Yesterday afternoon while doing some shooting in a nearby wildlife refuge, I got a call from my wife who was cycling at our local college. She had spotted a shiny red Jaguar parked in the lot and thought I might want to see/photograph it. Thinking the car would be gone by the time I got there, I continued to stroll the refuge looking for subjects, but when I left I decided to swing by the college before going home on the off chance the car my still be there. It was!! Here are some shots of what I believe is an XK120, but my knowledge of the marque is superficial and it may be a later model.

Jer

[Sailor]

fine shots Jer, what a cool looking car
cheers

Thanks very much, Cee Cee - I'm glad you liked 'em.

Jer

Great shots Jer, very professional shooting, they look great!

I rode in one once, wide open on Arkansas Lane in Arlington Tx. I was 14 at the time, and one of my good friends dad had a XK120 kept in a garage and it was his pride and joy. We weren't allowed in the garage or to even get close to it when his dad had the door open and was polishing it. It was a legend with all the neighborhood kids, gorgeous white with tan interior.....perfect in every respect.

One night I got a knock on my bedroom window around 11PM...it was Jerry.......can you sneak outside? Sure, I just opened the window and crawled out. There it was sitting in my driveway, ready to go! I got in and went for, what was at that time the most thrilling ride of my life. Jerry drove it like a Pro...at least to my thinking, it was fast and the sound was like noting else I had ever heard.

His parents had gone out of town, and Jerry had figured out how his dad had disarmed the car, got it all connected, and decided to "go for it". We didn't see Jerry again for the rest of the summer.....some claimed he was dead, buried in the back yard, or at the bottom of Lake Arlington. Weeks went by, then a couple of months. When he finally emerged, pale and dejected looking, he wouldn't even discuss what happened on that day his father returned and discovered his jewel had been molested. I stayed away form there from then on.....just sitting in the love of his life as I had done was dangerous enough to get me in serious hot water. But...it was a hell of a ride!

Regards!

Thanks much, my friend. What a wonderful story - it's amazing we lived through our youth!

Jer

Definitely a few coats of high quality wax on that Red jag......... well done.

Thanks, EM - I always enjoy and appreciate your comments.

Jer

That last photo of the Jaguar XK 140 reminds me of a white XK 120 coupe that used to visit our neighbours...back in the mid to late 50's.

I was 'under 10 something' back then, but whenever the Jag coupe showed up...I was over there like a Bumblebee to a flower garden.

I wouldn't touch it...I would just stand by the Jag, in quiet awe and slowly pore over every detail. I particularly recall the Jag emblem which proudly listed the Le Man's victories that Jaguar had won. The neighbours were an older English couple who drove the first Mercedes (180) I had ever seen.

About a decade later, I worked for a well to do, recent Irish immigrant. He was a car enthusiast who also raced sports cars. One of his vehicles was a mid '60's Jaguar Mark 11, 3.4 liter saloon. Sedan to us North Americans.

Once I bought my '67 Camaro RS coupe, with it's 327 V8 and Muncie 4 speed...we would swap cars every so often. The Jaguar (or Jag-U-ar as he pronounced it) was a wonderful car to drive. Quick, cornered well...all while sitting on thickly padded leather seats surrounded by a dark, lustrous walnut and leather interior. It was like sitting in a private men's club in Pall Mall, London.

Thank you for your Jaguar series. Triggered many a pleasant memory. It made a semi old man very happy.

Some delightful recollections!! The thought of your '67 Camaro really brought a smile - in '67 I traded my '65 Mustang for a Cougar with a 4-speed and the A-Code 289. I was a Ford man then but became a "turncoat" in '71 when I bought a '71 Camaro (which I dearly loved). In later years, I lost the fan-boy thing; there were just too many cool cars being offered to deny oneself the chance to choose among them.

I'm happy you enjoyed this series - conversations like these are what make the forum fun.

Jer

JagUar Is how we pronounce it, too. The American "jagWaar" sounds wrong (as does their "Doocartee" pronunciation of Ducati which we say as "Dyou-cAtee" (as in "cat").

