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Hot Rod Heaven

The cult of hot rodding took root in 1940s America, amongst young enthusiasts with little or no money who were eager to play around with what was still a novel piece of machinery. Today specimens can sell for upwards of $1 million, and the popularity of these unique combinations of classic designs and state-of-the-art engines and chassis just keeps on growing.

This fascinating programme traces the evolution of the hot rod - from its post-war explosion in California, through the days of illegal street-racing, to the international spectator sport of drag racing. Along the way, we interview the people who have shaped this phenomenon, including Alex Xydias, Pete Chapouris, Tony Thacker, Jimmy Shine, and Andy & Roy Brizio.

We pay a visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats, regarded as one of the birthplaces of hot rodding, to break the 200mph record with the guys from the ‘So-Cal Speed Shop.’ Plus, we check out the Grand National Roadster Show in San Francisco, and the biggest nostalgia drag race in Famosa, CA - capturing plenty of tyre smoke, ear-splitting noise and awesome speeds! Finally, we search out some of today’s coolest street machines back at the ‘So-Cal Speed Shop’ and ‘Roy Brizio Street Rods.’

Recreated using a mixture of archive and modern footage, alongside insightful interviews with the men who made it happen, this is the story of an American passion and the desire to build a dream.

Champion - Barry Briggs

Barry Briggs MBE is world famous, not only for his four World Speedway Championships, but also as the most prominent speedway personality in the history of the sport. In this definitive and exclusive video biography, which is available on DVD for the first time, ‘Briggo’ tells his own story to Mark Cross. It is illustrated using Barry’s personal archive, as well as rare TV and film archive material. Nothing is left out, from the early days when the racer was known as the ‘impetuous Kiwi who crashed a lot’, through to his four World titles and six British titles, the big Wembley crash of 1972 right up to recent Golden Greats rides. We also get a great insight into Briggo’s character and interests, which range from car racing and football to gold mining! Also features contributions from Ivan Maugher and Ove Fundin.

Special DVD extra: In a new interview with Bruce Cox, Barry reminisces about speedway in Europe, the USA and Japan, as well as talking about his equally-colourful life after retirement from racing.

History of Motor Racing 1950s

The 1950’s was a magnificent era in which motor racing truly ‘came of age’.

It was during this golden decade that some of the world’s most influential manufacturers and drivers made their mark, leaving us with an extensive archive of dazzling technical innovation and exciting characters.

Join motoring historian Neville Hay as he recalls the major stepping stones of this memorable period with a wealth of facts, anecdotes, interviews and glorious racing footage. Featuring Ascari, Fangio, Moss, Hawthorn, Collins and Musso with Ferrari, Mercedes, Lancia and Maserati.

Tags: 1950 , Fangio , Moss , Hawthorn , Collins , Musso

On Bike Nurburgring Experience

The complete Nurburgring experience!

The Nurburgring 'old' Nordscheife is a mecca for motorcyclists, and this film shows why thousands of bikers challenge the 'Ring themselves every year. Join us with a group of superbike riders on an Advanced Riding Course to learn how to ride the 'Ring at speed. Then enjoy some great archive footage as we take a look at some of the great Nurburgring races of the past. Geoff Duke's victory on the Gilera in 1955, Giacomo Agostini giving the fabulous MV Agusta its last ever GP win in 1976 and Kenny Roberts clinching world titles in 1978 and 1980. Finally, we take you on an unforgettable ride with Helmut Dahne on one of the fastest laps of the 'Ring' ever recorded by on-bike camera.

Harley Magic

Millions of words have been written and miles of film made about the Harley Davidson motorcycle but this is the first serious attempt to try and define that Harley Magic. We go on the road with Harley riders in the USA, cruisin' the back roads of California and the surfline of Daytona Beach, Florida. There's awesome 170 mph action on the dragstrips, the Daytona Speedbowl and close-quarter bullrings of oval track racing where Harleys have been a mainstay of the sport for over 70 years.

We also take a look at some of the Harley classics all using the famous twin engine that has always been the heartbeat of the Harley Magic, and meet top custom men Arlen Ness, Rick Doss and John Reed and see their outrageous customised machines. And in an exclusive interview with Willie G Davidson, grandson of one of the company founders and chief stylist, we find out how Harley survived some lean years to become the motorcycling phenomenon of the 90s.

Still Too Fast to Race

Even more from the full story behind the awesome Group B Rally cars, featuring mind-blowing contemporary and archive racing footage of these fire-breathing rocket ships at blistering speeds!

Declared “too fast to race” at the end of the 1986 season, the Group B cars changed the face of rallying! The Lancia Delta S4 could accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2-3 seconds on a gravel road, and Nigel Mansell is reputed to have said that the Peugeot 205 T16 could out-accelerate his F1 car!

All were built to reach at least 400bhp, so we pushed these super-charged beasts to their absolute limit to see what else they could do, with legendary ex-World Rally champion Stig Blomqvist behind the wheel!

This sequel to the highly successful Too Fast to Race showcases even more of these turbo-charged machines, including:

-Audi Quattro Series 3-winged monster

- Lancia Delta S4

- Ford RS200

- Peugeot 205 T16

- Lancia O37

- MG Metro 6R4

You may never witness them on the World Rally stage again, but the entertainment provided by these supercharged monsters remains, to delight fans old and new.

