Jowett Javelin: a rare 40s - 50s British car

[@paulsutton5896]

Very accomplished gear-changing, if I might say so. I hope the "mink" coat is faux!

[@idriveaclassic]

I’ve pinned comments elsewhere where I’ve been wearing this coat and it’s a 1970s St Michael fake fur. It was unworn when I bought it and I wear it sparingly hence why it still looks so good on film. In real life you can tell it’s plastic fur not real 😂

[@paulsutton5896]

@@idriveaclassic In that case, I apologise for mentioning it.

[@idriveaclassic]

@@paulsutton5896 honestly I’d rather people asked! I am a veggie of many years, it would knock me for six to wear some poor little creature.

[@paulsutton5896]

@@idriveaclassic Excellent. I too have been a vegetarian for about forty years. I am proud of that fact. But secretly, I think of myself as a failed vegan.

[@zurcherzurich213]

​@@idriveaclassic😅 Greetings from Switzerland 🎉

[@randolfo1265]

Everybody likes to see a nicely restored car but an original running and driving survivor like this is pure gold!

[@GavinWalker-cf9se]

Thanks Steph for a lovely review. Anybody interested in Jowetts, as part of the JCC Centenary there will be a Jowett meeting at the Great British Car Journey on June 18th 2023.

[@dominicrichardson5546]

A wonderfully well designed car for the time. Having the door handles flow into the chrome trim is a piece of genius and looks gorgeous

[@dominicrichardson5546]

@emjayay and the javelin was over 10 years older and from a much smaller company, very impressive

[@paulmartin7737]

Spotted those, they didnt appear on a lot of other manufacturers until early 70s. Also, no quarterlight window

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Those door handles are 'brilliant' in design and fine in function!

[@MarriedToTheKGB]

Shockingly beautiful bodywork

[@johnf3326]

What style! Super colour too!

[@idriveaclassic]

It’s the colour for me

[@caw25sha]

Assuming it's authentic which I'm pretty sure it is, it must have been rather startling at the time. I wonder what it's called.

[@85waspnest]

Steph - After commenting on your last video about the Standard Vanguard, you've just granted my wish, which was for you to feature a Jowett Javelin. My grandfather bought a new one in black in 1949 from North Riding Motors in York, the price - £999. Grandad passed away in 1955 when my father inherited the car which served us well until 1962. I have many childhood memories of holiday trips to Scotland, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. I can confirm what you say about their 82 mph top speed after nagging dad to put his foot down one day !!! Although I considered the car old fashioned as more modern cars arrived in the 1960s, I was sad to see the old girl sold and miss her comfort, space and personality to this day.

[@stephenaldred9398]

It’s likely that the switch marked P was for panel lights. It’s use saved the battery a little when parking at night

[@paulchappell]

Wonderful review! Thank you, Steph. I knew vaguely that Jowett Javelins were somewhat upscale but I wasn't expecting such an attractive interior. What a great car.

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks Paul!

[@bernardcromarty485]

Back in the 1950s my grandad had a grocer's shop, and his workhorse was a Jowett Bradford van. Then another one! Then around 1959 he switched to the Morris Traveller (Jowetts no longer available). Aw, Steph, PLEASE find a Bradford!! Ideally in maroon...

[@robredz]

There was a Jowett Bradford vqan around Colwyn Bay up to about 5 years ago not seen it for age4s, hope in in a garage safe somewhere unique sound from that Flat twin engine.

[@subz555]

My father restored a CA Bradford. I can’t remember what year 46-47? He painted it Maroon and Black.

[@lesklower7281]

I saw a Jowet Javelin at an all british car show about 35 years ago and l have never forgotten it the bonnet was open and l saw the engine configuration and l thought how different the layout was but to see a review all these years later was fantastic thank you Steph

[@stephenholland5930]

Yes, it would've been nice to see the engine on this example.

[@lesklower7281]

@@stephenholland5930 Athough it looks like a 1940s car but the configuration of the engine and gearbox also been a water cooled flat four so different from any other car from the 1940s proerably the most unusual car of the 1940s the Volkswagen Beetle had an air cooled flat four but the engine was at the rear but the engineering was very good it worked and that was done without the use of computers

[@jmills1549]

Dad used to have one, I remember me and older brother using back of car as a slide.... Dad was always fixing it... But what car back the did not need fixing..... Good motor... Happy times.