I still remember being chased up through a long winding road (Putty Road for Australians - much liked by bike riders) by a Chev BelAir (butterfly tail) back in 1968. I was 20 and in my 3.4 litre '55 Jaguar MkVII. The Chev could easily keep up on the straights but not on the corners. After he nearly lost it a few times on the winding road, he suddenly dropped from view. Never saw him again.

Cool adventure! I don't recognize the MkVII - I'm assuming that's a sedan??

Jer

---------- Post added 04-05-2014 at 09:15 PM ----------

Great photos buddy of a legend, wonderful classic lines, beautiful wood and leather made this car a first place winner.

Hey, brother Bob - I always look forward to your replies, especially with regard to car shots, since you've owned some classics, yourself.

Jer

Lovely shots, Jer. Definitely an XK120. The XK140 had bigger bumpers, more like the Mk II, slightly different grille, a chrome strip along the centre-line of the bonnet and turn indicator lights just above the bumpers.

Richard.

I really appreciate it, Richard. These things are so damn beautiful, it's hard to believe!

Jer

---------- Post added 04-05-2014 at 09:23 PM ----------

The Jags handled well. But once Chevrolet started making Camaro Z-28's in '67....they had cars that accelerated, braked and handled extremely well.

Jags were one of the first...if not the first proponents of disc brakes. I've ridden many motorcycles and driven many cars with drum brakes and I'm very pleased that disc brakes have pretty well taken over the market. I recall terrible brake fade on some of my drum braked cars and motorcycles and I would not want to repeat those experiences. Thank you Jaguar.

I still have one drum braked vehicle....my '67 Matchless 750cc Scrambler (G15 CS). Forty five cubes of long stroke Norton twin hemi, with twin Amals, sports cam and factory open pipes....and drum brakes.

Those early Z-28s were the real deal, for sure. I bought an '82 Z-28, with an all new and smaller F-body, just as they came out - it handled well by the standards of the day, but the poor, old '60s era, 305 4-bbl small block yielded paltry 145HP - a far cry from the screaming 302s of the late sixties.

Jer

---

Last edited by Sailor; 04-05-2014 at 05:16 PM.

[sherrvonne]

What nice shots of a fantastic car! Really like the B&W.

[Michael Piziak]

Beautiful photos of a beautiful car !

[p38arover]

I just realised that I hadn't commented on the photos.

Great pics, I know how hard it is to get good photos of cars in bright sunshine, the shadows can be quite harsh.

Cool adventure! I don't recognize the MkVII - I'm assuming that's a sedan??

Jer

Yes, it is. Strange that a 12-yo Jag (when I bought it) could be afforded by boy just out of his apprenticeship but they were cheap in those days. One simply couldn't afford any US-made machinery. Dad had a Mark VIIM which is why I was drawn to Jags. I'd love a Mk 2.

This is a MkVII - not mine. I shall have to find and scan the pics of my cars one day.

[Racer X 69]

Flawless. Thanks for sharing Jer!

[lesmore49]

Sailor said;

Some delightful recollections!! The thought of your '67 Camaro really brought a smile - in '67 I traded my '65 Mustang for a Cougar with a 4-speed and the A-Code 289. I was a Ford man then but became a "turncoat" in '71 when I bought a '71 Camaro (which I dearly loved). In later years, I lost the fan-boy thing; there were just too many cool cars being offered to deny oneself the chance to choose among them.

I'm happy you enjoyed this series - conversations like these are what make the forum fun.

Jer




Les said;


Jer,

Like you I enjoy the conversations. The forum is sort of the modern day internet version of the small town coffee shop....where all the older, retired guys sit around talking about the old days.

Reading about your Mustang reminds me of my decision to buy my '67 Camaro in late '68. The other car I was thinking about was a '67 Mustang fastback, highland green, 289 - 4V, 4 speed. The owner had bulletized it's appearance and had done a good job. It looked like Steve McQueen's Bullit Mustang in appearance...but of course didn't have the 390 FE.
I eventually bought the '67 Camaro coupe...because back then, I was a brand loyal Chevy guy.

