Mystère de 1922 : Quand les voitures volaient et la foule acclamait

Le spectacle de cascades itinérant existe-t-il encore ? Nous en doutons, mais nous gardons de précieux souvenirs d’un tel événement auquel nous avons assisté à l’âge de 10 ans. Cela se passait sur la place du marché, transformée le temps d’une soirée d’été par une bande de cascadeurs apparemment intrépides. Ce qu’ils faisaient ! Des équilibres sur des voitures roulant sur deux roues, des sauts de motos par-dessus des rangées de voitures, et plusieurs numéros impliquant beaucoup de feu. Un souvenir marquant concerne une Citroën DS modifiée, qui roulait sur ses roues avant chaque fois que le conducteur freinait brusquement. Cela a fait plus d’impression que n’importe quelle vidéo YouTube.

Et pourtant, voici un extrait que nous voulons partager ici. Il semble que dans les années 1920 des spectacles similaires existaient déjà, avec ce court film de British Pathe (mais clairement d’origine américaine) montrant une cascade spectaculaire. Il date de 1922 et l’on y voit une piste aménagée avec des rampes au début et à la fin, ainsi qu’un petit bâtiment. Une voiture—sans conducteur—est lancée sur la piste, saute par-dessus la maison et s’effondre en retombant. Alors… en savons-nous plus ? Et reconnaissons-nous ce pauvre véhicule ?

Mots de Jeroen Booij

Publié:

lundi 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......

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!

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.

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?

Mystère de 1922 : Quand les voitures volaient et la foule acclamait

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