In-Car Camera London to Bath (1963)

[galinneall]

Beautiful classic cars, but a lot of them I didn't recognise. Really amazing seeing the Isetta as they were coming into Bath. Thanks for uploading.

[Ownaej]

I'm born in the wrong age!, I LOVE the classic cars, wish I was around back then, so many A60's

[IHaveStupidVideos]

Wish everyone drove like that today. And what a beautiful car! :)

[kiltyarse99]

I sincerely hope this isn`t genuine commentary or the normal driving tactics of this bloke.

[frea1able]

really fun vid. My times have changed.

[mrmrmrliamo]

this is beautiful and fantastic! well done

[broadband0118]

At 5.52 the Triumph driver is described as "a typical motoring minza" Can anybody translate minza for me, please?

[emmajnation]

@broadband0118 I heard it as 'typical motoring mincer' which I took to mean someone who is a bit dithery and doesn't know what they're doing.

[broadband0118]

@emmajnation Thanks for translating! I just love this film, particularly the commentary.

[alecwarrenboxerx2]

Great film, spurs loads of memories. Born in deepest Berkshire in 1963, moved to Reading now live near Bath. The A4 Bath Road, or London Road, depending direction of travel is etched into my life. The Poplars between Theale and Calcot at 2.08 is my earliest car travelling memory (some time in late 60s). Still use the A4 travelling to Reading, its a great drivers road, not much change other than roundabouts at those junctions - you can still make good progress if you drive "decisively".

[liambuckleydelta]

What a delightful journey. As others have commented, all British cars, homogenous socitey, wonderful clear enunciation of the English language, and a poilteness that is sadly lacking. How this country has deteriorated.

[broadband0118]

@liambuckleydelta How right you are. Don't you just long for the old days?

[sambo2566]

great days if you had deep pockets

[Sids60sSounds]

Saw only two foreign cars throughout the whole clip. Sad how things have changed

[philoza1000]

put your seat belt on!!

[hairypunk]

Why didn't he say "ding dong"

[MrJuno6]

"Flashing my headlights and sounding the horn", LOL The stuck up arrogant twat would get properly banged out if he did that today.

[ShamrockROI]

This is brilliant, Although all I can hear is Stephen Fry :P

[broadband0118]

For all you youngsters under 50, this is what our great country looked like before various governments of either colour lost control of our borders. Virtually no aliens with clashing cultures and all the vehicles (apart from one Renault) manufactured here. Oh happy, happy days.

[patrickwright1]

@broadband0118 Until about fifteen years later when the economy exploded.

[A5593GM4DHJ]

love the view of Newbury...Travelodge is now sited just before that petrol station...

[roglowe]

LOL -- I shall sound the horn... he gave me the V sign. No mate. He just told you to Fuck Off!

[nighthawk6298]

Excellent footage!

[bricology]

FANTASTIC journey! Thanks for posting it

[Steerpike07]

"Hasn't a clue that I'm here so I shall sound the horn" Dear oh dear oh dear!

[edwardoRA]

As a Bath resident it's strange to see him pass the Guildhall on his left towards Bath Abbey, you can't do that nowadays as it's a one-way system

[Leby980]

its funny how he is being careful keeping distance only going at 55mph. Nowadays, people go at 55 on single laned roads only 2 metres from eachother!

[Steerpike07]

My Dad had a MkII Jag. I loved the arm rest, the courtesy lights and the picnic tables in the back. Lovely car. Oh, and he wasn't in the police! We only found out later why he favoured the acceleration and speed of the MkII! The Rozzers still caught him though!!

[chunkybuster007]

what a pompous moron,if he'd flashed me and hooted I'd have brake tested the old duffer!

[Flossie1985]

@chunkybuster007 I'm sure you wouldn't have been hogging the overtaking lane though. You have 007 in your name. In The Man With The Golden Gun, James Bond first encounters Odd Job hogging the crown of the road. He is said to politely hoot his horn at him to move over and let him pass. I think the 1960s attitude to horn sounding, with speed limitless roads and people being allowed to enjoy the new freedom of driving, was different to today's. The guy still gave him a V-sign though.

