Archie's Last Drive - drama short film about the restoration of a Jaguar E type

The estranged son of an elderly ex-racing driver must restore his father's long-lost Jaguar in an attempt to also restore their relationship. WINNER: Best Short Film, Director and Actor at Folkestone Short Film Festival, and 3 other Best Short awards
Archie Reynolds: Robert Donald
Martin Reynolds: Alastair G. Cumming
Rob Barr: Rick Romero
Dan: Daniel Newton
Director and Producer: Eben Skilleter
Screenwriters: John Suriano and Eben Skilleter
Executive Producers: Nidhi Gupta and John Suriano
Filmed at Heynes Heritage and Eagle E-types, United Kingdom
Special Thanks: William and Jonathan Heynes, and our backers
Thanks: Clint and Malcolm Watson of Dase Engineering, Paul Brace of Eagle E-types, Doris Fenwick, and Thomas G. Waites
Shot on Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 4.6
A Busy Doctors Films production

[@rictusmetallicus]

The most beautiful car ever built

[@ebenskilleter326]

No arguments here!

[@thomasmackenzie7811]

My First Cars was a 1964 Jaguar Xke coupe . I got was I was 16 in 1976 . I saved the money and bought it myself ☺️!!!!! I remember everything about her ...... She was Legendary!!!! In excellent condition, however I brought her back to better than new . .......... Many Thanks for your film ........ It might as well been about me .

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you so much for the wonderful story, lovely to hear!😊

[@donreid6399]

Believe me, getting old sucks. Sometimes, all you have are the memories. But being able to touch something from your past that meant so much to you is fantastic. Thank you for the video.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you for your comments, Don. I'm very glad you appreciated our film

[@philtucker1224]

Yes, I’m in the same boat Don. This is the way I see it: the nicer the life you’ve had the more regrettable it is to be leaving it behind. However I guess the opposite is also true so I’m pretty grateful mine has been damned nice. 👍

[@donreid6399]

@@philtucker1224 Hopefully you and I leave behind some nice memories for others, Phil! And yes, my life has been damned nice as well, my friend....

[@Dominic-mm6yf]

Wish I could have done this with my late Dad. Wonderful film.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Getting old isn't for sissies...

[@markjones-vx3kp]

There is definitely nothing like an old Jaguar they are truly something else we’ve had our one for fifty plus years and it still stirs our emotions precious …

[@ebenskilleter326]

Over 50 years? That's amazing! Thanks for your nice comment 🙂

[@angelsone-five7912]

Charming little film, I felt quite emotional.

[@stevebaker4303]

Brought some tears thinking of taking my dad on his last ride. So grateful to have had those years in his final chapter.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I'm glad this film resonated with you.

[@pauloconnor7951]

many of us share that with you. I adore my parents; and I realise just how hard they tried. No one is perfect and to try hard despite that is awesome and the mark of spiritual quality !!!.

[@garthlundquist3623]

My Father and I played out a similar scene with our 1963 XKE OTS over 47 years. What wasn’t shown were my Saturday night shenanigans at 16 years of age. Fearless and unskilled, it is a miracle I survived to adulthood.

[@shadeburst]

No way I was going to get into heaven and the devil didn't want me either! That's why I'm still alive.

[@danjohnston3422]

An E-Type isn't a car. It's a soulful thing, more a personality than a mechanism. Exquisitely beautiful, fast by the standards of the day, a brilliant, brilliant thing, even more so beacuse they're epehemeral - prone to rust and breakdown. They're the cherry blossoms of the automotive realm. They require regular sacrifices of blood and treasure to preserve, like having a French mistress. Gotta love one to stick with owning one. But every one restored is a "life" saved.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Couldn't have said it better myself! We mustn't let our past rust away. Thank you for such a lovely comment 🙂

[@channelyasuke]

Someday I will be not able to ride a motorcycle as he.Of course young is not forever I know. This short movie teach me how should I have my mind at that time.

[@alanaxan8793]

I always said to my dad, who taught me everything about cars, that one day I would own an E-Type. Sadly he died before my dream came true. I like to think that somewhere he was watching me drive around in it and having a huge grin . I just wish he had one drive in it with me. What a fabulous machine the E-Type is...

[@ebenskilleter326]

So touched to read your comments. Yes, the E-type is a special car indeed

[@robertmurdock7973]

My father and I shared a strong love of all things mechanical and this brought back emotions I'd forgotten. I still have a large and eclectic collection of old boats and cars, restoring as many as I can before it's too late. Father/Mothers and sons and daughters, so very important to have a visceral relationship that goes far beyond your thumbs on a phone. Thank you Eben!!!

