Jensen FF: The World's First AWD Sportscar

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_aQUjydtZp4l1ROeoHBpg/join This is the Jensen FF a grand tourer that was produced by Jensen Motors, who was a British automaker that began as a manufacturer of custom car bodies and eventually expanded into producing its own cars. The company's innovative use of technology in the FF model made it stand out from other sports cars of its time. I keep mentioning how innovative this car was, but what made it so wow. Well One of the most significant innovations introduced in the FF was the Ferguson Formula (4WD) system. This made the FF the world's first non-off-road AWD production car. The system used a central differential to distribute torque to both axles, but what made it unique was the use of two one-way clutches that allowed it to divide torque unequally. The result was a torque split of 37% to the front wheels and 63% to the rear wheels, which helped the FF handle impeccably in all weather conditions. The Ferguson Formula system proved to be so impressive that it even influenced the development of other automakers' AWD systems. Audi engineers are said to have sourced a Jensen FF and dismantled it to study its AWD system when developing their Quattro system. Rumors also suggest that both Subaru and AMC drew inspiration from the FF when developing their first AWD models, the Leone and Eagle. Pretty insane, that this car might be the reason for cars like the quattro Another technological innovation introduced in the FF was the Maxaret anti-lock braking system (ABS), which was originally developed by Dunlop for aircraft use. Jensen adapted it to work with the Ferguson Formula system to prevent the wheels from locking. Although crude by today's standards, the fully-mechanical Maxaret system proved to work extremely well and was a significant safety improvement over traditional braking systems. In fact, the Jensen FF was featured in a 1960s Sports Illustrated article, where it was called the safest car in the world. #fergusonformula #AWD #Jensen