4 Grainy But Awesome Racing Films You Haven’t Seen Before

What makes a great piece of ‘found’ footage? Well, if it’s not well-shot, featuring beautiful cars, or has historical significance, it’d better be entertaining. These clips we’ve found aren’t high-definition, but they’re immensely watchable. First, an in-period saloon car race between all of the Formula 1 team managers—including door-to-door action by Colin Chapman, Max Mosley, and Frank Williams. From there, a piece on the Triumph Spitfire, the beginnings of turbos in Formula 1, and an unlikely rally hero…

The year is 1971 and someone had the bright idea of allowing the Formula 1 team managers to race with reckless abandon…with their drivers doing the pit signals and Graham Hill providing 1/2 of the commentary team. I wonder where Chapman’s car is now…

How do you make a Triumph Spitfire run well at Le Mans? This period documentary from Standard Triumph is both in-depth and charmingly quaint.

Turbo once round the block. This documentary is about a Formula 1 season where V6 Turbocharged engines are used, Cosworth and Haas are featured…but it’s 1986.

Swinging music, beautiful Greek scenery…and filmed in 1981. Skoda’s rally documentary feels out of its time by a decade, considering the first part of the feature includes awkward interviews with Group B drivers. When the interview spotlight turns to Skoda, its own team is pretty downbeat about its chances.