Since then I've had Volvo, Volkswagen, Chevy, Ford, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Toyota...and the list goes on.

Les

[Sailor]

Jer,

Like you I enjoy the conversations. The forum is sort of the modern day internet version of the small town coffee shop....where all the older, retired guys sit around talking about the old days.

Reading about your Mustang reminds me of my decision to buy my '67 Camaro in late '68. The other car I was thinking about was a '67 Mustang fastback, highland green, 289 - 4V, 4 speed. The owner had bulletized it's appearance and had done a good job. It looked like Steve McQueen's Bullit Mustang in appearance...but of course didn't have the 390 FE.
I eventually bought the '67 Camaro coupe...because back then, I was a brand loyal Chevy guy.

Since then I've had Volvo, Volkswagen, Chevy, Ford, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Toyota...and the list goes on.

Les
[/B]

Hey, Les - sounds like you've "convered the waterfront" with regard to cars. I'm the same way - currently our garage houses a little BMW, a Porsche and a Nissan, and we're enjoying all three. Our forum buddy, Bob Harris, has owned a number of remarkable and classic cars, including a '67 (I think) 427 Corvette - WOW - so he's got a number of great stories, too.

Regarding your '67, just the other day I heard a comment on the show "What's My Car Worth" on the Velocity Channel: something like (I paraphrase): "the Chevy 327 and Muncie 4-spd are a classic combination, like bacon and eggs." As cool as the fastback Mustang would have been, I'm betting the Camaro was more fun to drive.

Jer

---------- Post added 04-06-2014 at 11:06 AM ----------

What nice shots of a fantastic car! Really like the B&W.

Thank you so much - I'm happy with the B&W too .

Jer

Beautiful photos of a beautiful car !

I really appreciate it, Michael.

Jer

I just realised that I hadn't commented on the photos.

Great pics, I know how hard it is to get good photos of cars in bright sunshine, the shadows can be quite harsh.



Yes, it is. Strange that a 12-yo Jag (when I bought it) could be afforded by boy just out of his apprenticeship but they were cheap in those days. One simply couldn't afford any US-made machinery. Dad had a Mark VIIM which is why I was drawn to Jags. I'd love a Mk 2.

This is a MkVII - not mine. I shall have to find and scan the pics of my cars one day.

Thanks much! I can tell you when I was 16, I would have loved to had the car you were driving. It would have been cool beyond words .

Jer

Flawless. Thanks for sharing Jer!

Hey, I appreciate it - especially from another car guy!

Jer

[Racer X 69]

Hey, I appreciate it - especially from another car guy!

Jer

You are very welcome.

It would have been cool if you could have met the owner, and possibly placed it in a more suitable area to shoot it. Your parking space shots are great, well executed, but the car looks pretty much perfect, and some deliberate photos would be sweet.

A few shots in just the right spot would result in something that could be printed big and framed. Something I would hang on my wall if I had the opportunity.

And the color is perfect. I have always had a thing for red cars.

[lesmore49]

Hey, Les - sounds like you've "convered the waterfront" with regard to cars. I'm the same way - currently our garage houses a little BMW, a Porsche and a Nissan, and we're enjoying all three. Our forum buddy, Bob Harris, has owned a number of remarkable and classic cars, including a '67 (I think) 427 Corvette - WOW - so he's got a number of great stories, too.
Regarding your '67, just the other day I heard a comment on the show "What's My Car Worth" on the Velocity Channel: something like (I paraphrase): "the Chevy 327 and Muncie 4-spd are a classic combination, like bacon and eggs." As cool as the fastback Mustang would have been, I'm betting the Camaro was more fun to drive.

Jer

A 427 Corvette. One of my all time favourites was the '65- 67 Corvette with the big block Rat motor. The 396 in the '65 and the 427 in the '66 and '67. My Irish boss...back in the '60's... also had a ' 64 Corvette...327 of course and I had the opportunity to drive that. It was a convertible and open air motoring whether in a car or on a motorcycle, always adds to the driving dimension.

