The Turbulent Life of the London Black Cab 

The Black Cab impressed me immensely the one time I visited in 1984. I especially liked how I had access to my luggage while riding in comfort, with extremely ample legroom.

A London Cab should always look like an FX-4. To mho any cab should. Thanks for another fab documentary.

Fabulous watch and fascinating history. I once bought an FX4 cheap as a replacement while our people carrier was off the road and liked it a lot, although the engine was well shot after 280k miles and too much Easystart 😂 While pig slow on the motorway (which admittedly wasn't its main playground) it was a lot of fun to drive around town. People always waved at me a lot 😂 and I took a ridiculous amount of childish pleasure in fitting a loudish stereo and playing Joe le Taxi with the windows open. My kids loved it and always fought over who got the fold-down seat. I liked the driver's seat, which while appearing to be just two slabs of foam, remained comfortable driving all day, never got backache from it, and the simple slide-up and down driver's window. Best trip ever was a camping trip to N Wales, where driving over Pen y Pass got quite a few interested looks.

3:00 - ‘Distinctive black paint’ - Illustrates the point with one painted blue.

I'm old enough to remember the FX3. Always loved the open luggage space, and was sorry to see them go.

My family visited London in 1959 and were impressed with the cabs. One of our drivers complain about the mini-cabs that had been introduced recently. He did not like the lack of luggage space and vertical height.

1897 first electric cab with a range of 30 miles. The same as today’s LEVC electric taxi in winter with heating on (although it has a petrol range extender).

When the TX4 was introduced they were called Noddy cabs. I used to sometimes think Taxi driving was a crap occupation, until I took my cab down to Limehouse to get the underneath sprayed with underseal, as required in the overhauls at the time. The poor bloke doing the undersealing, his PPE covered in underseal! Then there was the Friday cab, Monday cab scenario with some FX4s being great and some absolute mingers, depending on what day they were built. What always amazed me with London taxis was that LTI would get the chassis and say, " do you think we could squeeze this engine and gearbox in", regardless of whether it would go in straight. Rear main oil seals where a regular problem, not an easy job having to take the gearbox out every 3 months. The diffs used to blow because the engines were sometimes too powerful. A driver would get no heating in the winter because the cab used to run cold and then get too hot in the summer. Parts were mainly leftovers from production lines of popular cars, ending with the boat engine rejected by the Italian army for, ironically, overheating called the VMotori. Really for what they were, London Taxis apart from the Nissan fairway engine, were very overpriced and a complete load of crap. Even today, an electric taxi with a windscreen that splits when going over bumps, with a range of just 70 miles for £60k. The public/tourists loved them but the drivers hated them.

5:57 - that's a Winchester, not an FX4 prototype. Was intended as a competitor to the FX4, but only just over 200 were sold I think. Maybe you could do a separate video on this model? There certainly isn't much info about them online so it'd be very educational! :)

5:56 - Somewhat strange that in a section discussing the prototype Austin FX4, a Winchester MK1 is shown, a product from a completely different company.

wonderful, very informative, from Steven Olsen at London taxi wedding services, Melbourne since 1994

Thanks...@5.57 we are shown footage of a Winchester Mk 1. An unsuccessful fibreglass competitor to the FX4...

The information density of these videos is staggering.

Watching this got me searching for a history of the Checker Cab. Alas, no such video equal to this seems to exist.

Why the World Scout Badge at 1:11?

00:40 Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. 1654 was during the Commonwealth Interregnum.

9:05 I've never seen a car wheel turn that far. There wouldn't be room in most modern engine bays for that.

10:01 That's NOT Courthouse Green! It's the Gosford Street factory of Morris which ceased engine production in the 1930s and burnt down in 1964.

I've ridden in a lot of taxis. The TX1 and TX2 were absolute bone-shakers - the ride in the back was atrocious. By the time of the TX4 they had improved it a lot. But when the choice presented itself an older FX4 was way more comfortable and soaked up the bumps much better, despite what I presume was a leaf-spring/live axle setup.

I was introduced to your channel via this video some time ago, via RU-vid's suggested videos. At that time, the longer version of this video was available, and I enjoyed the details you gave in that longer version. I know a lot of your audience enjoys short videos, but I enjoy the detailed, longer videos. Is it possible to get back the longer version. As always, you do a superb job of making these videos. Keep up the good work!