[Flossie1985]

If he was doing 55mph on the motorway the people he was overtaking must have been going very slowly, despite there being no speed limit on the motorway in those days. These were also the days when roads had central "suicide lanes" for traffic going in both directions to use for overtaking and having head on collisions. I'd love to see more of these videos, like the one soozjsy mentions, if you can find them.

[EccentricRichard]

@Flossie1985 - you still get some 'suicide' lanes! There's one near here - where the A246 leaves the A24 south of Leatherhead, crosses the River Mole and heads towards Guildford. Funnily, there hasn't been a collision there for as long as I can remember - even though traffic going uphill in the middle lane can be doing 80mph.

[Flossie1985]

@EccentricRichard That's marked with a solid white line on one side to discourage three abreast overtaking, which shouldn't be done anyway. There are a couple of sections like that near where I live on the A59 between Clitheroe and Skipton. The only suicide lane in the truest sense, with just broken white lines on both sides, is a short section of the A6 just outside Carnforth.

[seanee200]

not on your life chum lol love it



[toyotasera55]

I would not hold up a Jag Mk.II because it is usually one of two things. The Police or armed blaggers! :D

[soozjsy]

George Eyles was my boss! Do you have another IAM film, made in about 1968/9 and filmed around Chiswick and the A316 - called 'Motoring Practice'? Would love to see it again.

[tecmovie]

Sorry, can't help with 'Motoring Practice'.

[broadband0118]

Don't frighten them with the horn! Just like I've done about three minutse ago.

[EccentricRichard]

@broadband0118 - and saying 'you can't overtake here' then overtaking in open countryside with oncoming traffic close by!

[broadband0118]

Just superb. Patronisingly brilliant. Where the hell did you get this from and please can you upload some more?

[XxTHEGAMERxX1]

im 14 and i just randomley was surfing the web and i seen this oh how i was suprised how well everywhere looked England looked brilliant it looked clean but now its full of dirt and isnt as nice look and isnt as classy as it used to be my dad tells me storys about how the world used to be and im blown away of how simple life was but everyone enjoyed the little things.

[lemonbade]

Brilliant ! Where's it from? Do you know what the music is?

[nylonTS]

did you see the guy at about 9mins cleaning the car window in the petrol station i can just remmember that service a thing of the past

[broadband0118]

Brilliant. If only things were still like this. No foreign cars and no foreign cunts.

[chanctonbury63]

ROAD RAGE 60s style!!!

[struck2soon]

At 1:18; this is standard Jaguar Mk2 driver behaviour. Well, it's how I drive mine anyway!

[Tzimnewman3]

Nothing changes, still expect to get a political V sign when flashing your lights and horn on the motorway :-)

[atlantic1952]

Fantastic! I was 10 when this was filmed and it reminds me so well of how nice car travel was back in the early 1960's. I like tHE comments and the reminder of how much nicer the towns were back then. I had a Mk2 Jaguar in 1975 and driving about then was so much easier with quiet roads during large parts of the day. Thanks for bringing back the good old days!

[bentleyspotting]

Just doing my thing. 0:14 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, 2:08 Bentley Mk VI and 6:47 Bentley S or a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Love it.

[asd36f]

4:10 - nice narrow track Ford Prefect/Anglia

[MrMrliamo]

love it

[RonSkem]

A great video from a more innocent age - when you'd fly through the windscreen in a 40mph crash because you'd no seat belt on - and you'd get up smiling saying 'Rule Brittania , Joly Good Show" ;)

[tippohat]

"ive got a rapier ahead, im keepig alot of distance, I shall let him overtake! Nothing beihing me that wants to overtake! Hasnt a clue im here so sound the horn, twice! Showing me the V sign, I cant think why Id be interested in his politics! GET THE FUCK OVER TO THE LEFT! LET THE FASTER DRIVERS PAST!

