Clarkson (or May) had similiar sentiments concerning the E-Type: „Imagine yourself in black and white, propelling your humble Morris Minor and then getting overtaken by this at full blast“ -something along those lines.
Cars like this XJ 120, the 300SL Gullwing and many others up to the mid-60s were art pieces as well as mechanical pieces that were amazing engineering. The XJ 120 was a status symbol that you had achieved with panache. Though in "Cruel Intentions," the beauty contest between Phillipe's XJ 120 and the people on screen was a close contest.
I was outrageously fortunate to own and drive a 1953 XK120M fixed-head coupe from 1956 to 1958 when I was still a teenager. This clip captures the experience very well. As a kid your overall motor sensory skills are at their peak and I found that heel-and-toe moved the car through the gearbox in just amazing ways. It was an extremely agile, high-performing car. And the sounds we hear here are exactly the sounds I heard then. They are unique, spectacular and became embedded in my soul. Thanks for this wonderful trip down memory lane.
Listened to this on a set of Beyer DT-990's w/ a 12AU7 based tube amp and I could feel this engine in my teeth. Thank you for the brain massage with this one, that was "bloody" spectacular.
2:15 i could be wrong, but in earlier times upholstery sometimes was done with horsehair underneath the leather or cloth. Even matrasses were filled with horsehair before the foams became good enough. -And i think the noise level is the main safety feature in this vehicle: Everybody can hear you comming, so getting overlooked, being in a blindspot -> no problem. "Loud pipes save lives" as a collegue of mine likes to quote someone. -Not to forget to mention: What a beautifull car. I am especially a fan of the dials of these classic cars. They look so elegant and easily readable at the same time.
Love your reviews, easily the best on TH-cam because you recognise the car is really what we're all interested in. Some reviewers think they're more important, hence some of a camera on themselves all the time they're driving, which tends to be very annoying. Keep up the great content.
Yes, one of my favourite cars! BTW they never had a wooden chassis - it was simply an ash wood frame to support the alloy body on top of the steel chassis, much like a Morgan. When they switched to steel for the bodies they no longer needed the wooden frame.
Thanks for "redone" or rather, having made another video with this car. I lost count of how many times i've seen the old video because of the wonderful sound of this car.
I've been obsessed with cars since I was an infant - the XK120 (coupe) is my favorite car of all time, from the design, the history, the SOUND. Thanks for showing this gorgeous example! I should also add, hearing the sounds when rev-matching... one of the many reasons that a manual transmission is SO much more rewarding. Modern cars that have rev-matching built-in aren't as much fun in my opinion. Gotta keep it classic!
7:54 So I put a top hat in place of the points , took a XKE power brake unit down low , 11.5 to1 pistons. Bored the carbs , replaced the pads with semi-metalic , painted i 8:11 t ox-blood red with biscut in. And the cams were factory racing, idle was a bit high , replaced the floor and and went looking for anyone who wanted😅 to race. What a beaut.WHAT A BLAST.
what a gret car - I would love one. BTW The XK120’s steel chassis was mostly copied from the Jaguar Mark V, hand-built with aluminium bodies on ash framing, were constructed between late 1948 and early 1950, all subsequent XK120s were mass-produced with pressed-steel bodies. Aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot lid were retained.
This was class, maybe because of being a speedster, seemed like we were in the car. Imagine this at full song on the Mulsanne straight. That sound, love to hear and see more of these.
The sounds this thing produces are mind blowing. The way it's sound bounces off it's surroundings with such anger, the way this thing gargles when you lift your foot at higher RPMs. Absolute music to my ears. Recently you mentioned you don't know if we would enjoy you just cruising around no talking and this is a case where I definitely would not mind it by the tiniest bit. Just a beautiful, sunny day and a cruise in a nearly 70 years old instrument producing truly heavenly sounds.
What a wonderful machine and how nice to see it again! So authentic in this condition. It's amazing how big the engine is in this little car. For a representative of an alien civilisation who has never seen a car before, it is obvious at first glance that this thing is all about speed and the joy of driving! Especially when they hear that glorious sound!!!
Search YT for: Mike Hawthorn Le Mans 1956 for a recording by him doing a non racing lap. Same engine, sound not as clear as this but you get a sense of how awesome. If you know the length of a lap he’s still averaging about 100 mph without trying.
A kind of automotive design we will never see/execute well ever again! So legendary to see one of these unrestored living a full (and seemingly pretty happy) life!❤❤
That thing sounds fantastic. I closed my eyes for a moment, and thought I was listening to a Spitfire fighter aircraft. Why don't all Jags sound like this?...