I rather like when a place has an easily identifiable long lasting particular style for the public transit, like Hong Kong double-decker trams. Britain does not allow me to visit, but been rather enjoying the stylishness of Toyota Crowns in Japan every visit. Recently introduced rather stylish Toyota JPN Taxi it seems also got some design clues from traditional London cabs. 1:39 Always impressive to see examples on how in 1890s-1910s there was a major battle between electric and petrol cars, the advance of electric vehicles at the time been near-completely eradicated from the common knowledge.

As usual a good watch, but the LEVC TX is NOT "all electric" its a petrol electric hybrid.

Once again, superb historical retrospective! Bravo!

Sounds like a brilliant exposition of good old British Don’t Get it Done expertise

Your uploads are so thoughtful, down to every detail. Thank you.

If you go to London, you must at lease once take a taxi ride around. It's a experience.

Excellent video as always. I now have three of the LTI FAREWAY cabs and they are Awesome. Love them. Rugged, but very versatile and easy to maintain. Plus real talking point too. And just totally iconic. Get lots of comments and so far. ALL positive at classic vehicle events. Absolutely incredible vehicles and all mine are in the "400 to 500,000 miles on the clock" area of usage, with absolutely NO sign of ever giving up. A true British icon.

Mercedes Vans were also authorized for use as London black cabs - they were modified for this purpose to include 4-wheel steering. And they were cheaper than LTI.

Some of those proposed redesigns were absolute shockers. Who ever looked at that early 80s redesign and thought “yeah, that looks acceptable” ? 😂😂

A friend used to have a TX1 as his standard car. It had several issues, but was very comfy to ride in. Seemed to roll a lot with corners...

That was interesting! Very glad none of the horrible 70s designs every made it anywhere - apart from the hideous Metrocab, but that‘s gone too now. I think the electric black cab is a really successful retro design. Mercedes Vito or Ford Galaxy or no match at all and could have never replaced the iconic Black Cab.

Me, a wheelchair user, seeing the advert of someone being manhandled into a taxi with NO RAMP: Heckin’ YIKES!

Where do you find all these clips 😂

Great video mate really interesting. .. thanks

The new ‘London’ taxi introduced by Geely is in fact a hybrid. It used electric power to drive it but it has an ICE engine to provide range extender power. While they can run purely as an electric taxi, and most of the time they will only use electric transmission, they are hybrids... and there are now van versions of the taxis too. For more information www.levc.com/technology/ecity-technology/

I wish I could live in a place with decent cab service.

1:06 It's odd to see a man wearing a beard and a stovepipe hat but NOT attempting to portray Abraham Lincoln.

I remember seeing a doco where a cabbie of many years made a very funny critique of the FX4 where he said everything about it was 'compromise' and that it belongs in History. ☺

I liked the first upload!! Shorter isn't always better.....

Interesting that the first motorized taxi was an EV and now they seem to have come full circle.

So this was London's Checker cab. They also were designed with bolt on fenders.

Excellent documentary. Thanks for the wealth of Information..Happy New Year and we would love to have a lot more content from you this year!

Been looking forward to this being reuploaded. miss the full version though.

I wonder if there are any FX4 experts who can help me... Does anyone know what door handles were used with a 1970’s FX4? Or what car would have the same handles? Though I could be wrong, I can’t imagine them being specifically made for the FX4. I have a 1976 cab and at some point it has had the later plastic handles fitted. I have a set of correct chrome ones for reference but they are in awful condition! Great video by the way, very interesting as our family has always used ex black cabs as private cars for years including an FL1 hire car and various FX4s, with later additions such as a Fairway and several Metrocabs and TX1s.

Well researched. Well done!

Still built in Coventry they recently move to Antsy Industrial park

Informative as always @Ruairidh - thanks for the video. Just one question, was there a reason for missing out the whole saga of the demands to address the passenger door and window mechanism after numerous deaths and incidents in mistaking operation - there was a very large television campaign at the time?

back in the 90's some guy bought the rights to produce the FX 4 in the U.S. .. the company failed after 1 year. there's not enough demand for a "purpose built taxi" in the U.S.

I have been in a lot of cabs. The old FX4 had a way better ride than the TX1 and later

I don't know if I will ever make it to London, England, but if I do, I'd prefer to ride in the Old School Cab, (I think it's the FX4) The ones I've seen in the English movies and TV shows!

Great information and great assessment

Didn't you post this a while back? I thought I watched this before, but couldn't find it when I went looking for it again...

There is a 100% electric taxi built just on the outskirts of Coventry it's based on the Nissan E-NV200. It's called The Dynamo taxi.

Great vlog as always!

