My quick reminder - how safe?
Discussion
Just wasting an hour on utube watching Nurburgring antics and came across some 1970's film. Drivers enjoying flinging thier daily cars around the ring as fast as possible, great fun. Then I was reminded just how inherently unsafe cars were back then, at least in extreme conditions. So many 1970's stuff rolling over, doors flying open on impact and occupants being flung out of open doors and windscreens. 
Don't get me wrong, I love my vintage and classic cars, but this reminds me to take things a little steady.
Don't get me wrong, I love my vintage and classic cars, but this reminds me to take things a little steady.
I have enjoyed watching those old films.
Two things struck me:
1) How easily some of the cars roll over - a quick fishtail and then boink onto the roof.
2) How much assorted crap and debris spills from the boot while they are flipping over.
Still, apart from the lacerations, broken bones and wrecked cars - they all seem to be enjoying themselves....
Two things struck me:
1) How easily some of the cars roll over - a quick fishtail and then boink onto the roof.
2) How much assorted crap and debris spills from the boot while they are flipping over.
Still, apart from the lacerations, broken bones and wrecked cars - they all seem to be enjoying themselves....
crankedup said:
Just wasting an hour on utube watching Nurburgring antics and came across some 1970's film.
This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwc54G2Ur82:30 - 4 up, unrestrained in a Beetle Cabrio with the top down....what could possibly go wrong?
6:50 - driver completes the roll then drops his beer out of the window!
On the flipside (pun sort of intended), if you drive a modern car thinking "it's all right if I drive it harder, it probably won't roll over and if it does I'll be alright" then you end up with the kind of aggressive behaviour that you see on roads every day now.
Cars are incredibly safe if you don't get involved in this crashing business plus it makes for quicker journeys too. I just hope the idea catches on
Cars are incredibly safe if you don't get involved in this crashing business plus it makes for quicker journeys too. I just hope the idea catches on
Riley Blue said:
You'll probably be wanting to go to your nearest Odeon cinema at 8:30 on Tuesday evening for the premiere of 'The Green Hell', a documentary film about the Nurburgring.
Looks like a great documentary from a couple of clips that I have seen............just don't have any Odeon Cinema's here in S W France
You're quite right. Here's a compilation of 'Ring events in 2016.
The drivers still behave like idiots, the cars still spin and hit the Armco, but they do not roll, break apart or leave a debris field behind them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VViTxvDKIq8
John
The drivers still behave like idiots, the cars still spin and hit the Armco, but they do not roll, break apart or leave a debris field behind them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VViTxvDKIq8
John
Have we all forgotten that when we were young we were invincible? I remember on my Tiger 100 losing it and sliding down the road with sparks flying off the crash bar straight into the mouth of the Amal carb - and not in the slightest concerned! On the flip side of the coin is F1 really interesting these days? Or even Le Mans come to think of it, nowadays a 24 hour sprint. Yes, we are and were sad to have lost our heroes, but life was like that. My Dad's garage, a Ford main dealers, had a lovely asbestos roof
Dapster said:
crankedup said:
Just wasting an hour on utube watching Nurburgring antics and came across some 1970's film.
This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwc54G2Ur82:30 - 4 up, unrestrained in a Beetle Cabrio with the top down....what could possibly go wrong?
6:50 - driver completes the roll then drops his beer out of the window!
lowdrag said:
Have we all forgotten that when we were young we were invincible? I remember on my Tiger 100 losing it and sliding down the road with sparks flying off the crash bar straight into the mouth of the Amal carb - and not in the slightest concerned! On the flip side of the coin is F1 really interesting these days? Or even Le Mans come to think of it, nowadays a 24 hour sprint. Yes, we are and were sad to have lost our heroes, but life was like that. My Dad's garage, a Ford main dealers, had a lovely asbestos roof
Yes I recall that feeling of invincibility, it's kind'a evaporated over the passing years , not sure if that is good or not! Having said that we enjoyed a bit of go karting last weekend, great fun even though the karts were simple single cylinder but just enough power to make it all good fun.Dapster said:
crankedup said:
Just wasting an hour on utube watching Nurburgring antics and came across some 1970's film.
This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwc54G2Ur82:30 - 4 up, unrestrained in a Beetle Cabrio with the top down....what could possibly go wrong?
6:50 - driver completes the roll then drops his beer out of the window!
Flared trousers, clearly a major contribution to driver safety!
When I had a go round the 'Ring in 1959 it wasn't as hairy as it became, if those films are evidence! I did have to contend with the odd tourist coach as well as lots of motorcycles, but it was relatively undangerous. This was the Lea-Francis that I used (photographed at the Ex-Muehle access point):
My German friend, Jürgen, later claimed we had been within 10 minutes of a good Porsche racing time and he might well have not been too far out, as I see they lapped in just under 11 minutes (80 m.p.h.) in 1959, so 21 minutes (40 m.p.h.) is just about possible.
My German friend, Jürgen, later claimed we had been within 10 minutes of a good Porsche racing time and he might well have not been too far out, as I see they lapped in just under 11 minutes (80 m.p.h.) in 1959, so 21 minutes (40 m.p.h.) is just about possible.
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