[@paulboyle6857]

Hi Steph,following my racing Vanguard info,there was a Javelin racing at the Goodwood revival a year or two back(!) Back in the the day they ran works Jupiters at Le Mans.Just goes to show you can more or less race anything with right know-how & workshop! I recall going to an auction in the early 60,s & seeing a Javelin knocked down for less than £20! Great looking machine.Happy days.

[@SloopyDog]

In the 60s I got offered a Jowet Javelin for £15. I thought it was rather expensive as it needed a fair bit of work. I had many great classics in the 60s an Austin 8 for £5 and Ford Prefects and Angliers from £10. They were good days.

[@davidjones332]

The "P" I suspect is for panel lights. When this car was built it was illegal to park without lights, even in a 30 mph limit, so all cars had a separate switch to kill all unnecessary lights to save the battery. My 1967 Morris still had that facility.

[@TerryReeves-g4w]

Park lights 😊

[@johnclements6852]

Thanks for this Jowett video. Steph, what a lovely car for its time and well worth its asking price. One other factor leading to closure was the purchase by Ford of Jowett's body builder Briggs, which could no longer supply bodies. Regardless, the club and Bradford can be proud of Jowett's place in British motoring history.

[@davidjones332]

At the time Jowett owed Briggs an absolute fortune, so it was no surprise they stopped supplying Jowett. Briggs also built the bodies for the Standard 8 & 10, but they continued to supply Standard Triumph until they were superceded by the Triumph Herald. The other car effectively killed off by the Ford takeover was the Lanchester 10. Lanchester were forced to change to a coachbuilt Barker body which upped the price.

[@johnclements6852]

​@David Jones Thanks for that information, David. I don't recall reading about that.

[@tadpoles10]

Like (Roger Coleman) I also had a teacher with a 'Jowett Javelin' silver coloured back in the early fifties (1952-56). Mr Jones was the science teacher of 'Tweenaway SM School for Boys Paignton'. I recall the car was used every annual sports day to power the 'loudspeaker' system around the sports field. Thanks for sharing Steph t ...

[@subz555]

I think that’s a common occurrence. Two guys in the car club were both teachers and both drove black Javelins when they were teaching

[@SvennsCarchannel]

Oh they are so beautiful 🥰

[@idriveaclassic]

Agreed. A beautiful little thing.

[@pembridgehouse]

A friend had one of these in the late 60's . We had some fun on staurtday nights cruisin around in it. Thanks for posting.

[@TheStobb50]

That must’ve been strong well-built cars I was born in 1960 and I can remember these still on the road into the early 70s

[@idriveaclassic]

Oh deffo. Just too expensive/too ambitious for world post war I think. Another great example of too much too soon is the Austin Atlantic (another favourite of mine…)

[@michaelhalsall5684]

Jowett was the maker of the rather humble little "Bradford" commercial vehicles , vans and pickups. When the car production finished in the 1950s Jowett was working on a new model of the Bradord van. An alternative future for Jowett would have been to just concentrate on commercial vehicles.

[@subz555]

They were also working on the R4 Jupiter that was to share the same frame as the CD Bradford except it was a shorter wheel base. If only they held out for another year or two we may have got the new models produced

[@willgeary6086]

It did seem Jowett spread itself too far, a real shame really.

[@Steven-p4j]

So reminiscent of the Morris Minor, Which was still popular as a reasonable modern car through to the 70s, and with the enlarged rear light, much admired.

[@caw25sha]

It's probably more comparable to the Morris Six, although with 4 cylinders.

[@Steven-p4j]

@@caw25sha Yes, I do agree, I was referring to overall body shape, although slightly over scale. I should have made myself clearer. Those Morris minors were a treat to drive, with a high level of driver engagement.

