A Blonde and her Jensen CV8

[v8250]

Driving north of Newbury on the A34 yesterday afternoon I spotted a blonde driving her metallic blue Jensen CV8 heading south. No time for a pic to be taken but the image made me smile, a sunny early springtime Friday afternoon, the roads awash with dull company euro-boxes rushing back for the weekend...and an independent thinking lady doing her own thing in a great looking CV8; such stylish motoring...!

[lowdrag]

1963 and I was leaving London for a weekend in Southend. A CV8 pulled alongside at the lights. The lights changed and I only saw it again for a few seconds. I have always admired the thickness of the fibreglass. No weight saving there!

[Bodo]

v8250 said:

... I spotted a blonde driving her metallic blue Jensen CV8 heading south...

That was Latające Papugi from Wrocław. She's locally known as supplier of cigarettes, and lives here on benefits with her three children.

[v8250]

Bodo said:

That was Lataj?ce Papugi from Wroc?aw. She's locally known as supplier of cigarettes, and lives here on benefits with her three children.

Have had to google Latajce Papugi, your idea of a 'bird', blonde or otherwise, is very different to mine...

[v8250]

lowdrag said:

1963 and I was leaving London for a weekend in Southend. A CV8 pulled alongside at the lights. The lights changed and I only saw it again for a few seconds. I have always admired the thickness of the fibreglass. No weight saving there!

Your reply is perfectly timed. A friend was visiting last weekend, he's closely linked with Jensen's and we discussed the GRP thickness of CV8's; it is very thick. No wonder they needed such a large capacity V8 to carry around the sheer weight of body. Always thought a CV8 would be an ideal candidate for a 4.0/4.6 litre RV8 or a more modern LSV8 mated to T56 manual 'box.

[Bodo]

v8250 said:

Have had to google Latajce Papugi, your idea of a 'bird', blonde or otherwise, is very different to mine...

Good work

[lowdrag]

Well actually it isn't; it is the 21st century so you are behind the times. Even we old farts can count. But I find your comment offensive. I know what V8250 meant, as I am sure do most here. In fact, I don't think I have ever seen a woman, let alone a blonde, at the wheel of an Interceptor. it has always been viewed as a somewhat butch, square-jawed man's car, an that isn't meant to be sexist in the slightest, just the fact. I think it extremely rare - but pleasing just the same - that a woman chose such a car in the first place. Now she loves driving old cars, and if she can tell left from right (SWMBO can't), loves rallies then I have a spare seat vacant Oh, and we'll share the driving by the way.

[zygalski]

Probably bought & funded by her husband anyway, bless her.

[v8250]

Strela said:

For Christ's sake granddad, was it in al-Newbury, Saudi Arabia? In case you hadn't noticed, this is the twentieth century!

Steady on there, fella. This is CC&YH, not PH's NP&E. The kindly shared post was one to show the pleasure of seeing a blonde lady at the wheel of a CV8 on a sunny afternoon. Seeing a CV8 is a relatively rare thing. Seeing a blonde driving a CV8 is extremely rare and should be appreciated.

[deltashad]

We stopped off at Wroclaw last year in the Lotus during a road trip.

Just thought I'd add some useless information. It's fibreglass too, so many familiarities.

[gruffalo]

Strela said:

For Christ's sake granddad, was it in al-Newbury, Saudi Arabia? In case you hadn't noticed, this is the twentieth century!

Twenty first century as it happens;-)

And just realised that Lowdrag beat me to it, bother.

[fausTVR]

gruffalo said:

Strela said:

For Christ's sake granddad, was it in al-Newbury, Saudi Arabia? In case you hadn't noticed, this is the twentieth century!

Twenty first century as it happens;-)

And just realised that Lowdrag beat me to it, bother.

I thought I heard a squark in the distance but perhaps I am mistaken.

[Hamish Finn]

lowdrag said:

I only saw it again for a few seconds. I have always admired the thickness of the fibreglass. No weight saving there!

I can't understand how you could work out how thick the fibreglass was from seeing it for a few seconds.

[Countdown]

Possibly because that wasn't the only time he's seen a CV8 ?

i.e. he's seen other CV8s as well......

[lowdrag]

Hamish Finn said:

I can't understand how you could work out how thick the fibreglass was from seeing it for a few seconds.

Amazing how we are so perspicacious, we expats. If you've been around cars as long as I have you'd have built up a memory bank of whatever too, like whether it's alloy, steel or fibreglass or carbon. But we all surreptitiously and furtively feel a wheel arch or two, especially the replicas. I just love seeing them do it to my car. But a CV 8 is by any reference humungous to the touch.

And I only saw it for a few seconds because of the way he left me standing at the lights. White one it was.

[MuscleSaloon]

Countdown said:

Possibly because that wasn't the only time he's seen a CV8 ?

i.e. he's seen other CV8s as well......

[v8250]

Right ladies, stop all this bloody silliness. Jensen CV8's have always been marvelous things, especially when driven by a blonde. Now, today's been a glorious day and have spent this with garage doors wide open setting up the suspension geometry on the V8 and trying to de-squeak the nylatron bushes; all this to the accompaniment of the local bird population who were firmly 'on song...'. Out of intrigue have inquired as to the GRP thickness and been informed it's the plus side of 8mm thick in places. This answering the question of why they last so long...which can't always be said of their chassis.

[gforceg]

I remember in the late 80s there was a CV8 parked in an open garage in a mews in Bath. It looked like it hadn't moved for a while even then.

I'd say it was in the first garage with a black door, if it matters!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3855351,-2.36186...

[v8250]

gforceg said:

I remember in the late 80s there was a CV8 parked in an open garage in a mews in Bath. It looked like it hadn't moved for a while even then. I'd say it was in the first garage with a black door, if it matters!

That looks like a great place to find a CV8. Had my first dinner suit tailored around the corner at Gieves & Hawkes in Bath. Five fittings and four weeks later they presented me with a wondrous suit and a suitably large bill.

[Astacus]

Ha, looks like round the back of what used to be Moles club when I live there!


Which was the early 80s....

Edited by Astacus on Sunday 13th March 20:53