You all know that we’re freaks for racing history around here, but how far back does it go? I have recently become obsessed with grand prix racing in the 1920s and 1930s leading up to WWII and the stuff that these guys were doing to make horsepower is just amazing. The era they were in means that it was all hand machined and hand designed with slide rules and a healthy dose of guesswork but goodness gracious it is amazing.
This British documentary concentrates on the 1920s and the 1930s. It talks about the British cars like the Blower Bentley, Sunbeam, and others. It also spends a good deal of time on the Bugattis and other makes that were messing with superchargers but the real crux of the show are the Mercedes and Auto Union cars of he era and those things are so freaking wild and advanced it is amazing.
Nazi Germany knew the value of being seen as a “technical leader” in the world so they basically state funded the Grand Prix program of the 1930s. The result was complete and utter domination with the only real question normally being whether a Mercedes of an Auto Union car would win. Supercharged 16-cylinder engines. Nitromethane. You name it, these guys were into it and the results showed. It didn’t work out so good for them in the 1940s but hell, the 1930s were fast.
A good way to learn racing history right here!