[@jerryashlock5519]

this channel provides a great service for those of us who never get to experience cars like the Javelin ... also love the hostess is lovely and very informed

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Great enthusiastic review as always Steph, the ' P ' switch on the right is for ' Panel ' or dashboard instrument lamps .A school teacher of mine, Mr Hurst had one , trading in an Austin Ruby for a black Javelin and always said what a wonderful car it was !.

[@idriveaclassic]

Thank you for telling me. We were all stumped and I was incredibly tired when I made this. I think with a bit more sleep I might’ve had a spark of thought 😂😂

[@SeattleSoulFan]

Steph, I tweeted to you a few months ago asking you to do the Javelin, and you came through-thank you! Fascinating car that would definitely have a place in my fantasy garage. Building transmissions in-house was a cost-saving move. In hindsight, they would have done better to keep buying them in from H. E. Meadows. There was a Javelin in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. It was 500 miles from Seattle, so I never quite mustered up the initiative to contact the owner and ask if I could come and see it. I understand that he’s now deceased, and his son sold the car to someone in the eastern United States. Recommended reading: "Auto Architect," the autobiography of Gerald Palmer. Jowett Javelin and Jupiter: The Complete Story," by Geoff McAuley and Edmund Nankivell. The suspension was indeed torsion bars all around, but I don’t think it was fully independent. The car had a live rear axle.

[@ClassicCabFrance]

Thanks so much, Steph : I was secretly expecting a serious Jowett Javelin drive test from you, as I bought a rare LHD 1950 belgian car a few years ago ....

[@GodfreyWalpole]

What a lovely video of one of my favourite makes of classic cars ,I first fell in love with the javelin around 1950 when i was 10years old and my dad was looking to buy his first car but unfortunatly they were far to expensive ,however i never lost my affection for jowetts and in 1977 i bought and restored a jupiter which i kept for 33years and i still know its present owner. i think your videos are great and imformative I would just add that i would think the stiff column change is due to lack of lubrication in the many joints of this system as they are known to be one of the best , i could change with one finger, the P switch is for panel lights and lastly the javelin had worm & peg steering box , the jupiter had rack & pinion.

[@jennydonne8946]

My Grandad always talked about the Javalin as a car he liked. That is definitely a car to have and that engine is so smooth, I do like the sound of a flat 4 engine, I love the Citroën flat 4 and this is a lot smoother.

[@josephmifsud8261]

A beautiful colour. It suits the car perfectly. The build quality is top notch too. A rare little beauty

[@garethonthetube]

My maternal grandfather had a Javelin. I have a couple of colour slides of the car in Norway when they travelled there in 1957. He was nothing if not adventurous! Sadly that was before my time, but I do remember his Mk2 Zephyr.

[@martinlintzgy1361]

At last... a Javelin. Always been fascinated by these cars.

[@christopherhunter2892]

Great sounding engine. Quite a sophisticated car for its’ time.

[@frederickherring2284]

What an absolutely beautifully looking motor car. Can you imagine turning up at Tescos to do the shop.

[@mandoprince1]

Love the sound of that flat four engine!

[@williamnethercott4364]

When I was growing up in the early sixties, there was a Javelin at the end of the street. It had a unique look and I asked my father what it was. He told me and since he knew a lot about cars, added that Jowetts were well made quality cars. Naturally, I have thought of them in that way ever since, so I was pleased when your review confirmed it.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Working the engine and transmission through the gears produces a wonderful series of sounds!

[@brentfairlie]

Yay!!...been waiting for you to do a Jowett. I love these cars. My very first car was a 31 year old Javelin. It was such fun. I have since owned 36 cars but it is my Javelin that i regret selling the most. If i could afford one now i would sell my great little Citigo and buy one AND use it everyday. We hve a great owners club for Jowett here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thanks for the review

[@Zeppelin--Acid]

Im related to the Jowett family, my gran or Auntie were related. My mum was adopted by my gran, Irene Wood. In Bradford in 1947, my mum was from Ireland. Id love to hear from someone about the family, i have a family photo & also a grandfather clock made by him. I remember the name Elsie Jowett getting talked about a lot when i was little.

[@n8iws484]

One item I spotted right away is the emblem on the horn button. It reminds me of a past masters jewel. A nod to the Masons of Great Britain perhaps?