[rodtemplar]

GREAT video. I grew up in the 1960's and those cars bought back soooooooo many fond memories. Thanks whoever you are :)

[martybhoy72]

Great video. How times have changed. It's like a race now and no patience. What interests me is the junctions. Is this before give ways were introduced?

[raahead]

Classic clip. Cross Keys pub at about 3.30 on right.

[maple1255]

'I'm in the correct gear, check the mirror again & let the loaner settle down before we overtake' ... very English :) Thanks for posting

[broadband0118]

@maple1255 Learner not 'loaner' in his Standard 8, I believe. Sorry to be such a pedant.

[maple1255]

@broadband0118 This is definitely a case of my not having the best ear for accents :) Thanks for clarifying as it did not make much sense the other way.

[broadband0118]

@maple1255 All the best. What a great film!

[lookingintothepast]

I remember my dad driving a jaguar like that in the 60's and being a car dealer most of those makes of cars would have been on his car pitch one time or another.

I love the background music to this video as it sets the scene more akin to an old Stanley Baker movie such as Robbery.

[heartbeat1965]

What a find! A million thanks for uploading it!!! :)

[Gannett2011]

Great film, priceless bit of social history. Remind me very much of car journeys with my mum and dad in the 70s/early 80s, we always seemed to go places where there were no motorways! My dad, who got his licence in the early 50s, would look back wistfully at the almost empty roads back then saying that until the 70s driving was a pleasure, I can see what he means watching this.

[voxrod]

Fantastic ,British cars everywhere,heaven to an "old car" nut like me

[rumteetoo]

Are we nearly there yet....?

[nigelpepper]

This is absolutely fantastic! If only our roads and population size were as they were in '63.

[5161cjt05n]

WOW!!!!, Fast car eh????, 0-60mph in a fortnight, lol.

[415volts]

What a brilliant video - thanks for uploading.

my how things have changed - your man didn't pass one GATSO camera or speed van :)

[Taff1967SC]

Great video!

[kevphillips02]

I was the driver in the red car.What a fantastic find. I remember telling him to fuck of with a good old V -sign. That was in my younger days and i have mellowed a little since.

[96QuiteBitterMe]

brilliant what an amazing video - why does Britain look so lovely in the 60's? Look at all those beautiful cars!

[TheReformed1]

I have to agree with tre271. This is a real find for car lovers. I mean I lost count on how many Zodiacs, Crestas Humbers I saw in here, not to mentioin some GREAT over the hood ( bonnet) shots of the trip! One question though. What's the V-SIGN? I'm sure it doesn't stand for victory!

[hayamburuk]

Fascinating to see what's changed and what hasn't. When I went on my honeymoon to Cornwall in October 2010, we took the same route from Reading, avoiding all motorways and by-passes. Much more fun to drive that way!

[biryanikebab]

nice video man....

[zypp33]

Superb, thanks for posting. There are very few pot holes and evidence of the roads being patch worked.

[airscrew1]

Fascinating film. I love the bit where the narrator says... "we don't want to precipitate an accident". I've been through all these towns myself and seeing them here is brilliant.

[Daikenboy]

Not a Jap car in sight. Great video.

[TwertonWriter]

Brilliant. Grew up in Bath and my dad was a long distance lorry driver for BRS. This brought back all my trips with him in his AEC - though dad was not quite so polite. Loved it - thank you for posting.

[starrgazer1000]

What a lovely video clip from 1963.A cultivated and very English gentleman with a lovely Country accent.All the points in the driving are common sense and after nearly fifty years many people still cannot adhere to these safety points.I always insist that keeping distance is in the best interests of both parties.The only thing that ruffles my feathers is the tailgate driver who will not pass.I was wondering how long the whole journey took.On the M4 today it takes just two hours.

Safe driving

[Ramox3]

hahahah this is really interesting, especially the "v sign"? what was he on about?

[ADMIRALSCORNER]

Lovely to see what the roads were like back then!