Excelent as usual. Thanks

Personally I find those Chinacabs' at the end extremely ugly, as well as faintly creepy. Given their PRC origins the latter revulsion is I suppose all too fitting. I will never use one. Hopefully the FX4 will be a visible part of British motoring, for many years to come.

Love your informative vids but could you slow down just a wee bit? If am watching on mobile can slow down to 0.75 but havnt found how to do this on my tv.

Don't understand why electric car companies put grills on there electric cars. The car is electric it doesn't need air. Also I found as a British citizen who lives outside of London taxi companies such as black cabs or miller taxis are buying old fx4s, I've seen a couple of them around some of them even have the "London taxis" sticker still on it. also I have seen one of the Chinese electric Levcs you mentioned about. I have enjoyed this video as much as all the others glad to see some top quality documentaries on RU-vid. Keep it up

1:10 What’s the relevance of the Scouts logo? 2:05 You’re talking about 1906 taxis but showing a 2000s private hire or “ minicab” office sign. 2:39 “ Distinctive black paint” - shows a BLUE cab. 6:00 “ 1959 Austin FX4 prototype” but shows a fibreglass Beardmore taxi made by James Whitson & co. Very poor research.

Had a few of these FX Cabs Brilliant machines 👍👍👍👍👍

I LIKE THIS DESIGN OF FX4 AND I THINK IT COULD STILL WORK FOR ANY CITY WORLD WIDE REALLY

No mention of how the TX1 was designed by Sir Kenneth Grange?

Brilliant doco! Well done!

Hello G-vnor!!! (excerpt from the regular show)

Er whilst talking about licensed taxis why are you showing (2:04) an old PCO sign regarding licensed private hire which are not taxis i.e hackney carriage. By the way the PCO has been know for the past umpteen years as LTPH... London taxis & Private Hire or TPH... Taxis & Private Hire.

That is a long way to go just to produce something like the Chevy HHR !

Interesting that the first motorised cab was an EV and the latest cab is an EV. Sort of full circle. I wonder when we can expect to see horse drawn cabs again.

I called them London cabbies

Another excellent video. Unlike many I have no disrespect for China other than it's power hungry politics. I am a very well qualified vehicle designer and mechanic, however these days I take one look under a bonnet - and shut it. That's progress, so they say. Long live the London taxi, chopsticks and all.

I'm convinced sedarlns as we know it were just a fad. Look at these older cars. They look like old time crossovers.

All of the UK is in administration now, is it not ...?

My first taxi was a fairway then a tx1, tx4, now a txe I'd have my fairway back tomorrow to be honest cheap repairs bolt on bodie parts unlike my electric txe with is rolls- Royce price for parts..

You’d still see those boxy ones as late as 2015 ish

This is too fast. I think I'd prefer the longer version.

Uk was so advanced for its time. And now you have borris

Mark Melton productions?

Lovely.

All through this film; and honestly, for years prior, I've been thinking - why doesn't some smart egg come up with a universal, purpose built, electric taxi cab for the future that could be manufactured and used in any market in the world? The British had their black cabs, the Americans their yellow Checkers; it makes perfect sense to have a purpose built, universal taxi vehicles that can be used in any city as the requirements for taxis vary little wherever you go. I saw a TV show quite a few years ago now about an experimental fleet of electric taxis in Japan that had interchangeable battery packs that could be swapped out in less than 5 minutes. Brilliant! Then at the end of the film, I see that someone has gotten the idea and started to work on it. The @#&* CHINESE!! WHY!!! can the Chinese innovate like this and we can't?? WHY!! can the Chinese see the future and build for it and we can't?? The Chinese are taking over the world because WE are letting them! They are stealing nothing from us, we're GIVING it to them and they're improving on it and eating OUR lunch! What the hell is wrong with us??!!

do story of Checker Marathon, please

How much of an issue were lice? Gross

Fairway cabs were better for longer distances I always thought - faster and a bit more comfortable. I was never much of a fan of the Metrocab - felt like sitting up in a pram....

Another good one!

Sure the tacci changes.

No mention of Nissan engines then

REAL CAR WITH CHARACTER AND SIMPLE!!

Excellent!:-) 🖖

Seriously, are there that many wheelchair. Clients in the EU? I mean, in America it everyone for themselves. 👿. Note, I currently use a wheelchair.

Loicence, please!

Nice

It's 4:20 P.M.

Typical for the conservative Brits. They cling on to their FX cabs and the Routemaster busses. The new design of the FX looks like crap. A designer at any other factory that comes up with this shit will get kicked out asap (the designer of the Fiat Multipla as an exemption).

Really nice 👌 😍💋 💝💖❤️