Random Video: Electric Cars (1967)

Back in the mid 60’s there was a push for electric cars, with Ford and BMC preparing concepts for the plug-in future that was only 5 years away-

Random Video: 1951 “Park Car”

Utilising the spare wheel to help swing your car out of a tight space that the inventor says could be fitted to any car. Could easily see this making a resurgence with the size of modern cars and how small the parking spaces are in the UK!!!!!

Random Video- How Synchromesh Works

Come on we've all heard its name and wondered how it actually works, so here's another one of those ever so simple explanations from the 1930's by Chevrolet, well worth 10 minutes of your time to learn something new-

Random Video: “Seeing Green, 1937”

Another instruction film from Chevrolet and General Motors this time about the use of traffic signals. The variety of different styles across the US was just staggering. It also talks about a national standard being worked on. What’s more interesting is the look on how the lights actually work with its mechanical brain-

 

Random Video- Life in the Motor Industry

Not the usual type of video we highlight on The Petrol Stop but a very interesting lecture from Richard Parry-Jones given at the Bugatti Lectures at the University of Coventry in 2010. He had a long career with Ford working on most of the European cars through the 80’s and 90’s as well as stints in Australia and American. It’s well worth an hour of your time with some interesting insights, like, the decision not to build the next Land Rover Discovery and the Ford Explorer on the same platform for example-

Random Video- GM’s view of the future from 1956

The self-drive cars been around for many years, here’s GM’s take on it from 1956. To be honest there’s a few predictions that are currently on production vehicles, changeable displays, communications and navigation. Thankfully a singing operator isn’t one of them-

Random Video: Chevrolet Streamlines (1936)

Now we’ve said this before but the older pre-war films just show how easy it is to demonstrate to the general public how complicated principals work. This film produced by Chevrolet in 1936 easily and practically shows the aerodynamic principles that are used in car design. I love the comment about fully streamlined cars of the future being able to do 120mph while providing economic and efficiency!!! It just shows how far we’ve come with the BMW X1.

Random Video: How a Rotary Engine Works

As with all the very best "How does a...." videos the old ones are always the best. With simple descriptions and images (some CGI ones, although look fantastic, can over complicated and simple method its trying to get a cross) and description and produced by the father of the mass produced rotary engine, Mazda-

Random Video: 1962 British Motor Show

Now brought to you in Technicolor for the first time. The British Motor Show on the verge of the common market showing the cars that will be sold across in the Continent, with such advancements as the Super Minx which has no grease points to worry about-

Random Video: Car adverts from the 50’s

I love old adverts but the ones in the 50’s were really selling an idea of luxury and fashion. With cars being face lifted virtually every year the need to sell the latest accessory or latest styling flare was at the heart of adverts-

Random Video: 48 Cylinder Kawasaki

Whats not to like, and looks like one hell of a build-

Random Video: Thomassima III on 60 Minutes

Thomas Meade went to Italy to seek his car design fortune in the early 60’s by 1969 he’d had a styling and coachwork shop building outlandish sports cars using Ferrari and Maserati’s parts and chassis. Resulting in the Thomassima III a Ferrari chassis’d and V12 race engine powered, which was exhibited at the 1969 Turin Motor Show it created such a stir that it appeared on 60 Minutes below.

Random Video- Chevrolet Motor Companies Presents “Master Hands”

In 1936 there were only 25 million cars on the streets of America and car production was in full swing. This I suppose documentary be Chevy shows the whole process from creating die’s and moulds to a cars going through the production line with everything that involves. Showing engines being cast, panels moulded chassis welded. One of the most fascinating parts was watching the machines on the production line working perfectly in sequence with the men and their hand tools.

Well worth 25 minutes of your time.

Random Video- 1966 Earls Court London Motor Show

"The Big Drive helping get Britain out of the red" this was how the car industry was seen in 1966, how times have changes and how many manufacturers are no longer about.

Random Video- Down the Gasoline Trail

Another one of those educational films from the 30's, 1935 in this case, that show how the fuel goes from your tank, through the carburetor and into the engine, nice and simple and easy to understand-

Random Video- Lamborghini Countach on 60 Minutes in 1987

After 16 year in production the Lamborghini was still making a stir, the 60 Minutes coverage below of this car is just fantastic and I don’t think you’d get a piece, on say the Aventador, showing it doing 180mph on a public road even if Valentino Baloni is “licenced” to do it. Just like back then, this car still draws a crowd where ever it goes even though it’s another 19 years on. Take some time out of your day and enjoy-

 

Random Video: How a differential works 1937

This has to be the best explanation of how the complicated intermals of a defferential actually work, straight from 1937 no flashy animations or overly done pictures just simple principals that explain it perfectly-

Random Video- The 1967 London Motor Show

While looking for information on the Jaguar Pirana I came across this news reel of the 1967 London Motor Show, it’s from a completely different time describing the show as "this is the year when women will have the saw in what goes" before going on to described that as being able to drive their drunk husbands home from the pub. There are though some great looking cars with such features as "fuel injection", "steering headlights" and small electric city cars, all very modern.