Amazing Video 1907 - 1914

The words "amazing" and "awesome" have been getting overused for at least the past 10 years. They are used so much that few things that are described with those adjectives ever live up to the expectations they set. In fact, anymore, I don't expect that someone suggesting that anything is amazing or awesome will be much more than mediocre. Then again, I come across some things that really are amazing - or at least I think so, factoring in as objectively as possible my nerdy interest in auto racing history.

This video excerpt from the 1950's British documentary, "The History of Motor Racing" is, by my definition, amazing. It is so because you have to take into account that it is a compilation of film clips recorded from 1907 to 1914. The film and photography technology was just a shade better than just a handful of years prior, allowing for some nice candid shots of pioneer drivers like Georges Boillot and several incredible captures of the old high center of gravity cars tipping over on their drivers in a turn. That really is amazing to watch. In one amusing incident, a driver was injured in an accident, assumed dead and taken to the local morgue. After being placed on a cold slab, he promptly awakened and demanded information concerning the whereabouts of his race car. This really is a treat. Maybe that's a better word - this video is a treat.