THE BARON.(Product/service evaluation)

Byline: JAN TEGLER

Unlike its more popular successor, the Jensen Interceptor, the C-V8 never had a model name. But if it did, it might have been called "The Baron.'' Virtually unknown on this side of the Atlantic, the C-V8 starred alongside U.S. actor Steve Forrest in the 1966 British spy-genre television series The Baron. Forrest portrayed John Mannering, an American spy masquerading as an antique dealer in Great Britain who drove a C-V8 Mk II much like this 1963 example enjoyed by owner George Phelps of Boyds, Maryland.

The C-V8 was itself the successor to the 541 series of coupes (produced from 1955 to 1962) and was originally to be known as the 541 CT or Mk II. Instead, the designation "C-V8'' was coined, possibly reflecting the new car's center-tube chassis and V8 power. Arguably the last true Jensen, the C-V8 was the final design from the firm's founding brothers, Richard and Alan Jensen. Jensen chief body engineer, Eric Neale, cloaked the chassis in a fiberglass shell that modernized cues from the 541, taking styling to a new level.

The C-V8 premiered at the Earl's Court Motor Show in 1962 and attracted attention with its combination of style, power and handling. Employing a theme echoed in The Baron, Jensen put an American in an English setting. A 361-cid Chrysler V8 was dropped into the British chassis to propel the Mk I. Coupled to a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission, the Yank motor fed 305 hp to the rear wheels. British reviewers praised the C-V8's power, but Jensen was already at work on a more muscular version. The Mk II debuted in October 1963 (some materials refer to this model as a '64) sporting Chrysler's dual-carb, 383-cid eight-cylinder. With 330 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque, the 3332-pound C-V8 could reach 60 mph in 6.8 seconds-supercar-like performance for the era.

Handling was also praised. C-V8's combination front independent coil and wishbone, rear leaf spring/live axle suspension made firm footing on highways and British country lanes. Four-wheel ...