Back in the mid-1960s, automaker Jensen joined forces with Ferguson Research to design the industry’s first all-wheel-drive car that wasn’t an off-roader or utility vehicle. Before production began, 12 prototypes were released with custom bodywork from Italian coachbuilder Vignale. One of these will be auctioned off by Car & Classic in the UK starting on Tuesday, January 6.
Hailed as a major innovation of the era, the Jensen FF came equipped with a 6.3-liter Chrysler V8 that delivered around 330 PS (325 hp / 243 kW) to all four wheels. To fit the AWD system in the car, the engineers ended up using a custom three-speed automatic transmission that occupied much of its left-hand side. This essentially meant two things: no other transmission options and right-hand drive only.
Aside from the above, the car featured an early ABS system developed by Dunlop Maxaret and something like an automatic torque vectoring system prioritizing the rear axle in most scenarios. The Vingale batch consisted of only 12 prototype cars mostly recognizable by their exteriors (watch the video to get an idea).
The example on sale is a model year 1966 Jensen FF, allegedly in fine driving condition and street-legal in Sweden. The mileage is unknown, as is the price.