[@fruitychink]

Brilliant . As a student in Aberdeen in the sixties and seventies , a friend of mine had a Javelin and a Jupiter . I drove them both and they were immense in terms of finish and performance compared to my old Anglia !!! I was so jealous .

[@clivebennett7985]

My uncle had one and it was just a great car . I was only a kid back then but I remember people said it was 10 years ahead of it's time

[@bruceburns1672]

This car looks like a quality car , great styling and fit and finish , how could a car company fail producing that .

[@keith-nb8ps]

Pressed Steel made the body...Jowett was in front of its time..The British Leyland Company told Pressed Steel Co. that if they kept producing bodies for JOWETT they would take their custom elsewhere so they had no way of making their own futuristic bodies, which is why Jowett stopped production..

[@isleofthanet]

@@keith-nb8ps No it wasnt, it was Briggs Bodies first at Dagenham and later at Doncaster built the Javelin along with the Bradford van. The gearbox issue led to Javelins being stockpiled all round the works and beyond, waiting to have their gearboxes replaced. There was a downturn in sales both here and overseas then later Briggs was bought out by Ford.

[@allanmollison6971]

Thanks again for sharing Steph. The Jowett Javelin looks similar in appearance to the Standard Vanguard. 😊👍

[@suemason6952]

Very proud to be a member of the Great British Jowett Car Club celebrating its centenary year: the oldest single marque car club in the world!

[@mdshonkkc]

I live in the States, and I had never heard of Jowett or seen one before. Thank you so much for the history and the detailed views of this car. And you look beautiful sitting in it!

[@seed_drill7135]

Me either. Looks a bit like the Chrysler Airflow with a more restrained front end.

[@subz555]

Jowett sold Jupiters to the USA. That was the sports car model using same engine / drive train that’s in the Javelin. There is a Jupiter owners club there.

[@mikegalvin9801]

An American so never actually saw one but on the old Ballykissangel show it's what the priest drove. It looks like the old cars parked in the background in my dad's 1930s childhood pictures.

[@stephenricketts7764]

Beautiful old car. You could certainly say 'they don't make them like that anymore.' Almost big enough for a board meeting! Thank you Steph for a great review.👍👍

[@fatbelly27]

Lovely car. My school caretaker had one.

[@TS-1267]

... Yesss I'll be Staying In 'Idle Bradford' This Weekend At My Mam 'n' Dad's.. We Even Have a Club called " The Idle Working-Man's Club "... Liked the Narration Too... Informative Indeed... Cheers Alot 🥂🖖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 6:17

[@johnledingham852]

My family moved to Queensland in 1958, when I was 11. The father of the first mate I made drove a Jowett Javelin. It was a cool car! When I got married and we honeymooned in Tasmania, our temporary landlord also owned a Jowett Javelin. That was a hoot as well! It was so good to enjoy your Jowett Javelin video tonight. You helped this 76 year old relive some memories from my youthful days!

[@andrewdavis3928]

That is what I learnt to drive in - a very nice car to drive - try to get yourself drive of the sporty model - the Jupiter - they are fairly rare nowadays - the last one I saw on the road was a participant in Targa Tasmania in the Classic section - that was in the 1980's

[@TerryReeves-g4w]

I owned 3 Jowett Javelins in the 60s , really liked them, fun to drive and interesting engineering, flat floors throughout actually the floor were made of plywood. Had a few strange quirks but all in all a great car.

[@howardjones8629]

We're recently back from visiting the museum and this one was one of my faves 👍

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Brilliant review of what is a beautiful car Steph, the green really makes the car.

[@promerops]

My maternal grandfather had one. He was quite an enthusiast and owned a number of different cars and motorbikes in his time. By the time I had appeared and was taking notice, he had unfortunately given up driving, but my mother told me the Javelin was his favourite of them all. She was not at all a technically-minded person, but she told me she could always tell a Jowett by its engine note. Thanks for a great video, Stef. Colin.

[@johnoksys7713]

Thanks For Another Great Video Steph That's What I Love About Your The Variety Of Vehicles You Show & Drive Nice Dress

[@Vince_uk]

Great car to present Steph.

