The Jensen 541 was produced from 1954 to 1960. It was first exhibited at the London Motor Show in October 1953.
The 541’s fibreglass body was mounted on a steel chassis – a mix of tubes and pressed structures. The 4-litre DS4 straight-six engine was from the Austin Sheerline, 226 examples being built with this original engine. The four-speed gearbox could be fitted with an optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The Jensen 541 was a fast car, with a claimed 135 bhp and a top speed of 109 mph at launch. At first the car had servo assisted drum brakes but from 1956 the new 541 Deluxe version featured Dunlop disc brakes both front and rear—the first British four-seater thus equipped.
In 1957 came the 541R, the R signifying rack-and-pinion steering in place of cam and roller. The car also gained the high-performance DS7 version of the Austin Sheerline’s four-litre engine, equipped with twin carburettors on the offside. The cylinder head was reworked with a higher compression ratio and long-dwell timing, lifting output to 150 bhp and allowing The Autocar to test a car in January 1958 at a top speed of 127.5 mph and with a 0–60 mph of 10.6 seconds.
Of 193 541R models built, only 43 had the high-performance DS7 engine. Supplies ran out, and the next 150 were fitted with the DS5 engine with triple SUs on the nearside.
The body consisted of three major mouldings; the entire front was rear-hinged and was raised on mechanical (not hydraulic) props that supported the rear luggage doors of a Duple coach. The doors were aluminium. Suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and lever-arm dampers. The rear axle with leaf spring suspension was located by a Panhard rod.
The 541 had two quirky and useful features; firstly its moveable flap over the front air intake, operated from within the cabin, and secondly tinted acrylic sun visors that could be slid down from behind the front headlining.
The car’s styling was by Jensen designer Eric Neale; it was both attractive and aerodynamically efficient, with a Cd figure of only 0.39.
The 541R was succeeded in 1961 by the Jensen 541S, with a larger body and a Rolls-Royce automatic gearbox. Only 127 cars were built before that model was replaced in 1962 by the Chrysler-engined C-V8.
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