The Joy of Jay's Virtual Ride Along: A Passionate Drive in a 1954 Jaguar XK120

As I sat down with Jay, he exclaimed, "well thanks for coming along on what we call Jay's virtual ride we call it that because you're actually in the passenger seat of my 1954 Jaguar xk120 this is a semal car for me because it was the first sports car I ever really sat in when I was a kid I was 9 years old." It was clear that Jay had a special affinity for his beloved car, which he had finally acquired at the age of 34 after 25 years of searching. The Jaguar XK120, produced from 1954 to 1961, was an iconic sports car that epitomized the Golden Age of Motoring.

The XK120 was a game-changer in its time, boasting a powerful 3.4-liter inline-six engine that produced over 180 horsepower. However, Jay's car had undergone some modifications, including the installation of a 4.2-liter motor that now pumps out around 250 horsepower. The result is a car that feels more visceral than ever, with no traction control or ABS to dull the driving experience. As Jay put it, "these cars are great fun because they're very visceral there's no traction control there's no ABS there's none of the things that take away from the pure driving sensation like a lot of modern cars do."

Jay took me on a thrilling drive through the hills of California, where we encountered some of the most scenic roads I've ever seen. We were miles from downtown Los Angeles, but Jay assured me that this was a common sight in the state. "This is a great myth about California that traffic is just awful and it is if you're on the 405 or the 101 or the 5 or the 14 or any of those freeways," he explained. "but all you have to do is get off the freeway go 10 miles into the hills and you see roads like this when there isn't another car anywhere around." It was indeed breathtaking, with rolling hills that seemed to stretch on forever.

The XK120's connection to Hollywood and the world of high-speed racing cannot be overstated. Clark Gable, one of the most iconic actors in film history, was particularly fond of the XK120, which he owned during the 1950s. Jay pointed out that many other famous stars also owned the car, including movie stars who appreciated its speed and style. The XK120's reputation for speed and agility earned it the nickname "the fastest car in the world," with a top speed of over 140 mph.

As we continued our drive, Jay shared some fascinating insights into the history of the XK120. He told me that Britain had faced economic difficulties during the post-war period, leading to an Export-Import scheme that required manufacturers to produce cars for export. The result was a proliferation of iconic British sports cars like the XK120, which were then shipped to countries around the world. Jay noted that many of these cars ended up in California, where they became synonymous with speed and style.

Despite its rich history, the XK120 remains an exhilarating drive today. Jay's passion for the car was evident as we navigated the twisty roads, the wind rushing past us as we climbed higher into the hills. It was clear that this was more than just a drive - it was a chance to experience the thrill of classic motoring, with all its attendant risks and rewards.