[@SBCBears]

The lines are beautiful. This is one of those cars that I wish were produced today. Modern underpinnings, of course, but the lovely design would grace our roads.

[@Mighty_Cat_Mods]

Thank you, we enjoyed this video enormously. 🐈 There's nothing better than watching someone having fun.

[@gordonmynard855]

A Jowett Javelin was bought new by a neighbour of ours in country Australia. I understand that at the time you ordered a car and hoped for delivery. He hit the jackpot. My father had ten cars in time the Jowett just went on and on. We never knew him well enough to get a ride so you've filled a gap in my knowledge.

[@andypostill3659]

What a lovely car . Beautiful design and the leather seats still have a lot of mileage in them . Love the channel Steph x

[@markhealey9409]

Cool cars! I saw lots of Jowett's om display at the Industrial Museum in Bradford about 3 years ago!😍😍

[@roygardiner2229]

Thank you for an excellent review. As a lad I remember a neighbour owning a gold coloured Jowett Javelin: at the time the body shape seemed futuristic.

[@rizmirza1829]

Great video , wonderful knowledge and experience. You can see how the design evolved into the Morris minor

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Wow! You’ve batted out of the park with this one Steph!! The Javelin is a thing of immense beauty! Such an advanced and clever car for the time - very sophisticated engineering…….sadly maybe a bit too sophisticated when compared with the competition at the time? Lovely, lovely things!! Thank you!!

[@sevesellors2831]

Great review my dad had one in the mid fifties in green too, he loved it.

[@Lucan44.40]

Any chance of a review of the Jowett "Jupiter." I loved to see them on the roads around Bradford in the 50s...I believe they were the first 100mph production motor car.

[@saxon-mt5by]

Yes, Steph, H is for heater - It's the black circular box down by your feet, just visible behind the compass.

[@saxon-mt5by]

@@emjayay There was just a single speed fan (on or off) and two flaps on the heater unit itself to direct the heat, such as it was, to your feet or the screen. Also a valve in the engine compartment to isolate the heater from the cooling system in the summer.

[@Prasannakumar-yk7bf]

Beautiful car.

[@ColinBarrett001]

Looking great Steph! And so's the car...! 🙂(collective groan...) Thanks for sharing!

[@onestopshop-py1gm]

Ive just had a call from E Jowetts son, i am the proud relative of the Jowett family & am currently looking at joining the jowett car club. At the moment i cannot say more, but i hope to be able to help him learn all about a family that we never knew existed until i went through my late mothers belongings and found all the proof & things we have!! Hopefully this will be interesting to all Jowett fans! Or maybe not lol!

[@idriveaclassic]

I would love to speak to him if you can share my email address!

[@onestopshop-py1gm]

@idriveaclassic He seems such a lovely man. Do you have a private address i could message you on?

[@onestopshop-py1gm]

@idriveaclassic Id love to share more details but its far to early on at the moment. I must respect his privacy, as im sure you understand.

[@davidaustin2172]

All those gauges! They tell you all is right, or going wrong. Not the idiot lights of today when it comes on WHEN it’s gone wrong! Thanks for the superb video. Ps, my first car was a'36 Ford 8 Y type. (EPH 465] wish I had it today!

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

The Javelin's body panels were produced by Briggs Motor Bodies at their Doncaster factory - Ford of Britain bought out the company in 1953 and ceased production at the Doncaster factory, selling it to Fisher and Ludlow. My understanding is that Ford were only willing to keep producing bodies for Jowett if the rate of production were greatly increased, which was not feasible - hastening the Javelin's demise.

[@terryjacob8169]

From memory the flat-four engine in the Jowett Javelin was designed in the early 1920's and had seen few major upgrades when Jowett ceased production in the 50's.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Your channel seems to feature some wonderful and (often) lesser-known marques! Thank you for bringing them to us!

[@richardkleihorst1304]

what a gorgeous car it is and has been at the time

[@bilko529]

I could watch your videos all day . Thank you Steph x

[@en3usiastfortesque368]

Great review of a great innovative car....!!.....Am I the only viewer that sees echoes of Tatra, VW, Porsche etc with their flat-4 engines and aerodynamic styling.......

