friend’s workshop. This hopefully will allow us (the team) to fly out and participate in as many events as we can manage.

But Why?

We are firmly of the belief that all cars, regardless of age and design specification are designed to be driven first. Whilst a beautiful car in pristine, clean condition is a work of art in itself, seeing a car at speed, in its natural environment, as it were, is far closer to the design concept.

With the above in mind we are also taking the opportunity to promote engineering to young people by hopefully creating an unusual and interesting project. The concept of pushing a car to 155% of its design top speed always throws up some interesting engineering opportunities.

Finally as a team we all are of a mind that life is not a spectator sport and that if an opportunity presents itself it should be grasped with both hands. Furthermore as in this case the opportunity has been created following the untimely losses of a few dear friends in recent years.

The History

DLN90C was purchased in 1965 by a certain Mr Smith. Around 11 years ago the car was bought from the son of Mr Smith who had kept the car on the road since he inherited it from his father.

Word has got around within the Smith clan and we received this wonderful message from another son of the original Mr Smith.

Dear Sir,

My brother sent me this link a while ago but I have only just had a look at it and made the connection. Anyway I just thought you might be interested in this little anecdote about the car and its history (if my memory serves me).

My name is Peter Smith and my father was the original owner a Mr Clarence Ewart Smith.

I seem to remember 1967 having something to do with it anyway the M6 motorway was about to open to the general public and I seem to remember that my father got the permission of the Manchester Chief Police Constable for him to drive his car down the motorway at speed before it opened to the general public.

I am not absolutely certain if it was on this occasion or at another occasion but I do remember being chauffeur driven down the motorway to school in this car and the chauffeur putting his foot down and the car reaching 126 miles an hour which seemed like bullet ( and just a little bit frightening).

So I think the car has always had speed in its bones. I am very pleased and just a little amazed to see what you have done with it.

Maybe one day it will come around this way to the village of Thornton Le Dale in the North Yorkshire Moors where there is an annual classic car show (and a classic car museum – Mathesons I think it is called) but where the old CV8 would knock spots of anything they have seen to date.

Best regard and congratulations on a fine job of work on the car.

Concourse D’Elegance nes ce pas.