The Chevy 327 is a great little small block. Back then I thought that a '66 Chevy 11 Nova with a 327/350 hp (l-79) would be a wonderful car to have...still would.

My '67 Camaro was a lot of fun....the 327 would move and when I was young...a standard transmission was the only way to go.

However, the 9.5 inch brake drums...could be real exciting when the brakes faded. I think if I still had it...first thing to go would be the front drums, replaced with a disc brake setup. Also, I would add more leaves to the rear suspension and a Hurst shifter.

One of the cars I had, that I enjoyed, was my '62 Volvo PV 544 Sport with the B 18s engine. Wonderfully precise shifting, spirited engine, handling and braking were great for the day. These old PV's were road raced alongside sports cars and intensively rallied...way back when. I suppose in their day, they might be considered a sports sedan.

Les

[p38arover]

Oh, I'd just like to add that I bought and paid for my own cars. Mum and Dad certainly couldn't have afforded to do that nor were my five sisters or I allowed to drive Dad's car (mum didn't drive).

We brought our kids up with the same mantra - "you want to drive, buy your own car!"

When I was on the Range Rover forum, it always amazed me how many US 16-year olds had been given brand new Range Rover Sports for their birthday!

[Sailor]

You are very welcome.

It would have been cool if you could have met the owner, and possibly placed it in a more suitable area to shoot it. Your parking space shots are great, well executed, but the car looks pretty much perfect, and some deliberate photos would be sweet.

A few shots in just the right spot would result in something that could be printed big and framed. Something I would hang on my wall if I had the opportunity.

And the color is perfect. I have always had a thing for red cars.

You are absolutely right, my friend; I had the same thoughts when I was photographing the car. The campus has a number of places that provide great backgrounds for cars - I've used them a number of times with my own cars over the years, but this Jag was parked in the absolutely least attractive part of the campus .

Jer

A 427 Corvette. One of my all time favourites was the '65- 67 Corvette with the big block Rat motor. The 396 in the '65 and the 427 in the '66 and '67. My Irish boss...back in the '60's... also had a ' 64 Corvette...327 of course and I had the opportunity to drive that. It was a convertible and open air motoring whether in a car or on a motorcycle, always adds to the driving dimension.

The Chevy 327 is a great little small block. Back then I thought that a '66 Chevy 11 Nova with a 327/350 hp (l-79) would be a wonderful car to have...still would.

My '67 Camaro was a lot of fun....the 327 would move and when I was young...a standard transmission was the only way to go.

However, the 9.5 inch brake drums...could be real exciting when the brakes faded. I think if I still had it...first thing to go would be the front drums, replaced with a disc brake setup. Also, I would add more leaves to the rear suspension and a Hurst shifter.

One of the cars I had, that I enjoyed, was my '62 Volvo PV 544 Sport with the B 18s engine. Wonderfully precise shifting, spirited engine, handling and braking were great for the day. These old PV's were road raced alongside sports cars and intensively rallied...way back when. I suppose in their day, they might be considered a sports sedan.

Les

Hey, Les - the Volvo PV brought back some memories for me, as well. In '58, when I was in grade school, a classmate's Dad bought a PV (I suppose it would have been a 444) about the time my Dad bought a new Morris Minor convertible (in which I later learned to drive) - we were the only kids with the "weird foreign cars" and enjoyed some special esteem for a short period. That Morris, with no syncro in first gear, was a real education, but it was fun to drive and initiated my love for manual trannys. In the 50 years I've owned cars, in all but a four-year stretch ('69 - '73), there has been at least one car in the garage with a manual transmission.

Jer

Oh, I'd just like to add that I bought and paid for my own cars. Mum and Dad certainly couldn't have afforded to do that nor were my five sisters or I allowed to drive Dad's car (mum didn't drive).

We brought our kids up with the same mantra - "you want to drive, buy your own car!"

When I was on the Range Rover forum, it always amazed me how many US 16-year olds had been given brand new Range Rover Sports for their birthday!