As our virtual ride came to an end, Jay turned to me with a mischievous grin. "okay it's exhausting but somebody's got to do it thanks for coming," he said, before launching into another enthusiastic discussion about his beloved car. It was clear that Jay's love affair with the XK120 would never fade, and I felt privileged to have shared in his passion for just one day.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwell thanks for coming along on what we call Jay's virtual ride we call it that because you're actually in the passenger seat of my 1954 Jaguar xk120 this is a semal car for me because it was the first sports car I ever really sat in when I was a kid I was 9 years old I was riding my bike up a hill when I got to the top of the hill I saw one of these parked on a guy's driveway and when you live in a little town in Massachusetts you didn't see these kind of cars and I stared at it for like 20 minutes and finally the guy said hey come on over you want to sit in it he let me sit in it well it was like imprinting on a goose H I had to have one it took me 25 years and when I was 34 years old I finally got one and I've had it now since 1984 it's really a terrific car it's all stock I've modified a little bit instead of a 3.4 l motor has a 4.2 makes about 250 horsepower and it's got a 5-speed transmission but other than that she's all 1954 Jaguar you know these cars are great fun because they're very visceral there's no traction control there's no ABS there's none of the things that take away from the pure driving sensation like a lot of modern cars do and the road I'm driving on oh this is fantastic I know it looks like the hills of Sicily but we're actually just about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles this is a great myth about California that traffic is just awful and it is if you're on the 405 or the 101 or the 5 or the 14 or any of those freeways but all you have to do is get off the freeway go 10 miles into the hills and you see roads like this when there isn't another car anywhere around we haven't blocked the road off we don't have police at East End closing it down these are just lonely deserted roads that nobody knows about and I'm not even going to tell you where it is I'll tell you it's within 10 mil of Burbank airport so that should that should give you some idea okay there's one car there but that's the first one I've seen on the drive so far well you get the idea it's a lot of fun driving up here you know this car comes from what I call the Golden Age of Motoring you know 1950 to 1960 that's when sports cars especially British sports cars really shine you know Britain had this exporter die thing going where they had to produce an export to get money to live and to eat so they built so many great sports cars most of them went to California because of our weather and our roads uh cars like the mg the Triumph the Austin Healey and of course this one here the famous Jaguar xk1 120 Clark Gable had one of these all kinds of movie stars had one of these cuz these were the fastest cars in the day they were called the 120 because they're guaranteed to do 120 M hour which you can do in a Toyota Corolla now but back then the average cost kind of struggle to reach even 80 or 90 mph plus a great looking car well thanks for coming on this virtual Ride Along I hope it's as much fun for you to view as it was for us to make it what a great job I had J we want you to drive your car up and down the hills of California wo okay it's exhausting but somebody's got to do it thanks for comingwell thanks for coming along on what we call Jay's virtual ride we call it that because you're actually in the passenger seat of my 1954 Jaguar xk120 this is a semal car for me because it was the first sports car I ever really sat in when I was a kid I was 9 years old I was riding my bike up a hill when I got to the top of the hill I saw one of these parked on a guy's driveway and when you live in a little town in Massachusetts you didn't see these kind of cars and I stared at it for like 20 minutes and finally the guy said hey come on over you want to sit in it he let me sit in it well it was like imprinting on a goose H I had to have one it took me 25 years and when I was 34 years old I finally got one and I've had it now since 1984 it's really a terrific car it's all stock I've modified a little bit instead of a 3.4 l motor has a 4.2 makes about 250 horsepower and it's got a 5-speed transmission but other than that she's all 1954 Jaguar you know these cars are great fun because they're very visceral there's no traction control there's no ABS there's none of the things that take away from the pure driving sensation like a lot of modern cars do and the road I'm driving on oh this is fantastic I know it looks like the hills of Sicily but we're actually just about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles this is a great myth about California that traffic is just awful and it is if you're on the 405 or the 101 or the 5 or the 14 or any of those freeways but all you have to do is get off the freeway go 10 miles into the hills and you see roads like this when there isn't another car anywhere around we haven't blocked the road off we don't have police at East End closing it down these are just lonely deserted roads that nobody knows about and I'm not even going to tell you where it is I'll tell you it's within 10 mil of Burbank airport so that should that should give you some idea okay there's one car there but that's the first one I've seen on the drive so far well you get the idea it's a lot of fun driving up here you know this car comes from what I call the Golden Age of Motoring you know 1950 to 1960 that's when sports cars especially British sports cars really shine you know Britain had this exporter die thing going where they had to produce an export to get money to live and to eat so they built so many great sports cars most of them went to California because of our weather and our roads uh cars like the mg the Triumph the Austin Healey and of course this one here the famous Jaguar xk1 120 Clark Gable had one of these all kinds of movie stars had one of these cuz these were the fastest cars in the day they were called the 120 because they're guaranteed to do 120 M hour which you can do in a Toyota Corolla now but back then the average cost kind of struggle to reach even 80 or 90 mph plus a great looking car well thanks for coming on this virtual Ride Along I hope it's as much fun for you to view as it was for us to make it what a great job I had J we want you to drive your car up and down the hills of California wo okay it's exhausting but somebody's got to do it thanks for coming\n"