The Jensen FF was the first production car to offer anti-lock brakes as standard equipment. Its Dunlop Maxaret system was a mechanical anti-skid design adapted from technology previously used mainly in aircraft.
Jensen introduced the FF in 1966 as an unusually advanced grand tourer. The initials stood for Ferguson Formula, referring to its permanent four-wheel-drive system, while the Maxaret anti-lock brakes helped prevent wheel lock during hard braking. The system detected wheel deceleration mechanically and reduced braking pressure before a skid developed.
The Jensen FF is sometimes confused with the 1971 Chrysler Imperial. The Imperial was the first production car with a four-wheel, computer-operated electronic ABS system, a different milestone. Mercedes-Benz later helped popularize modern electronic multi-channel ABS, but its system was initially an option rather than the FF’s original standard feature.
The FF was innovative but rare and expensive. Jensen built about 320 examples between 1966 and 1971, and its complex drivetrain made it a right-hand-drive-only car. Its early ABS also proved less practical than later electronic systems, which eventually became commonplace.