Jensen FF
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The Jensen FF was an all wheel drive GT car produced by the British manufacturer Jensen between 1966 and 1971. Preceding, by far, the Audi Quattro it was the first non all-terrain production car equipped with all wheel drive and an antilock braking system, the Dunlop Maxaret electro-mechanical system used hitherto only on aircraft or racing cars.
The letters FF stand for Ferguson Formula, Ferguson being the inventor of a full-time all wheel drive system, the first on a production sports car.
Although it was a highly influential vehicle in a technical sense, the FF was not all that commercially successful. Its price was high—about 30% higher than the Jensen Interceptor, its similar-looking rear wheel drive stablemate, and more than that of luxury GTs from much more prestigious makes. Unfortunately, the other FF problem was one of design, and not one easily cured. The system was set up for a driver in the right hand seat, and no considerations had been made to making it convertible to left-hand drive. In particular, the central transfer case and both propeller shafts protruded into the left-hand seat space. The steering gear and brake servo were fitted on the right-hand side and there was no space for them on the left. By the early 1970s, Jensen's primary markets were overseas (particularly the United States), and the FF could not be sold there.
One experimental Ferguson FF was built in 1968 with a 7 litre (426 cubic inch) Hemi engine imported from Chrysler in the US. It is unknown whether it was destroyed or continues on to this day in a private collection. Further Hemi engine equipped FF's were not built due to the limits of the suspension at extremely high speeds and the cost of importing the Hemi engine into britain was deemed too great.
A "SP FF" version is rumored to have been made at some point in the production run. This version was equipped with a 7.2 litre (440 cubic inch) engine with a "Six Pack" (3 2-barrel carburetors) induction system and all wheel drive. Less than ten are assumed to have been built.