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you for these lovely comments, I agree wholeheartedly

[@philtucker1224]

Hi Robert, are you one of these guys that will leave his whole collection gathering dust in a barn for someone to discover in twenty years time?🤔

[@nigelbond4056]

Having sold it in 1977, 13 years ago I found and bought my dad’s Jag back. He passed away last year but was always happy I got his car back 🥹

[@ebenskilleter326]

Fantastic story, I'm so glad you tracked the car down and brought it back into the family!

[@peterbellini6102]

Very moving & evocative...I miss my Dad every day.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Sorry to hear, thank you for sharing and watching my film

[@neilbedford5082]

A wonderful film - thank you so much. There is a very special connection between an older chap and a classic which he has owned for years, which runs very deep. If you don't get it then that's cool - but you never, never will. I'm off to the garage now to see my old friend, who unlike me, has not grown old.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Brilliant. Great to hear you've an old friend yourself!

[@androidemulator6952]

This is me , with my old BMW i sold, to pay the mortgage that month.. Bites every time..

[@raboldrt]

Most Beautiful Automobile Ever. 😂 GREAT short dramatic film. The key hand off 🥲🎉😎🖖🏻

[@ebenskilleter326]

I really appreciate your comments, thank you very much 👍

[@davidviner4932]

WOW wasn't expecting that, brilliant

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thanks, appreciate it :)

[@justpassinthruonR66]

Love the father/son love. I understand the XKE design appreciation also: I built a model of the coupe back when I was 14 but went the Corvette route due to the TV series "route 66". My dad loved big Cadillacs but never bought one...I guess he didn't feel good enough about himself to allow him to own one. I bought up a few good used ones, each better than the previous ones. Because of the 'Northstar' reputation, I got them cheap enough and, with carefull maintenace and easy use, never had any major problems. I'd take him with our dogs to the lake and drink coffees. Sometimes my younger brother (RIP) would join us. Good memories. When he passed, I stopped using the Caddies and sold them. Dad had bought myself a brand-new Mazda-3 in 2012...very 'out of character' for him as he hoarded money all his life. My wife used it to commute to her job until he passed. That very Mazda now has a space in our 4 car garage where it is cherished and babied (car-cover, battery-minder) as well as any of the C-1 and 2 Corvettes I had over the years before old age and hip replacements made them unusable. I still have the '07 Mustang GT convt. that I bought used and, luckily, happened to be an automatic. He enjoyed the many times I took him to car-shows and cruises with our dogs (except the odd times when he was miserable and angry). I just rode with it and was glad that both my brother and I were there for my Dad throughout his life.

[@TamTran-vw7zm]

Damn you, it'll be three days getting the lump out of my throat! Beautiful job. But these roles are hard to watch, and even harder to live through.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thanks, pleased to hear it moved you so!

[@gpower9539]

This was a heartfelt experience

[@tedecker3792]

In 1976 I was in college, and only had my 63 XKE roadster and my 73 Kawasaki Z1.

[@nickday3541]

I'm sure everyone who watched this must of been moved.. Beautiful !

[@ebenskilleter326]

What a lovely comment! Thank you :)

[@nickday3541]

@@ebenskilleter326 and yet very true! Kudos indeed & thanks for sharing a beautiful film.

[@billyporter2195]

Beautiful restoration but painful ‘drama’

[@James-gf9jl]

Yep, my dad on his last ride in his XJC three years ago.

[@FinchleyHeroyy]

Really enjoyed this, both touching and evocative. Well done Jonny and everyone else. Especially convincing performance from Robert Donald.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you very much for your kind comments, they're really appreciated :)

[@jockost.maritz1096]

They jammed a lot of emotion into 15min. Great direction. Haunting.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thanks for the compliment, delighted you enjoyed it

[@williampringle1790]

What a nice little film. The few technical inaccuracies are incidental to the storytelling. My good friend Bert Bennett, who sadly passed away last year from cancer, would have loved this. He owned quite a few E-Types over the years and they were always a treat to drive. Like all the great classics of their era, E-Types have their own unique sound, smell, look and feel when you drive them. Even though my heart is with Italian cars, there always has been and always shall be a warm fondness for these beautiful cars from Coventry. 💕.

[@ebenskilleter326]

What a lovely comment. Thank you ever so much, that means a lot. It's important to celebrate these fine cars and I'm delighted that this film resonated with you 🙂

[@felixramirez6898]

I love a happy ending .

[@chrispigott6913]

Great little film. In years to come classic cars will be just memories if things continue as they are happening now.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thanks, very pleased you liked the film :)

[@knoxyish]

that will never happen.

[@justpassinthruonR66]

@@knoxyish I agree. 'Us' enthusiests will always get involved to keep it going.

[@rebreaville9332]

I read Paul Skilleter’s XKE books and kept it for many years. Eventually, although I treasured it, I gave it to a friend doing a restoration. Seemed like a good home for something that gave me many, many moments of pleasure.

