When old fogeys and listeners of classic rock staples think of the best drummer in rock, who comes to mind? Ginger Baker? Neal Peart? Keith Moon? Occasionally, someone may may throw out a Jon Hiseman here or a Jim Keltner there, but perhaps the most common name-check is Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham.
Yeah, I enjoy Led Zeppelin, but I have evolved since high school. There are nerds who will proclaim they were the best band ever (hello? The Beatles?) or loudest (The Who set the standard), but nonetheless they were great — a band that scaled the shoulders of the established to reign as King of the Mountain. Yet one of the things these bands had in common was members with a penchant for automobiles.
In the not-too-distant past, John Entwistle’s Cadillac limousine crossed the auction block. So did Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant’s (Ferrari) Dino 246 GT. Next on the “cars owned by famous peeps” tour is this 1972 Jensen Interceptor III formerly owned by John Bonham.
According to Iconic Auctioneers, John Bonham Enterprises Ltd bought this RHD Interceptor and registered it on March 18, 1972, at the peak of Led Zeppelin’s success.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, this is likely the same Jensen that John Bonham crashed in 1977. Per Bob Spitz’s Led Zeppelin biography, Bonham left a pub in Cutnall Green and was “speeding as usual, [drunk] as usual” when the Interceptor spun off the road and landed in a ditch, flinging him sideways and breaking two of his ribs.
The current owner brought the car in barn-find condition and commissioned a three-year, $110,000 restoration to bring it to better-than-new condition. Painted Reef Blue with crimson leather interior, this Jensen was properly restored through consultation with prominent specialists and suppliers. It’s easy to think that Interceptors of this generation were powered by a 440, but is one is powered by a 250-horsepower (net) 383 V-8 (6.3 liters to you Europhiles) as the 440 wasn’t phased into production until May 1972. Like most Interceptors, shifting is handled by a TorqueFlite automatic.
If you’re both a Ledhead and automobile enthusiast, then we have found the ultimate piece of history for you, so get your finances in order quickly as bidding begins and ends on July 25, 2026, at the Iconic Collectors’ Car Sale at the British Racing Drivers’ Club Classic at Silverstone.