So Special, just got done watching Jay Leno's XK120 and I thought comeon some must have a POV driving one of these, lucky me your previous time and this video just 2 days ago, thanks ever so much
1973 l was a kid , 22 y/o bought a '54 xk140 drop head with roll up windows and walnut dash and leather for $300 canadian with a cracked block but came with a spare motor..l wish l could have kept it.
I’d imagine if the pedal goes to the floor and you have to pump it up the shoes need adjusting out slightly to take up travel, same thing happens to my herald when the back brakes need adjusting
I can hear the clutch squeak every time it's engaged. The owner should take a look at that. At the least that spherical bronze bushing in the chassis will need to be lubed and the whole works observed for excessive play. It's an all-mechanical clutch linkage with bellcranks and levers -- not hydraulic. I have a '50, so it lacks the turn signals and my ignition switch is higher up on the dash. I'll agree with your nervousness the first time you road tested it. I felt the same and the experience was so unlike what I was expecting that I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not. They drive sort of like an old truck -- but with lots of power!!! Final comment: the first time I had my girlfriend ride with me, after a while she started pulling off her shirt in order to stand up and go topless. I asked her what she was doing and she just said, "I don't know, there's just something about this car that has me feeling so free!". So there's that too.
Very random, but I’ve discovered if you build up a ford 300(4.9L) straight six, they sound eerily similar to the engine in the E type! Obviously doesn’t rev as high, but the soul is there.
Inverse ASMR (in some ways). A restoration with modern brakes and sorted interior would be excellent. If the top and windows are up how do you open the door? But I like it like it, yes I do!
Nice car but ridiculous to not look after and restore or look after the leather properly. A skilled automotive leather worker can replace and or repair leather panels. Hopefully the rest of the car gets better maintenance. The British made a number of great engines in the 1950s. My Mark 11 Sapphire has a 3.4 litre hemi with twin Strombergs. It puts out very similiar hp and enough to propel the big luxury saloon to over 100 mph! Daimler came out with a 4.5 litre hemi V8 as well. And the Austin Atlantic had an engine good enough to race at LeMans! The 1950s saw some wonderful engines. Great video, lovely howl...
This might be a dumb question to ask on a video like this, but how do you achieve shifts that smooth ? I am currently learning to drive manual on my 84 BMW 520i that I’ve had for a month and my upshifts always jerk the car, especially 1st to 2nd gear. The engine RPM seems to drop too much between shifts, and when I release the clutch, the car just jerks. Should I give it some gas before releasing the clutch ? 1st gear is very short where 10mph is 2000rpm, while it is 1000rpm in second gear. Thanks !
Comparing this to an EV is like comparing the works of Mozart to Mongolian Throat Singing Traditions. Two totally unrelated eras and social contexts for two totally unrelated genera of music. This is indeed more soulful than an EV, but what EV is meaningfully in the competition for most soulful car to begin with? I dunno, just seems like a weird comment to make given the context of what automotive history is.
That engine note, wow... I'm looking into recording stuff like this with binaural audio and I'm considering getting the Rolands you use, one question; what do you use to keep wind noice away, any sort of mic-fur thingy on both sides that mounts to the headset or do you just use the headset as it is?
Redline isn’t far above 5k. Shifting around 4500 is enough for what we’re doing here. No need to beat on it. The next owner can do that if they choose. It’s not my place on a car like this.
And when you drive through a puddle, everything stops except for the car itself. Original spark plug wires were bare contacts and the distributor will permit water inside. the front brakes also have air scoops to cool the brakes. All these things can be corrected but that was the way it came from the factory
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This thing sounds better than almost any modern race car. What an absolute work of art.
Original and unrestored Automotive royalty? I can't even process it. This must have blown minds back in the 1950's.
Clarkson (or May) had similiar sentiments concerning the E-Type: „Imagine yourself in black and white, propelling your humble Morris Minor and then getting overtaken by this at full blast“ -something along those lines.
This, and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. They were the exotic supercars of that time.
One of the best sounding cars I’ve ever heard. I wish I could experience it in person!
Oh, no, it has THE best sound.
My cousin has a '54 restored, and I can tell ya, that exhaust note is pure music!!!
XK120 sound>LFA sound
Cars like this XJ 120, the 300SL Gullwing and many others up to the mid-60s were art pieces as well as mechanical pieces that were amazing engineering. The XJ 120 was a status symbol that you had achieved with panache.
