10 replies to this topic

[Vitesse2]

Rather than put this in the YouTube thread, I think it deserves one of its own. This is a 6-minute German newsreel feature, showing the build-up to the 1938 Tripoli GP. Although the commentary is in German, the amount of detail you can pick up from the pictures alone is astonishing. Close-up shots of Conti tyres' tread patterns, anybody? W154s being towed through the streets?

 

 

King Rose Archives have also uploaded some other German newsreels from the same era. The 1938 and 1939 German GP ones are particularly good - the former for what it doesn't show (Seaman on the podium) and the latter for some spectacular aerial shots, which emphasise just how big the Karussel actually is.

[opplock]

Superb. Thank you for posting this.

[Odseybod]

Great stuff - and what a convoy at the end (could even make the current EffWun boys jealous!).

[Roger Clark]

A differently edited and extended version of this appeared on MFQ Vol 12. It includes race footage.

[Ray Bell]

It's great to have it in this form anyway...

Seeing the underside of the car was interesting in itself.

[JoBo]

What I find amazing here is the logistics they had in the 30s. Also I never saw the underneath of the MB-cars documented like in this feature. And - the techncal quality of this film is fantastic.

 

JoBo

Edited by JoBo, 24 December 2014 - 22:55.

[fbarrett]

Wonder why one of the race cars being unloaded had a German licence plate.

[Vitesse2]

Wonder why one of the race cars being unloaded had a German licence plate.

Not unusual, actually. I think it was mainly for customs reasons in order to match up the paperwork. I've certainly seen plates on the German cars in both Italy and France. And on MBs being driven on public roads within Germany, come to that. It is - of course - a Stuttgart registration.

[fuzzi]

I wondered if the number, which started with a "W" was the chassis number of the car. My only reason is that I thought German numbers were town based, so Stuttgart numbers would start with "S", Munich (or Munchen) with "M" etc. But I  could well have go that wrong.

[Vitesse2]

I think you may need new glasses, Julian! It starts with three capital letter Is. German pre-war plates are incredibly complicated to understand, since it wasn't a national system, but IIIA 42908 is a Württemberg registration, issued in Stuttgart. There's a basic list here, but there are further nuances not shown, since the numerals can also indicate the exact office where the plate was issued.

 

http://www.dr-herzfe...tschesreich.htm

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[fuzzi]

And I've just been to Specsavers!