1966 Jensen FF V8 – The World’s First All-Wheel Drive Production Car with an anti-lock braking system.
When the Jensen FF was released in 1966 it made the motoring world sit up and pay attention. The FF was the first production car with all-wheel drive, it was also the first production car with an anti-lock braking system.
To say the model was ahead of its time would be a considerable understatement, though because Jensen only managed to sell 320 of them between 1966 and 1971 very few people have ever even heard of the model, let alone seen one in person.
The Jensen FF was directly based on the body of the much better known Jensen Interceptor, a British built grand tourer with a body styled in Italy by Carrozzeria Touring and a V8 engine supplied by Chrysler.
“FF” stands for “Ferguson Formula,” an all-wheel drive system developed by Ferguson Research Ltd and licensed to Jensen.
The Jensen FF is 5 inches longer than the standard Interceptor, it’s also slightly heavier. It can be visually distinguished from its stablemate by the twin vents on the front fender (there’s only one on the Interceptor), and it’s different front end.
By the time the Jensen FF was released in 1966, Jensen Motors already had a long track history of producing innovative vehicles. The company had been founded back in 1922 as W J Smith & Sons Limited by brothers Alan and Richard Jensen,m and they quickly made a name for themselves with their automotive designs.
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