The Jensen FF: How a West Bromwich Workshop Built Tomorrow's Car in 1966

When Harry Ferguson walked into Jensen's West Bromwich factory in 1962, he brought with him an idea that would make every modern performance car seem like a pale imitation. This was the man who had revolutionised farming with the three-point hitch system, and now he wanted to apply the same mechanical intelligence to cars. What emerged from that collaboration was the Jensen FF, a machine so far ahead of its time that it would take Audi another 14 years to catch up with the Quattro!

The Ferguson Factor

Harry Ferguson approached engineering problems with the methodical intensity of someone who genuinely understood that good ideas usually look obvious in hindsight. His tractor business had taught him that traction was everything, and that mechanical sympathy could overcome almost any disadvantage. When he teamed up with Tony Rolt and Freddie Dixon to develop the Ferguson Formula, he brought decades of experience in making things work properly rather than just work.

The engineering elegance of Ferguson's four-wheel drive system lay in its intelligent simplicity. Rather than creating an on-demand system that engaged when things went wrong, he designed permanent all-wheel drive that split torque 37% front and 63% rear through a trio of differentials. What made this approach so clever was how it anticipated problems rather than reacting to them. The system constantly adjusted power distribution based on available grip, making the car inherently stable in conditions that would leave conventional sports cars pointing backwards into hedgerows.

Here's the ingenious part: Ferguson understood that four-wheel drive meant nothing without proper braking control. Working with Dunlop, he integrated the mechanical Maxaret anti-lock system that had been developed for aircraft. The beautiful fusion of these technologies created a car that could both accelerate and stop with confidence that contemporary machinery simply couldn't match.

The Italian Suit on British Engineering

Alan and Richard Jensen had spent the 1930s building bespoke cars for customers who demanded something different from the usual British offerings. When they decided to house Ferguson's revolutionary drivetrain, they commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to create bodywork that would make the engineering look as sophisticated as it actually was. The result was the FF, a grand tourer that combined Italian style with British mechanical innovation and American V8 power.

The lovely bit about the FF's design was how it managed to look both elegant and purposeful. Those distinctive twin diagonal louvres on the front wings became the only external clue to the complex machinery underneath, while the extended wheelbase - 127mm longer than the standard Interceptor - provided space for the Ferguson hardware without compromising the car's proportions. The overall effect was of a machine that clearly meant business.

What's fascinating is how the FF anticipated modern luxury car expectations decades before anyone else thought they were necessary. The combination of permanent four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, automatic transmission, and that thunderous Chrysler 383 V8 created a driving experience that would feel familiar to anyone stepping out of a contemporary Audi RS6 or BMW M5.

The Maxaret Marvel

The Dunlop Maxaret system deserves particular attention because it represented exactly the kind of lateral thinking that British engineering did best. Instead of waiting for electronics to solve the anti-lock puzzle, Dunlop created a purely mechanical solution using a spinning flywheel that sensed wheel deceleration. When lockup was detected, the system reduced brake pressure momentarily, then reapplied it as grip returned.

The engineering breakthrough came from integrating this aircraft-derived technology with Ferguson's four-wheel drive system. Because the centre differential prevented wheels from locking independently at each axle, a single Maxaret sensor could control the entire braking system effectively. Road tests showed approximately 30% reduction in stopping distances compared to conventional brakes, along with vastly improved stability in emergency situations.

What made this achievement so remarkable was how it solved real-world problems with available technology. While other manufacturers were still debating whether anti-lock brakes were necessary, Jensen was already delivering them to customers who probably had no idea they were driving the most advanced production car in the world.

The Swiss Ski Slope Test

In 1967, Autocar magazine conducted what became one of the most memorable road tests in automotive history. They took an FF to Swiss ski slopes and, running on ordinary road tyres at normal pressures, drove it up ski runs that defeated conventional cars equipped with snow tyres and chains. The demonstration proved Ferguson's point about traction more effectively than any amount of technical explanation could have managed.

British car buyers have always been suspicious of anything that works too well, which perhaps explains why the FF's remarkable capabilities failed to generate the sales success they deserved. The car cost about 30% more than the standard Interceptor, putting it in Aston Martin DB6 territory, while its inability to be produced in left-hand drive form limited export opportunities to crucial markets like America.

The problem with the FF was that it solved problems most buyers didn't realise they had. In an era when sports car buyers expected to struggle with their machinery, particularly in adverse conditions, the FF's unflappable competence seemed almost unsporting. Its 330bhp Chrysler V8 provided effortless performance while the Ferguson system delivered traction that made weather irrelevant.

The Production Reality

Only 320 cars emerged from West Bromwich between 1966 and 1971, making the FF one of the rarest production cars ever built. The complexity of manufacturing the Ferguson drivetrain, combined with Jensen's limited production capacity, meant that demand consistently exceeded supply. Each car required extensive hand-finishing and careful integration of components that had never been combined in quite this way before.

The engineering challenges extended beyond the obvious mechanical complications. The FF's sophisticated systems demanded higher build quality standards than Jensen had previously maintained, forcing the company to develop new assembly procedures and quality control measures. The result was a car that represented the absolute pinnacle of what a small British manufacturer could achieve when given proper engineering support.

What this experience really demonstrated was how innovative thinking could overcome resource limitations. Jensen had neither the development budget of major manufacturers nor access to purpose-built production facilities, yet they created a car that established technical standards the industry would spend decades trying to match.

The Forgotten Pioneer

Why do most people credit Audi with inventing the high-performance all-wheel drive car when Jensen had perfected the formula 14 years earlier? The answer lies in timing, marketing, and the British industry's curious ability to abandon brilliant ideas before they reach full potential. The Quattro arrived when consumers were ready for such technology, backed by a manufacturer with the resources to explain its benefits properly.

The FF's influence extended far beyond its modest production numbers. Every modern performance car with all-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes follows principles established in that West Bromwich workshop during the mid-1960s. The integration of traction and braking control systems, the permanent all-wheel drive philosophy, even the luxury grand tourer packaging - all trace directly back to Ferguson's original concept.

Today's sophisticated electronic traction management systems represent an evolution of ideas that Harry Ferguson explored using purely mechanical components. The basic principle remains unchanged: anticipate grip loss rather than react to it, and integrate traction and braking systems for maximum effectiveness.

The Enduring Appeal

FF owners today understand they possess something genuinely special - a car that pioneered technologies now considered essential for high-performance motoring. The Jensen Owners' Club and Jensen Museum maintain extensive archives supporting restoration efforts and preserving the marque's technical legacy. These cars represent something increasingly rare: genuine innovation developed outside the corporate mainstream.

The engineering integrity of the FF becomes more apparent as modern cars become increasingly homogenised. While contemporary manufacturers rely on electronic systems to compensate for fundamental chassis limitations, the FF achieved its capabilities through intelligent mechanical design. The Ferguson system still works exactly as intended, requiring no software updates or electronic intervention to deliver its remarkable performance.

Perhaps most importantly, the FF reminds us that innovation often comes from unexpected collaborations between people willing to challenge conventional thinking. Harry Ferguson's agricultural engineering background brought fresh perspective to automotive problems, while Jensen's willingness to embrace radical concepts created opportunities for breakthrough development.

The Jensen FF proved that British engineering, when properly supported and given appropriate freedom, could establish standards that the rest of the world would spend decades trying to match. The tragedy lies in how quickly the industry abandoned such innovative approaches in favour of safer, more conventional solutions that delivered inferior results.