1954 Jaguar XK120 - Jay Leno’s Garage

Take a ride in the the car that started it all for Jay! You'll never forget your first love.

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1954 Jaguar XK120 - Jay Leno’s Garage

Jay Leno's Garage

[knifetrain]

That car doesn’t need a radio the engine sound is all the music you need!

[briganfree]

Love this car so much. Nothing else has such elegance, style and beauty.

[eddiejohnson]

Jay you offered to let my young son set in one of your card at Pebble Beach and it has never been forgotten he now is a grown man and Marine Corp vet your act of kindness was special. Thank you for being you

[Moose]

Almost 70 years later and virtually no car can still touch the magical sound of that immortal straight-6 combined with the exhaust.

[cabinfeverish]

My favorite car story; around 1958 when I was 7 or 8 years old, my grandparents neighbor had a black '54 XK120 roadster. He was the local drug store guy in tiny Norton, Kansas. One day he fired it up and took me and his grandson for a drive on the country roads around this western Kansas town. The other boy, Mike, and I sat in the passenger seat, no seatbelts of course. As I recall he took the car up to 90 mph on a dirt road! The sound, the smell of the leather, giant steering wheel and those Smiths gauges, wow! To say the least, it changed my life and my love of the automobile! Thank you Mr. Moffet for that glorious ride!!

[ahikernamedgq]

The best car show in America is a free internet show on YouTube. Thanks so much, Jay. Beautiful, beautiful car. Thanks for sharing your joy.

[buffalophil]

The impact that man left on Jay's life to let him sit in that jag was enough to send a massive ripple through our own with everything jay hands down to us..THANK YOU JAY AND STRANGER

[kellykonoske]

Don't care if it's a Chevy or Ford or Jag. The sound of an inline six that has been opened up and had the manifold split is just Heaven!

[BrickedUpp]

Man hearing Jay’s story makes me realize how much times have changed. Ask a kid in your neighborhood if they’d like to sit in your car, instant visit from the cops lol.

[jeffpiatt]

This is more of a story about how adults can inspire a child than it is about a classic car. Giving a kid an opportunity to explore their interests is something that we should all aspire to.

[bmushler]

Thanks for taking the time to share the great XK120. Back in 50' something my Dad had one
of the early aluminium bodies like yours with the exception that it was "fully race prept" and as he told the stories, had a 5 speed that he liked to shift into 5th doing 110mph and leave th T-Birds in the dust so to speak. He had a story where he was out for a "Sunday Drive" heading east out of Portland Or. doing 100 to 110mph, passed a state trooper and kicked it up to 125mph for a while, well until he found a road side dinner. He stopped in for some apple pie and coffee. About the time he was finishing here come the Trooper rather frustrated with the long drive. They chatted for a bit and discussed the possibility that it was Dad the trooper say so good old Dad, being so kind and all walked with th trooper out to the cars, Dads XK120 and the steaming cruiser. Dad asked the trooper to place his hand on the "Bonnet" of the XK, with no problems, meanwhile there sitts the steaming nearly broken Cruiser next to them. See, "My cars not hot so it couldn't possibly have been me now could it, the Cruiser steaming still and all.
Hind-sight, sure wish good old Dad would have used that and kept the car. Oh ya, he used to say that included with the purchase was a coup body for it. In Portland Or., where he lived for a short time he had to get a special permit from the city of Portland for the straight exhaust from the factory.
Hind-sight!

Thanks for sharing
Bill

[herdfan]

I saw my first Jaguar XK 120 about 1966. Someone had it tucked away for a while in the town up the road from my small West Virginia mining community. I was eighteen at the time! It took my breath away! Seeing it again today has the same affect at seventy-one! Thank you for sharing with this Florida retiree.

[johncombs]

Wow! My father going on a vacation trip through Utah in 1953 was driving his 1952 Studebaker commander flat out at 70. This car passed him like him was sitting still. He told me about the amazing sound. Saddens me he is not here to watch this with me. Truly one of my many favorites shows Mr. Leno. It's amazing sounding car.

[johnstewart]

I got mine in ‘63, sold it 2010. As you say, the owner’s manual was great, with the tool kit, you could replace the twin cams at a gas station....Micrometer advance on the distributor, to adjust for variable post-war octanes. I frequently tore the lid off of the transmission, to pull the fork back over first pipe wrench and long screwdriver. Leather wraps around the leaf spring, with grease fittings for smoother ride....and a Girling hydraulic cam-driven shock absorber. Dual action break cylinder...for separate rear-front fail-proof system. Ceramic coated exhaust manifolds. Electric “starting carb.” The speedo was right in front of the passenger...beside a grab rail and plaque saying this was the same as the car that had gone 148 mph. Thousands were made ~7500 in 52, 4500 came to US.They are way under valued in comparison to millions of Mustangs made.

[Nu]

This is arguably one of Jay's most compellingly heartfelt and impassioned segments. Out of the hundreds of cars in his vast stable, this particular vehicle represents the very core of his automotive ethos and you can tell that by the moving narrative that accompanies this installment. Not to mention this car literally begs him 'DRIVE ME' through that utterly gorgeous sounding powertrain. Well done sir, WELL DONE..

[chrisbenson]

Now the owner's manuals say " Don't drink contents of battery"." These things had valve clearance specs." Preach Jay.

[BirdPlan]

that was me at 18:00, thanks for waving back at us Jay

[randomsushi]

The sound of that straight-6 is bringing a tear to my eye... that's gotta be one of the sweetest choruses of sound I've ever heard!

[ceb]

Boy does this bring back memories. This was my first car. Bought it in 1960 I think, for $800. Looks exactly like yours, not nearly as pretty though. My mother knew I was crazy to pay $800 for a car. Damn hood of this car went on forever. Mine was what was called an XK120M. Believe the M indicated it was modified to indicate it did not have a muffler. It was loud, especially in tunnels. Only ticket I ever received was for a loud muffler, or no muffler. One dark night I took it out on a straight back road near my home and proved that it would go 120. Great car. Drove well and could move, or at least I thought it could move. First and only large scale work I ever did on a car was this car. With the help of a friend who owned a shop, I performed a valve job on the car. Also milled the head 0.040. After that when the RPM's went pass 2500 you got a kick in the behind as the car really came alive. Only real problem I can remember was with the fuel pump. After a period of time the points in the pump would fry themselves. That either required a new set of points, or file down the ones already in the pump. Real fun when the fuel pump stopped working at 70MPH.

[Belizeisthebest]

I bought a 53' hardtop (FHC) after seeing this episode. The car is magic and I don't regret it for one second. The whole experience is fantastic each time it's driven.