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OT: Vintage footage of a tough corner

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Yumpin, yiminy did you see the VW cabrio with 4 people?

I did not see any helmets or safety gear whatsoever.

Oy.
 
I think this video is the most dangerous thing I've ever seen! Helmets - how about seat belts at least?

Wow.

Adam H.
____________________________________________________________
1973 Triumph Spitfire
 
were these free cars? liability at the track? death toll?

i will never understand racing. i'm fine with going fast, but i know my car's limit, and won't risk my life or car to go past that limit. why?

i hope some of those people came away learning a lesson.
 
Now I know why I've had such a hard time with that corner in GT4. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
I wonder if the owners of the track sold body panels. If so,there must be a shortage of Beetle parts.
They would have been smart to sell underwear.
 
That's *gotta* be 30+ years old. I bet it was shot in 8mm film originally.

Interesting mix of cars. Plenty of 2002s, VW 411s, VW Beetles, Karmann-Ghias, a Renault R8, a Taunus (I think) and maybe even a Glas.

In 1968, I rolled my '58 VW Beetle. It still give me goosebumps to see those things driven like that...they give *no* warning. It didn't have seat belts either (in fact, in '68 at the USGP, some of the F1 cars I saw didn't have seat belts).

I love the way the "track workers" stood right out near the action while the cars went by at speed. Even in the early 70s, flagging a Bridgehampton, we would never have had people standing unprotected like that. Different times but also a different part of the world, I guess.
 
I think this was some kind of strange prison break. Each inmate was given a car and told to go for it. Whomever made that corner was granted his freedom. Obviously the local commissar was watching from the other side of the "The Wall" and having the time of his life. He probably was just tired of shooting them when they escaped from East to West.
 
Harry_Ward said:
Different part of the world but pretty recent, I think...
Click to expand...

Yes, great vid, but not that recent.

Actually, the Audi in that second video is around 25 years old too.

That's Walt Rohr's original Quattro: one of the most famous World Rally cars ever.

Of course, most people were more enamored by Walt's team mate, Michele Mouton. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif


EDIT:
Here's a vintage video of Michele in the same Audi: ~CLICK HERE~.
 
Hey, I've been off on that corner. It's at the Nurburgring, Nordschliefe. It's the old 'Ring, about 14 miles and 75 or so turns through the Eifel Mountains. On days when there is no organized competition it is a public one way toll road. For 12 Euros you can go a lap with anything you have, as fast as you want.

I was there on an Easter Monday in a VW Polo rent car with the back end full of luggage. That turn is at the bottom of a big downhill. Was only going about 60 at the top of the hill, but didn't have enough brakes to scrub off the speed. We went off course on the right side with only two wheels, but I saved it(whew!). There was a huge roar from the crowd on the hill that must have numbered several hundred. Now I know why they were all there. Great fun, but I decided then that that being my second lap, enough was enough before I got us into some real trouble.

Thanks for the link.
 
The original video is from 1970, it says so to the right side of the page.
It is obvious that these are members of the public using their own cars to lap the track, which you can do for a small fee.

The reason I say it is an "open to the public" day is that as Tosh and Adam point out, none of the drivers are wearing Nomex, helmets, or apparently seat belts, the cars are full of loose objects, which is never allowed in racing, the cars all appear unmodified, and motorcycles and cars are all running together, so its clearly not an organised event.

There must have been some huge lies told to some insurance companies afterwards, I imagine!

Simon.
 
I remember watching those rallies in the eighties as a teen - the power the cars developed back then was AMAZING. I believe the Audi 5000 in it's hayday was producing upwards of 750 hp. The whole thing seemed normal back then, but I do remember one race(I believe it was in SanRemo, or Italy) where a Porsche 911 flew off the road and down an embankment killing both drivers AND ten spectators.
My memory is hazy, but I think this literally was the day they started constricting the power of the rally cars.

What an era.

Adam H.
___________________________________________________________
1973 Triumph Spitfire
 
That's why they called those rally cars
the "Killer B's" (Group "B" Rallying).

- Doug
 
At 2 minutes into the film and at 3:40 into the film, it looks like old notch back VWs. Those things are as rare as hens teeth these days.

Some of those crashes, its a wonder anyone walked away from them.
 
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