San Francisco Street Sighting - 1974 Jensen-Healey Mk II convertible

Rounding out this week's group of red convertibles is an English import, a 1974 Jensen-Healey Mark II. Readers of this blog may remember the black 1973 Healey I featured last year. The '72-73 Healey had larger front turn signals than the later cars, but still had giant black bumpers that disfigured what could have been a trim little sports car. In 1974 the bumpers became even larger to satisfy US crash regulations and lost their chrome trim. A two-door "shooting brake" wagon version, called the Jensen GT, was built in limited numbers from 1975 to '76 until the company folded. It was an undignified end for Donald Healey's line of roadsters.

I saw this car one evening after exiting a class at my university in the Financial District. It was parked across the street and I immediately pulled out my camera and looked for solid surfaces to put it on for some longer-exposure night shots (I wasn't in the habit of carrying my little collapsible tripod with me). Although the United States was the Jensen-Healey's biggest market, these roadsters don't show up often in the city, or anywhere for that matter.
This car looks like it wears a cheap repaint judging by the overspray on the muffler. Aside from the minor quarter panel damage and a very ill-fitting convertible top (did they ever fit properly?) it seems pretty clean. I'm not sure I'd have painted the brake drums red. Why call attention to the fact you don't have four-wheel discs? I'm glad to see that the owner takes it to a qualified British car mechanic who hopefully keeps the mechanicals in tip-top shape. Now for a spot of body work and a new top.