Though in "Cruel Intentions," the beauty contest between Phillipe's XJ 120 and the people on screen was a close contest.
From an era before Design, Mechanical Knowledge, and Art were separate
I was outrageously fortunate to own and drive a 1953 XK120M fixed-head coupe from 1956 to 1958 when I was still a teenager. This clip captures the experience very well. As a kid your overall motor sensory skills are at their peak and I found that heel-and-toe moved the car through the gearbox in just amazing ways. It was an extremely agile, high-performing car. And the sounds we hear here are exactly the sounds I heard then. They are unique, spectacular and became embedded in my soul. Thanks for this wonderful trip down memory lane.
Listened to this on a set of Beyer DT-990's w/ a 12AU7 based tube amp and I could feel this engine in my teeth. Thank you for the brain massage with this one, that was "bloody" spectacular.
Floppy tachs will never get old. So silly to watch it fly around when shifting
2:15 i could be wrong, but in earlier times upholstery sometimes was done with horsehair underneath the leather or cloth. Even matrasses were filled with horsehair before the foams became good enough.
-And i think the noise level is the main safety feature in this vehicle: Everybody can hear you comming, so getting overlooked, being in a blindspot -> no problem. "Loud pipes save lives" as a collegue of mine likes to quote someone.
-Not to forget to mention: What a beautifull car. I am especially a fan of the dials of these classic cars. They look so elegant and easily readable at the same time.
Love your reviews, easily the best on TH-cam because you recognise the car is really what we're all interested in. Some reviewers think they're more important, hence some of a camera on themselves all the time they're driving, which tends to be very annoying. Keep up the great content.
shhhh don't tell the others! Thank you :)
Doug DeMuro just staring at you disapprovingly
xD
@@MrSHADOWx77 exactly, plus his silly, abrasive laugh...
Totally agree!
Yes, one of my favourite cars! BTW they never had a wooden chassis - it was simply an ash wood frame to support the alloy body on top of the steel chassis, much like a Morgan. When they switched to steel for the bodies they no longer needed the wooden frame.
Frame and chassis are often used interchangeably. maybe I just said it weird but I think the point got across that they made ash frames.
Thanks for "redone" or rather, having made another video with this car. I lost count of how many times i've seen the old video because of the wonderful sound of this car.
This sounds like a WW2 plane
I've been obsessed with cars since I was an infant - the XK120 (coupe) is my favorite car of all time, from the design, the history, the SOUND. Thanks for showing this gorgeous example!
I should also add, hearing the sounds when rev-matching... one of the many reasons that a manual transmission is SO much more rewarding. Modern cars that have rev-matching built-in aren't as much fun in my opinion. Gotta keep it classic!
7:54 So I put a top hat in place of the points , took a XKE power brake unit down low , 11.5 to1 pistons. Bored the carbs , replaced the pads with semi-metalic , painted i 8:11 t ox-blood red with biscut in. And the cams were factory racing, idle was a bit high , replaced the floor and and went looking for anyone who wanted😅 to race. What a beaut.WHAT A BLAST.
I love how the video fades out just as you're passing a 20 MPH sign. 🙂
Yes! I’ve been waiting for this video since the first one! Sounds so good
what a gret car - I would love one.
BTW The XK120’s steel chassis was mostly copied from the Jaguar Mark V, hand-built with aluminium bodies on ash framing, were constructed between late 1948 and early 1950, all subsequent XK120s were mass-produced with pressed-steel bodies. Aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot lid were retained.
am i the only one that thinks this car sounds like an old spitfire flying by when he rings it out? so damn cool
Now that you've mentioned it, I can't unhear it lol. Sounds wicked
This was class, maybe because of being a speedster, seemed like we were in the car. Imagine this at full song on the Mulsanne straight. That sound, love to hear and see more of these.
I completely agree with you, this is the best sounding 6 cylinders ever produced. It's also gorgeous!
Marty McFly went back to 1955 in a modern car that struggled to go three quarters of this car’s top speed. Wild.