I'll have to admit, with undying gratitude, that my Dad bought my first car in '64 - a brand new Mustang; although it served as the family second car for a couple of years, it was obviously mine - particularly when I took it to school my third year of college after I was eligible to drive a car on campus. After that, he gave me a bit a of help with the next car (a '67 Cougar - bought during that third college year), but thereafter I was basically on my own. I'm an early boomer (born in '46), so my parents were products of the Depression and WWII (Dad in 180 Inf in Europe) and thus abhorred debt; they passed on that loathing to me, and I've never bought a car with anything other than cash. His (and my) adage was (and is) if you can't comfortably pay cash for something, wait till you can before you buy it.

Jer

[dcmsox2004]

truly one of the most beautiful designs ever.... always loved the racing green.. but this red is ravishing...
fine series jer.... dave m

[8540tomg]

Nice find Jer.

Love Jags of this vintage.

You're putting those Limted lenses to good use.

Tom G

[stevebrot]

Yes, that is an XK-120 (my dad had one, 1950 LHD roadster). It is hard to determine which year though I would expect 1951-1954. The 1950 roadsters in left-hand drive are fairly rare with only a few hundred having been built. My dad's had a small plaque on the dash indicated the world speed record set in 1949. I never had the privilege of driving the car, but rode in it multiple times. According to my dad, handling was a challenge due to the car's light weight. The brakes were also prone to fade on heavy use. Strangely, the 4-speed transmission was not synchronized in 1st and poorly synchronized in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears. Downshifts to second required double-clutching.

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.


Steve

[lesmore49]

Hey, Les - the Volvo PV brought back some memories for me, as well. In '58, when I was in grade school, a classmate's Dad bought a PV (I suppose it would have been a 444) about the time my Dad bought a new Morris Minor convertible (in which I later learned to drive) - we were the only kids with the "weird foreign cars" and enjoyed some special esteem for a short period. That Morris, with no syncro in first gear, was a real education, but it was fun to drive and initiated my love for manual trannys. In the 50 years I've owned cars, in all but a four-year stretch ('69 - '73), there has been at least one car in the garage with a manual transmission.

Jer


I'll have to admit, with undying gratitude, that my Dad bought my first car in '64 - a brand new Mustang; although it served as the family second car for a couple of years, it was obviously mine - particularly when I took it to school my third year of college after I was eligible to drive a car on campus. After that, he gave me a bit a of help with the next car (a '67 Cougar - bought during that third college year), but thereafter I was basically on my own. I'm an early boomer (born in '46), so my parents were products of the Depression and WWII (Dad in 180 Inf in Europe) and thus abhorred debt; they passed on that loathing to me, and I've never bought a car with anything other than cash. His (and my) adage was (and is) if you can't comfortably pay cash for something, wait till you can before you buy it.

Jer

Sounds like we had similar lives when we were young. My parents traded in their '46 Ford in the early '50's on Austin cars. I think we had three....a new one every couple of years. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my family traveled down in the last Austin, from Western Canada to St. Louis, Missouri one Easter.

We had relatives in the states.

The things I recall from that trip was that I got to see the house where Jesse James was assassinated, also saw an Orangutan at the St. Louis Zoo and an impromptu 'drag' between one of my American cousins in his Buick straight eight and my dad in his Austin and it's 4 speed, with Bull low. The Buick with it's Dynaflow.

The Buick won out...but it was closer than you would of thought. I don't think my cousin reckoned with the Austin's Bull low first gear.The 'race' was on a back country road...no faster than about 35 mph.

My American family were amazed at the difference in engine length...between a Buick straight eight and an Austin inline four.


Good way to live....waiting till you have the cash to buy, rather than go on payments.

My Scottish Presbyterian father taught me the same thing. My wife and I still work our financial purchases that way.

I was also fortunate to have my first vehicle bought by my parents. It was a '1965 Czechoslovakian made Jawa 50cc scooter. After that I bought all my vehicles, but I did appreciate the purchase of that first vehicle.

Les