[nylonTS]

lovey voice

[studdingsails]

Wonderful period piece. A real time capsule. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. No yellow lines no parking meters and all those fab cars. Just what makes youtube such a brilliant resource. Cheers for this tecmovie.

[hitchhiker38]

The bit where he drives by London airport (heathrow) by a roundabout @46 sec there is a huge model of concord on that roundabout now

[amarone1956]

I wish it had not changed.

[bellyruffian]

Think I spotted one of my old cars in this, Moggie convertable in Theale!

[FODASSEZOR]

Shit, I was born far too late, I wish I could have been alive in these days.

[sparks74]

What a wonderful clip. Thirty-somethings like myself would assume driving standards were a lot better. Clearly, not so. It's great to see footage of the Thames Valley and adjoning areas. One of the best bits of footage on You Tube.

[Blurredman]

"He's giving me the V-sign. I can't think why he thinks I am interested in his politics."

Class :)

Love this video, it's very good

[mackinl]

footage is real fake soundtrack

[ihatnecksered]

@mackinl

What the hell are you talking about?

[britdemo]

whaaat flashin the lights and blowing the horn...you would get dont for road rage now

[boo66]

@britdemo  No. It's still legitimate to flash your lights to announce your presence, then sound your horn if that doesn't work. People have such poor habits on British motorways (staying in the overtaking lane when the middle lane is clear) that you have to do it fairly often!

[britdemo]

@boo66 who told you that ..its classed as agressave driving you get a fine for it.next thing up is road rage

[closertofiftythanyew]

Old pre-M4 A4 driving is nice to see, even if it is full of driving that should not be that sort of thing going on in those days, Wing Commander.

[localdriver]

This took me back to the days when I started motoring and was a joy to watch!

Nice to see the early 1950s Standard Vanguard Phase I (at 9.02). And was that a rare Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 234 or 236 at about 8 minutes in?

I remember when the rule at roundabouts was that no-one has right of way.

This film is a favourite of favourites!

[RadWary]

I really like the A4 road film. Is it available anywhere I'm putting together an exhibition about maps and journeys and would like to include it.

[CodeTwo2]

A bit before my time, but how I'd like those days back, or 70s/80s... when everything was done to encourage progress (like roundabouts and LACK of traffic lights), rather than now, where it's all about deliberately hindering progress.

Is this really England in the film... it's like another world to the dustbin we live in now.

[tomstersurf]

Brill vid!!!

[littleleicesterfox]

Great to watch - I lived for a short time on the Great Western Road in Hounslow/Isleworth where the film starts out and now live in Calne. I've never seen the Town Centre with the Harris factory and so it was interesting to see it. Marlborough and Hungerford seem very similar to how they look now, very nice video - thank you for posting.

[StevenJamesJ]

5* - this video deserves to be 'Featured' and placed out the front for all YouTube visitors. Very, very dry commentary.

[Mortimer50145]

Interesting to see what's changed and what's still very recognisable. OK so the roads are *very* quiet by modern standards and there are still old-style road signs such as the road narrows one. Notice how the junction signs on the motorway are (as far as I can tell) white on green rather than the current white on blue, and spot the non-standard white-on-orange sign as the motorway ends (at that time) at Junction 8/9.

[Mortimer50145]

The roundabout with the spire on it in Newbury, The Bear at Hungerford and the market place in Marlborough (which he pronounces Mawlborough!) are instantly recognisable.

Notice that in Newbury everyone gives way to traffic *joining* the roundabout and in Marlborough he seems surprised that the car on the minor road is giving way to him.

The Rapier driver and the Herald driver are real plonkers. Those bits are staged, I'm sure.

[Mortimer50145]

He manages to give a very lucid commentary, even using complete sentences rather than stacatto phrases. With the amount of traffic around these days and the higher speeds, things happen so rapidly that there isn't time for such a leisurely commentary. When I did it for my IAM test I found it *very* difficult to keep speaking for my commentary as I concentrated on hazards around me.