My dad had a few of these when i was younger, they are awesome to drive. HE had a fixed head and a drop head, but the roadster is like nothing else
I think the last time you drove this car is what made me subscribe to you. Your videos, and that noise, are still incredible.
i had to plug this into my hifi to get the best sound
oh thanks for liking my comment :)
The sounds this thing produces are mind blowing. The way it's sound bounces off it's surroundings with such anger, the way this thing gargles when you lift your foot at higher RPMs. Absolute music to my ears. Recently you mentioned you don't know if we would enjoy you just cruising around no talking and this is a case where I definitely would not mind it by the tiniest bit. Just a beautiful, sunny day and a cruise in a nearly 70 years old instrument producing truly heavenly sounds.
these videos are like video games
the car just spawned in the middle of a parking lot like you had a cheat code that unlocked a classic car
it has no right to be that loud 😆
what a glorious sounding engine though, aside from the loudness
It's so hard to dial in audio on cars this loud haha...Gain on the mics were SO low so I wouldn't peak when I got the revs up
We had one of these many years ago and the sounds of this video bring it all back. It has been 30+ years and I still miss it, so much fun to drive.
What a beautiful machine. My grandfather raced one in a local hillclimb back in the late '50s. I'd love to drive one some day
What a wonderful machine and how nice to see it again! So authentic in this condition. It's amazing how big the engine is in this little car. For a representative of an alien civilisation who has never seen a car before, it is obvious at first glance that this thing is all about speed and the joy of driving! Especially when they hear that glorious sound!!!
Great sounding engine 6 cylinders the best and most perfect configuration. The car is a masterpiece of British engineering at it's peak.
The second car I fell in love with. First was the MG TD. Then the Jaguar XK120.
Yes.....a new Tedward video to make my morning before I head off to work. And it's an XJ120 too, old Jag I6s are heavenly 🙏
Search YT for: Mike Hawthorn Le Mans 1956 for a recording by him doing a non racing lap. Same engine, sound not as clear as this but you get a sense of how awesome. If you know the length of a lap he’s still averaging about 100 mph without trying.
One of the best - such fun still after 70 years !
A kind of automotive design we will never see/execute well ever again! So legendary to see one of these unrestored living a full (and seemingly pretty happy) life!❤❤
we're back to automotive royalty 😍
One of the best looking and sounding cars ever.
Oh that thing on the wheel is the turn indicator lol. I thought it was a hand throttle, or maybe an ignition advance. How modern!
Delightful car. The closest I ever got to driving those was a small mouth TR-3. Still great fun.
That thing sounds fantastic. I closed my eyes for a moment, and thought I was listening to a Spitfire fighter aircraft.
Why don't all Jags sound like this?...
Glad you revisited this beauty, Ted. I can imagine Elizabeth Taylor driving hers circa 1954. ❤
So Special, just got done watching Jay Leno's XK120 and I thought comeon some must have a POV driving one of these, lucky me your previous time and this video just 2 days ago, thanks ever so much
The sound, smooth, vocal, clean and pure. Very nice
I am mostly a fan of old muscle, but you Mr. Tedward have helped me to appreciate all kinds of classics! So thank you. And as always good job :)
What a sweet re-visit. Thank you. It sounds sooo gooooood....
@ 09:39, driving past a Mini in someone's driveway. How old school English is that!
YES! You got to drive another one! That video made me fall even more in love with the XK120. I know this video is gonna be good 😁
The engine sound echoing when cars pass by 😍
What an incredible sounding car. This might be one of my all-time favorites lol
I'm in love. What a sound. Prrrrrrrrrfect.
1973 l was a kid , 22 y/o bought a '54 xk140 drop head with roll up windows and walnut dash and leather for $300 canadian with a cracked block but came with a spare motor..l wish l could have kept it.
Now this is a proper Jaaag!
Recently discovered your channel man and im sorry that didn't knew you before, very good videos man.
Man, if I could get my hands on this one, wow.
I’d imagine if the pedal goes to the floor and you have to pump it up the shoes need adjusting out slightly to take up travel, same thing happens to my herald when the back brakes need adjusting
This is just pure eargasm! Thanks a lot!!
Thanks for the ride.
Such a sweet car. I’ve always wanted one (especially since Cruel Intentions). You chose a beautiful route. Great video!
Had to come back to this video, this car is in Lexus LFA levels of engine noise quality
I can hear the clutch squeak every time it's engaged. The owner should take a look at that. At the least that spherical bronze bushing in the chassis will need to be lubed and the whole works observed for excessive play. It's an all-mechanical clutch linkage with bellcranks and levers -- not hydraulic. I have a '50, so it lacks the turn signals and my ignition switch is higher up on the dash. I'll agree with your nervousness the first time you road tested it. I felt the same and the experience was so unlike what I was expecting that I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not. They drive sort of like an old truck -- but with lots of power!!! Final comment: the first time I had my girlfriend ride with me, after a while she started pulling off her shirt in order to stand up and go topless. I asked her what she was doing and she just said, "I don't know, there's just something about this car that has me feeling so free!". So there's that too.