[@keith7836]

Enough to make you weep

[@j.miller5565]

Better then anything hollywood puts out!

[@ebenskilleter326]

Very kind of you, so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂

[@marciabaldwin2506]

Absolutely brilliant amazing short film thinking about my dad too such a beautiful car simply stunning have fond memories of being out in the artics he loved his jaguar's as well esp the mk2 and naturally the E type ❤️

[@ebenskilleter326]

So pleased that you loved the movie and that it evoked some great memories!

[@davebarron5939]

Thank You!

[@randalhuseby]

Lovely bit of filmwork! Although I didn’t grow up with the E type, bringing it back to life after my Uncles passing has brought about a realization of why they are cherished. Love to get it out for a drive now and then to spread the joy to others. Cheers!

[@ebenskilleter326]

Great, I appreciate it! Get her on the road 🙂

[@roynicholson217]

Very touching....only a former E-type owner would appreciate

[@roynicholson217]

Cont'd...the joy and pride of ownership of the most beautiful car ever made...fifty years ago I had one...

[@ebenskilleter326]

This is true, glad you liked it :)

[@pommunist]

I've never owned an E-type, I'll never be able to afford one. But I have worked on cars and bikes with my father, I wouldn't swap the experience.

[@rictusmetallicus]

My dad got so jealous, when i bought the car for my family and it had double the cylinder placement and double the horsepower than his. He just couldn't stand me having the bigger car.

[@thewatchman1078]

Loved every minute of this, very evocative really well done. The drama of E types in the 1960s and racing legends killed in races and 'dicing' on our A roads.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you, delighted you enjoyed it

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Too bad the E ended up in an ugly color...

[@ricardocorbie6803]

Great content,, father and son project!! I had dreams of doing something similar with my son,, the project had to be abandoned!! But it’s never to late!! Beautiful film 💜💜💜

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you!😀

[@pkthorntonrestorations]

Excellent story! Get her on the road!

[@rogerpritchard]

Great video. I have my father's beautiful Jaguar XJ-S sleeping in a Sussex barn waiting for me to get my act together. One day I'll drive her out again.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Outstanding, here's hoping you get her on the road again 🤞

[@pommunist]

Get off your arse, it will be too late one day...

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

Very thoughtful and moving production.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you, Andrew. Much appreciated

[@waltsmith9583]

Wonderful. Simply wonderful. hollywood take notice.

[@stephenburnage7687]

Nice movie! I cannot afford an E type but my personal baby is a 1967 Volvo. I am now 70 and my hope is that i get to pass it on to one of my sons one day and that they treasure it as much.

[@paulspice4717]

only one word; excellent

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you, Paul. Much appreciated

[@robertamoyaw8812]

Father n Son ❤️

[@jeromereilly5402]

a lovely film

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you :)

[@michaelpaulos420]

Mbreautiful !!! You really did capture the spirit of motoring. Many thanks for this short . You said it all in a short story..Heart warmind

[@ebenskilleter326]

That's very kind of you to say, I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@giovannipiccinini4041]

fantastico

[@ebenskilleter326]

Grazie!

[@lathikamihiranga]

Very nicely done! I love it

[@joekanitz1660]

Watched every second, this deserves way more views and subscribers for you're channel. I hope more projects are in the making. Hello from Milwaukee

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you, let's hope the channel picks up some numbers from this short :)

[@eze4880]

Great job.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it

[@Colin1486]

Nicely done film.

[@ebenskilleter326]

@Colin1486 Thank you very much for the kind words🙂

[@randyrobey5643]

The 383 4 barrel was Chrysler's entry-level performance engine for this model. However, 383s were very durable engines with lots of performance potential. They were also much easier on gas than the bigger engines in the lineup. Those characteristics make 383 engines good choices for cars that are driven regularly on the streets.

[@pommunist]

Are you thinking about Jensen Interceptors? They have Mopar engines. This film is about a Jaguar E-type, some people call them XKEs. They have Jaguar engines.

[@noszagh]

Wish the acting was better, it sure looked good.

[@assininecomment1630]

Oh dear. Such a complex and affecting scenario - but handled so clumsily. The guy acting as the mechanic/restorer... 😵‍💫 My gawd - who wrote his dialogue?!

[@johnmorrison1180]

Had another look and what we see is an AC compressor, with a alternator beneath it, both run by a serpentine belt. Non of which belongs on a 1962 E type. Really missed seeing all that polished aluminium and the 3.8 ticking over.

[@JaguarEType]

Very well done, I like it very much.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Glad you enjoyed the film 🙂

[@martincassels7995]

How have you not got more subscribers! ❤

[@Marcsten]

Very sweet and not too far from accurate in many of our cases. However, you did use the wrong engine. It should have been a 3.8 for that year. Otherwise, well done!

