The 1976 Indianapolis 500 would be the last time a McLaren-badged car would win the iconic American motor race – with American driver Johnny Rutherford at the wheel. This would also be the last year that an Offenhauser engine would win the race, capping 27 victories for the motor and sealing it forever as one of the…
Planetary Gears – Principles of Operation is a 1953 US Army Training Film, likely created to teach the mechanics who would be working on tanks and other vehicles that used planetary gear systems. Planetary gears are one of those things that many people think they understand already, but it’s a great help to see working…
The Blackburn Buccaneer was developed in the 1950s as a carrier-borne strike aircraft with a long range – capable of carrying a nuclear payload under enemy radar at speeds of Mach .85. In order to fit the Buccaneer onto the smaller carriers used by the British, the tail and nose could both fold inwards, and…
This 47 minute documentary shows the process of building WWI era aircraft from the felling of a spruce tree, right through to the completed and flying plane. It offers quite an extraordinary look back at the methods and technologies used, including the staggering amount of specialised hand-work that went into manufacturing each part. The information…
Tribute to Fangio is a 20 minute film about racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio, nicknamed El Chueco “bowlegged one”, who’s still the only driver in history to win the World Drivers’ Championship 5 times with 4 teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati). Fangio was known for his engaging personality and quotable quotes like “Driving fast…
This documentary about the history of Austin Healey is a fascinating look back at one of Britain’s great sports car makers – Donald Healey. Men like Donald were responsible for some of the most memorable cars of the 20th century, despite their restricted budgets and limited parts availability. The work Healey did with English and American…
The Diesel Story is a short documentary that gives a surprisingly detailed look back at the development of the internal combustion engine – with a particular focus on the diesel engine pioneered by Rudolph Diesel in the late 1800s. The film includes reenactments of the early development phases of the first diesel engines, as well…
What Stops Them is a 1935 Chevrolet film that explains drum braking systems, and extolls the virtues of cable-operated brakes. Although that may sound humorous now, the film dates back to a few years before WWII, and hydraulic braking systems were relatively rare. Although drums brakes are now far less common, after decades of being usurped…
Supercharged Grand Prix Cars is a documentary that runs just under an hour in length and covers some of the most famous (and most deadly) cars to ever race at the Grand Prix level. The film looks at the cars and characters that raced from 1924 until the outbreak of WWII in 1939, it also…
Official Film Description: It’s a sunny Sunday in November. Riding shotgun in an old Alfa roadster we pull into a service station with a pack of vintage sports cars in tow, up to our elbows in smiles and road grime. My phone vibrates, my pilot’s phone vibrates, I look up to see the other drivers…
This Time Tomorrow is a film about the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race that took place in 1966. This was the to be the first time an American car would win at the brutal endurance event, and it wasn’t just a 1st place – Ford GT40s took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in what is…
The story of the first Jaguar V12 is an interesting one, the project initially started in 1954 with a view to using the powerplant in a Le Mans endurance racer, but it was mothballed before being restarted in the mid-60s by a team headed by Walter Hassan. In this film, Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy…