Here is another priceless opportunity to see them restored to their former breath-taking glory! A must for all rally and fast car enthusiasts!

Worlds Fastest Bikes 2

The top riders. The toughest tests. The world’s fastest bikes. One unforgettable ride.

Get ready to gawp as road racing, rally and superbike stars John McGuinness, Dave Moore, Mark Higgins, Scott Smart and Jim Moodie thrash the latest high-performance road bikes to their limits! These guys put the bikes through their paces on track, at Ty-Croes race circuit in Anglesey, and road, around the world famous 37.76 mile TT course.

Featuring this feast of mean machines:

- Suzuki GSXR600
- Suzuki GSXR1000
- Kawasaki ZX6R
- KawasakiZX10R
- Honda CBR 600RR
- Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
- Triumph 600
- Yamaha R1
- Yamaha R6
- Aprilia RSV

Our exclusive footage also includes close-up engine and chassis details, plus rider interviews.

Experience this mind-blowing display of speed and style from a rider’s eye-view, as on-bike cameras take you on the ride of your dreams from the comfort of your own settee!

F1 1979 - Maranello Mastery

1979 saw Carlos Reutemann move to partner Mario Andretti at Lotus as Jody Scheckter took his seat at Ferrari. Wolf filled the gap left by Scheckter with James Hunt, and McLaren gave John Watson a drive in place of Hunt.

The type 79 ‘wing car’ had offered Lotus a great advantage in aerodynamic grip during the previous season. But for this year, many of the teams had incorporated the technology into their designs. Over the first two races Ligier appeared to have made up the most ground with Jacques Laffite taking the victories. In round 3, Ferrari laid down the team’s intentions, giving the new 312T4 model its successful debut.

As the season progressed Williams’ reliability improved and Alan Jones demonstrated the team’s pace, winning four out of the last six races. For Williams and Jones it was too little too late. The consistent performances from the Ferrari team had paid off, and despite only having three victories throughout the season, Scheckter took the title.

1979 also saw Formula One say its goodbyes to two of the decade’s greatest characters: James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Hunt quit racing after the Monaco Grand Prix claiming to be fed up with Formula One, and Lauda retired at the penultimate Grand Prix in Montreal.

Brunswick films were pioneers in the embryonic days of Formula One production, when sponsors controlled the demand for footage, and before the era of global TV coverage began. They have skilfully combined film from their famous archive to create a review that captures the essence of a very special era in Grand Prix racing.

Tags: Grand Prix , F1 , Formula 1 , 1979

Best of British BSA

This in-depth video tells the full story of the BSA, from its beginnings in the armaments trade of the eighteenth century, through the glory years of their domination of the world motorcycle market, to the final sorry climax.

At the National Motorcycle Museum we review the greatest bikes to bear the unique ‘Piled Arms’ trademark, from the ‘Roundtank’ and ‘Sloper’ models of the 20s and 30s to the incomparable ‘Gold Stars’, ‘Road Rockets’ and ‘Rocket 3’ machines that were the top British bikes of the 60s and 70s. We also visit the Sammy Miller Museum to check out a unique road racer, which could have brought BSA a world championship in the mid-Fifties. The bike never did race, but six-times World Champion Geoff Duke O.B.E. tested it and tells us why he is convinced that it could have been a Grand Prix winner.

This DVD features interviews with American riders Bobby Hill, who scored BSA’s first Daytona 200 win in 1954 and Dick Mann who repeated this in 1971 alongside team mate Don Emde who took a Daytona 3rd in the same year. Double World Motocross Champion Jeff Smith reminisces about his title wins along with his teammate and BSA competition manager Brian Martin. Brian also talks about winning the Maudes Trophy for BSA as part of a three-man team, covering 5,000 miles around Europe on standard production Star Twin models in 1952. Norman Vanhouse, Gold Star specialist Eddie Dow and Chris Vincent also remember their BSA achievements and experiences.

Action footage, interviews and authoritative commentary reveal just why the BSA motorcycle will always be regarded as one of the very ‘Best of British’.

F1 Review 1974 Down to the last lap

1974 was the year of change in Formula One. Defending champion Jackie Stewart had retired from racing, creating a power vacuum that sucked a host of racers, old and new, into the battle for the Championship.

And what a season! Predicting the outcome of each race was impossible as the drivers battled to come to terms with closer racing brought about by faster cars with better tyres. It was reliability as much as driving skill that kept the leaderboard in a state of constant flux. By the final race of the season Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren), Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) and Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell) were locked in a fascinating three-way battle for the title. It went right down to the wire.

This film doesn’t just show the action from the season – it tells the story. Pit-lane cameras eavesdrop on intimate conversations between the engineers and drivers as they discuss set-up and tyres, revealing a world markedly different from contemporary Formula One.

Brunswick Films were pioneers in the embryonic days of Formula One production, when sponsors controlled the demand for footage, and before the era of global TV coverage began. They have skilfully combined film from their famous archive - including some previously unseen material - to create a review that captures the essence of a very special era in Grand Prix racing.

Tags: Grand Prix , F1 , Formula 1 , 1974