[@ebenskilleter326]

Pleased you liked it and well spotted! Even in a restoration shop, a rusty 3.8 engine is a very hard prop to come by. We were forced to use a 4.2 owing to a lack of options

[@williamds1]

Awesome

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thank you!

[@scroggins100]

As i get near the final lap! I thank you for the summary, in film, of what it is to love the car you once had. Mine a red Alfa GTV6 (1980) and that summer. Thanks.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Great memories. Every car has a story :)

[@Vampirebear13]

Simply put... this is brilliant.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@Vampirebear13]

@@ebenskilleter326 You are very welcome. I found your movie to be very emotional & hard to watch at times but overall to be brilliant. I didn't like how the son acted towards his Dad & kept saying "just for it for your Dad, you can't put a price on love" & I was afraid the car wouldn't be finished before his Dad died. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way. All apologies for being so silly & emotional. Keep making such great films my friend.

[@johnmorrison1180]

I don't understand, the engine that was shown running in the end didn't appear to the original XK from that car. So disappointing as they just as impressive as the car its self.

[@marcelosterra4564]

Lindo video, vou tentar encontrá-lo legendado em Português Brasil.

[@wernerdanler2742]

I didn't get who Dan was. Was he your dad's brother? I remember seeing a film about the history of auto racing and all the deaths that brought about more and more changes to make racing safer. The only problem is they also advanced the engineering of the cars and they got faster and faster and even more deadly.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Dan was Archie's racing teammate. Yes, F1 only became safer after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, when safety standards improved. It is still a dangerous sport, though thankfully much less so now

[@Andreostudiophotocinema]

Excellent Job! How long did this project take?

[@ebenskilleter326]

Delighted you enjoyed it! 3 day shoot with the actors, additional day to film car restoration scenes. Pre-prod took around a year in terms of scriptwriting and scraping together funds etc. Post-prod was effected by the pandemic lockdowns and added months, so tough to put an overall estimate on it really!

[@allenfuller6522]

Liked everything except never being told what YEAR the car is!!?

[@ebenskilleter326]

The car that we used for filming is 1962

[@allenfuller6522]

@@ebenskilleter326 Thanks for the enlightenment...the video has high production values and was well done...Cheerio.

[@stephenburnage7687]

Back in the mid 1970's my best friend had one of the early (3.8 L) E types. He was emigrating to Australia and needed to sell it and continually nagged me to buy it from him.......but i could not afford his asking price of 350 British pounds. Often wonder where that vehicle is now.

[@ebenskilleter326]

Yeah, I wonder where it is? Thanks for the stories, glad you liked the movie :)

[@MegaReddevil71]

Enzo ferrari said it was beautifull

[@anthonycarty9433]

Are you related to Paul Skilleter , the jaguar historian .

[@ebenskilleter326]

Yep, I'm his son

[@anthonycarty9433]

@@ebenskilleter326 Thought I recognized the name . Remember him from Practical Classics . Kind regards .

[@EricBilleter2]

​@Eben Skilleter was going to ask the same question. Loved the video and hope you are able to make more. Get to bring home my E-Type next week once title clears.

[@oliviergineste4652]

this 4.2 liters engine can't be original for this early e-type...

[@ebenskilleter326]

Yes indeed. Unfortunately we were unable to get a shot of the original engine turning over and had to use another non-original engine instead. Alas, low-budget productions are forced to make compromises. We felt it important to still show a Jag engine running to indicate that the father-son relationship was up and running too

[@Aaron-xk6cp]

😌 "Promosm"

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Now they even want to slow down all the gas pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime. "Bundesabgasbespaßungsverbot" in German....(((((((

[@billyporter2195]

Thank you for that detail, astonishing how quickly governments can react when they choose, just a shame they didn’t legislate against fossil fuel power stations and the like sooner 😖

[@jkoepis]

This is not true, petrol cars will not be banned totally. Cost of ownership will rise, but even after 2035, when all new cars sold must be co2 neutral, you legally can still drive petrol cars.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

@@jkoepis Well the BABVVO laws will limit the use of petrol cars to commuter trips and certified transports in EU, California and New York.

[@jkoepis]

@@Schlipperschlopper I couldn’t find any reliable info on that on an EU level, I’m not sure about the US. But yes, at some point petrol cars will be like steam machines today: interesting but obsolete. Yet, someone will still be wrenching on them in 100 years, i’m pretty sure of that

[@timmelia7551]

Good job we are not in the EU.

[@Michael-yd5ry]

XKE my arse.It's an E Type Jaguar.Can't Americans deal with one letter ?