Mistero del 1922: Quando le auto volavano e la folla esultava

Lo spettacolo di acrobazie itinerante esiste ancora? Ne dubitiamo, ma conserviamo vividi ricordi di aver assistito a uno di questi eventi da bambini di 10 anni. Si svolse nella piazza del mercato, che per una sera d’estate fu occupata da una banda di temerari apparentemente senza paura. Cosa non facevano! Equilibri su auto che correvano su due ruote, salti con le moto sopra file di automobili, e diversi numeri che coinvolgevano molto fuoco. Un ricordo chiaro riguarda una Citroën DS modificata, che correva sulle ruote anteriori ogni volta che il conducente frenava bruscamente. Lasciò più impressione di qualsiasi video su YouTube.

Eppure, ecco un filmato che vogliamo condividere qui. Sembra che già negli anni ’20 esistessero spettacoli simili, con questo breve spezzone di British Pathe (ma chiaramente di origine americana) che mostra una spettacolare acrobazia. È del 1922 e vediamo una pista allestita con rampe all’inizio e alla fine, con anche un piccolo edificio. Un’auto—senza conducente—viene lanciata sulla pista, salta sopra la casa e si disintegra nell’atterraggio. Quindi… sappiamo qualcosa di più? E riconosciamo quel povero veicolo?

Parole di Jeroen Booij

Pubblicato:

lunedì novembre 24th, 2025

Keith Kuehn

24 Novembre 2025, 18:19

Stunts like this were very popular in the twenties, especially in the United States. It seemed crowds flocked to see a car get wrecked, two trains run together head-on, motorcycles jumped, even planes flown into a barn. (we've all seen that one I think)......This may have been at the Minnesota State fair, in St. Paul Mn. It is well documented a lot of crazy acts were done there to bring in folks to see, and raise revenue of course! (the two steam train act was one). Later in the fifties and sixties, stunt drivers became all the rage, I remember seeing the Joey Chitwood act, but nowadays, the race track is silent, no roar of stock cars, no excited kids with dad and mom going to a race. The track is partly still there, but silent, though still used for concerts as the grandstand seating still is there.
Anyway, this short video could have been anywhere in the U.S......, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Paul, Los Angeles, etc......

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Ariejan Bos

24 Novembre 2025, 10:24

Luckily only the car lost its life in this event apparently. The car, a 1913 Haynes Six, must have had its life by then, but it ends with a big bang!

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David Scott

24 Novembre 2025, 09:22

Not as innocuous as it seems

At that time, stock car racing was popular but dangerous. On 13 October 1955 a stock car hit Jim Edwards, who was acting as official starter. Five years later, on the afternoon of 25 September 1960, a stock car, driven by Frederick Funnel of Cranbrooke, ran into a section of the crowd causing the death of Robin Goldsmith of Maidstone and injuring several others. These included Robin’s mother Lottie Goldsmith, his son David – who lost a leg – and his cousin Brian Willis. Frederick Funnel suffered head injuries.

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David Acott

24 Novembre 2025, 09:15

I was present, as a small boy, at the jalopy meeting at Lydden Hill in , I think, 1960, where a stock car attempted to jump over two cars in a similar fashion, the driver wasn't going quite fast enough and the car clipped the two cars, knocking the driver out and continuing at undiminished speed straight on into the crowd, who were sitting in front of their cars, behind a piece of rope, as was the way in those days. Several people killed and multiple injuries, a bit of a shock for a 10 year old boy?

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Mistero del 1922: Quando le auto volavano e la folla esultava

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