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

Absolutely loving it

[@johnrobinshaw4180]

Happy childhood memories. Thank you

[@alltransman5033]

Hi steph, enjoyed the video, I remember as a kid seeing Bradford vans. I guess this was the commercial arm of jowett, always thought the engines had a strange sound

[@markallison4794]

I learned to drive in a Bradford van in NZ in 1955! Horizontally opposed twin, thermosyphon cooling, 3-speed crash gearbox, talk about basic. But I can still double-declutch up and down. Later had the pleasure of driving both Javelins and the sports version, the Jupiter. Steph didn't mention the Javelin has a worm drive diff to give a lower floor line. That car was really innovative -- and I guess paid the price. Deserved better.

[@subz555]

Mark I learnt to also drive in a CC Bradford. One of 4 cars I learnt to drive in early 2000s I’ve driven a few Javelins. My fathers one was converted to Toyota gear box with floor change. Nice car I just found the the wheel well by the fire wall would make my new hurt after driving it for a while. I had to have my leg off to one side that caused the issue. I’m restoring a Bradford truck at the moment

[@markallison4794]

@@subz555 Hi! A popular mid for the Javelin in the 60s was a Standard Vanguard box with overdrive on second and third gears.

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

Thank you so much

[@tiplady44]

My dad had one in 1961 learned to drive in it ,for its day was a class car

[@brianbridle951]

My youth was full of Humber/Vauxhall column changes, so I thought i was ofey until I was faced with a HGV with 13speed on the column. Took some forward thinking to remember where you were.

[@philipemery5503]

My old friend who passed away recently had a passion for rebuilding old cars. The Jawa he rebuilt was far superior to the one I saw in a motor museum. I remember going away and collecting a rear windscreen for him when I took my daughter to Uni. I had to be very careful with it as it was curved. I do not know what his family did with the cars he rebuilt. Will never forget them or the years he spent working on them and working a normal job👌

[@jamesengland7461]

Delightful car!

[@quetzal4042]

The Javelin was featured in the 1990s BBC TV series Ballykissangel, set in rural Ireland. An old farmer dies and bequeaths the car to a priest, the main character.

[@shaunmckenna1923]

Thank that was very well done I thought your opening seen was lovely beautiful setting and you looked lovely , a photo like that would make a nice calendar have you ever thought of doing one with the classic cars :)

[@whiteonggoy7009]

Beautiful colour..great upload

[@jkk244]

Fantastic color! Contrasts so nicely with the red cloisonné bonnet badge! Love the fastback stying. Another superior video Steph!

[@peterward3965]

Drove to Sunderland circa 1980 to buy a 1955 Singer Hunter, the guy also had a Javelin, he took us for a spin it it and I recall it being quite spacious in the back. Surely that long shelf fixed to the back of the drivers seat wasn't standard was it? As I don't recall one in the Javelin I drove in. Enjoyable video thank you.

[@subz555]

Deluxe model had it. Unsure if the standard model had one fitted

[@peterward3965]

@@subz555 thank you for the info.

[@FAS1948]

I've not driven one, but I remember a chap in Bury who collected them. They were definitely ahead of their time.

[@anthonytallarida4192]

Fantastic review Steph.

[@DARKSIDEOFURANUS]

We had the Jowett Bradford Utility with flat twin engine

[@lanmastersassistant659]

That sounds fantastic

[@daveleo7248]

First time watching your channel. Very nice review and commentary. I am now a subscriber 🙂

[@christopherward5065]

As you did your walk around I was amazed at the quality of the panels and shut lines. It was advanced for its times. I saw one about ten years ago and was surprised at how neat and compact it looked. It’s quite American in its styling. Lovely review.

[@anthonygregory3022]

I love that colour

[@MarcelGhani-gj7lx]

Hello Steph Happy Easter to you to your friends and family we love your videos beautiful classics to show to the world❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@choryferguson2196]

The car! The outfit! Good lord Steph, it is ON today. By "taken nationwide," is it meant that the cars were first only available in Yorkshire? Fascinating…

[@olly5764]

Another cracking vid Steph.