[Mortimer50145]

It's sad to think that almost certainly every vehicle seen in that film is no longer on the road and has been scrapped.

[horsedick99]

For the record, Marlborough IS pronounced "Mawlborough"! That's the local pronunciation and the one taken as correct by the BBC. (Bet you don't know how to pronounce Howick, Shrewsbury or Boise, Idaho!)

[Mortimer50145]

Ah, OK. It's only been people who have been to the school or people with BBC received pronunciation who I've heard pronounce it Mawlborough; everyone else I've heard pronounces it Marlborough, as spelled.

HOW-ick (as in now); SHROWSb'ry (as in throw); Boys, BOYSee, BO-eez? Not sure about the last one. I've also heard quite a lot of people pronounce Shrewsbury as SHREWSb'ry, so maybe that one isn't so clear-cut.

[LilSerenity1983]

The motorway would have likely terminated at the current A4 junction on the the nowadays A404(M), as the M4 curved northwards to the M4 at current day jct 8/9

[Mortimer50145]

Yes the M4 ended at J 8/9 at that time. I have a 1 inch OS map from the early 60s (1963, I think, so exactly when the film was made) which shows this, with a projected route down to Reading. There was also an extra junction with the Maidenhead-Windsor road, close to the side road from Bray. That junction (maybe J8) has disappeared in the realignment of the road for the continuation to Reading.

[Mortimer50145]

(continued - damn the 500-character limit!)

My original comment was relating more to colour of the sign (white on orange rather than white on blue) than to the fact that the M4 ended early in those days. Were all motorway signs white on orange in those days? Centainly my 1967 road atlas has pictures of blue signs.

[boo66]

@Mortimer50145 Motorway signs have always been white on blue, since the first motorway opened. (Preston Bypass part of M6)

[sandieseward]

Wonderful, in 1963 I was just eighteen and I was driving a 1939 Morris 12/4 saloon.

A Jag was just a dream at the time, although I was lucky enough to own two of them in later years.

Really enjoyed it, as I was only driving through Bath less than a month ago.

[Hotrodngaz]

Fantastic, why do things have to change. Where can I buy a copy of this brilliant short film?

[Gallifrey13]

Whereabouts In Chippenham Is That?

[Gallifrey13]

LOL, The Red Car Driver

Wonderful Clip!

[mondyboy81]

Great video, amazing how places have changed so much. Just a minor correction to your caption - its Calne & not Caine.

[tecmovie]

Typo corrected thanks

[chippenham1]

Awesome video.. well done, and thank you so much for sharing with us.

[tecmovie]

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the towns shown but am happy to share film.

The title is "Journey Without Incident",

I'm sure the driver of the Rapier and the Herald were part of the IAM team.

[ArchieUKx]

What a fantastic piece of film, it was such a pleasure to watch. A really great video.

[tre271]

This is without doubt the best video I have seen on YouTube. What a find. Fantastic to see Hungerford and Marlborough as they were! Thank you very much for posting it.

[SuperPIRANHA1]

road rage even in 1963. loved seeing all the old cars

[cirrus216]

Absolute gem this one - great video.

[311cdiblue1]

we have more comfort and gadgets now,but life really WAS better then.i am old enough to know! miss all the lovely cars.ironically,if we were in 'hte good old days',i would not have been able to write this comment!!!!! ps.i love 'life on mars'!!

[Frizzers]

Absolutely lovely. 'The trafficator'

[Bevoin1970]

That was brilliant...!! I can't believe just how much has changed in England since the time of this video, with exception to crazy drivers who seem to have been around forever, no change there. Just looking at road signs and things in general, life was so quaint and slow back then... Wish I could just pop back and have a look for myself. 5*

[advancedbiker]

Where are all those traffic signs we are used to, and no foreign cars. Like the music...........

Brilliant

[kazimann]

He's quite an obnoxious driver.

Also, the good ol' days of no speed limits on the motorways!