Jensen factory location help needed.

[rumple]

Can anyone shed light on the Kelvin way Jensen factory, apparently Top gear got it completely wrong and went to an old machine shop, the Jensen factory is now a small industrial estate, is this true, gutted if it this is the case, can anyone confirm this, ta.

[Doofus]

What would you prefer it to be? Houses? A car park?

Unfortunately, Jensen, as a car manufacturer, closed down several years ago. Would you have the factory preserved in aspic?

[Dr Interceptor]

Yup... the one used by TopGear was never Jensen premises

Here's a photo of the Jensen HQ in Carters Green, West Bromwich...



Here's a later photo taken by Richard Calver in 2011, in the foreground was the old Ford dealership, then flattened. The Jensen building followed shortly after AFAIK.



As for the factory... I believe this new trading estate stands where the factory once stood.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=B70+7JT&hl=en...

[Dr Interceptor]

..and another image I've found of the top building when it had its branding up...

[rumple]

Thanks Dr, I was planning on urban exploring it but as the Top gear one was wrong there's nothing now to see, I believe its Kelvin way bussiness park now, the original Carter's green factory frontage is to be demolished as well.

[rumple]

Doofus said:

What would you prefer it to be? Houses? A car park?

Unfortunately, Jensen, as a car manufacturer, closed down several years ago. Would you have the factory preserved in aspic?

Jensen has gone out of business, wow , did you get that from 'No st sherlock motoring monthly'

[JulesV]

The old Jensen factory is still on Google maps. Not sure how to post a link but it is just off Shaftesbury Street.

[Dr Interceptor]

JulesV said:

The old Jensen factory is still on Google maps. Not sure how to post a link but it is just off Shaftesbury Street.

That's the building I posted above... you can see it in Streetview here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Shaftesbury+Street...

[Jagmanv12]

I recall going to the Kelvin Way factory in the late 80's as a friend was buying parts for an Interceptor he was restoring. The price of parts was incredibly cheap. I was used to Jaguar prices and Jensen prices were about half.

We got a tour of the factory and there were a number of half built Inteceptors and a couple of finished cars awaiting delivery. I wish I'd taken some pictures.

[Chris500]

Jensen Owners Club Forum: http://www.joc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

[SV8Predator]

Dr Interceptor said:

Here's a photo of the Jensen HQ in Carters Green, West Bromwich...

That was the administration block of the Jensen premises in Carters Green. However most tend to think of the Jensen factory being at Kelvin Way, West Bromwich, which was purpose built for the company as the Carters Green site was far too small.

The Kelvin Way premises are pretty much still there, but with new facade and numerous changes, is hardly recognisable as the Jensen factory, just looks like a generic industrial estate.

Luckily, the old Carters Green admin block remains and it looks at if it will be there for some time yet. Not due for demolition yet!