SOUNDS INCREDIBLE
wow what a sound!. now i want to see a pov review of an eagle e-type
I guess that XJ220 - one of the most beautiful car in the world! Author, did you drive it?
Oh that engine noise. I drool over my keyboard, I am completely dehydrated at the end of the video.
Very random, but I’ve discovered if you build up a ford 300(4.9L) straight six, they sound eerily similar to the engine in the E type! Obviously doesn’t rev as high, but the soul is there.
Wow - they had fantastic sound electronics at that time, hadn‘t they?
Amazing video of an Amazing car, really enjoyed listening to that :) Thanks !
Great car
Great video
Great motor and sound
Great Style.
Inverse ASMR (in some ways). A restoration with modern brakes and sorted interior would be excellent. If the top and windows are up how do you open the door? But I like it like it, yes I do!
I just wish I was in the passenger seat
To balance out the weight a little
For a even better ride
Cars used to have a nice rumble to them, now they don’t
Man oh man ……My dream car !
Wobbly best of a v8
Wobbly beat of a V8
Third time lucky 😄
Impressive that there was not one crunched gear!
Awesome! Great and fantastic sound
Love the sound! What state are you driving in?
I've had a few six cylinder cars and V8s
I think the inline six sounds much better than wobbly best of a V8
My father had 1954 jaguar XK120 drophead coup. I wish i could find it for him
Awesome manual car!
Nice car but ridiculous to not look after and restore or look after the leather properly. A skilled automotive leather worker can replace and or repair leather panels. Hopefully the rest of the car gets better maintenance.
The British made a number of great engines in the 1950s. My Mark 11 Sapphire has a 3.4 litre hemi with twin Strombergs. It puts out very similiar hp and enough to propel the big luxury saloon to over 100 mph! Daimler came out with a 4.5 litre hemi V8 as well. And the Austin Atlantic had an engine good enough to race at LeMans! The 1950s saw some wonderful engines.
Great video, lovely howl...
I love the sound !
This might be a dumb question to ask on a video like this, but how do you achieve shifts that smooth ? I am currently learning to drive manual on my 84 BMW 520i that I’ve had for a month and my upshifts always jerk the car, especially 1st to 2nd gear. The engine RPM seems to drop too much between shifts, and when I release the clutch, the car just jerks. Should I give it some gas before releasing the clutch ? 1st gear is very short where 10mph is 2000rpm, while it is 1000rpm in second gear. Thanks !
I find it funny how gigantic some old cars steering wheels are. I know its to help with lack of power steering but it just looks so goofy.
Nice! Makes you want to pop on a white, open-face helmet and pretend you're Stirling Moss.
The amount of paint swirls is criminal. Somebody give that thing a proper paint correction before I hurt somebody
Nice i like 6 cylinder OG cars
Now thats a man's car. None of this EV crap.
Comparing this to an EV is like comparing the works of Mozart to Mongolian Throat Singing Traditions.
Two totally unrelated eras and social contexts for two totally unrelated genera of music.
This is indeed more soulful than an EV, but what EV is meaningfully in the competition for most soulful car to begin with? I dunno, just seems like a weird comment to make given the context of what automotive history is.
God it sounds good.
That engine note, wow... I'm looking into recording stuff like this with binaural audio and I'm considering getting the Rolands you use, one question; what do you use to keep wind noice away, any sort of mic-fur thingy on both sides that mounts to the headset or do you just use the headset as it is?
He has an equipment video here : th-cam.com/video/9EEWH6zf46M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MS9k-e_PLIA61511
Catcher in the rye jag
What a burbling beauty.
Isn’t that sweet? ❤️
The early cars had an aluminum body. Not ash wood frame.I'm pretty sure about that.
Very cool
It sounds like it's coming on Cam at about 4k but you're changing at that point. Were you not allowed to rev it on Cam?
Redline isn’t far above 5k. Shifting around 4500 is enough for what we’re doing here. No need to beat on it. The next owner can do that if they choose. It’s not my place on a car like this.
And when you drive through a puddle, everything stops except for the car itself. Original spark plug wires were bare contacts and the distributor will permit water inside. the front brakes also have air scoops to cool the brakes. All these things can be corrected but that was the way it came from the factory