Back in the export-or-die Fifties, British car companies tried everything they could think of to tap into the prosperous U.S. market. Here, American buyers step right off a BOAC four-prop Douglas DC-7C airliner to find their spanking new Triumph TR3s waiting for them on the tarmac. (How eager was Triumph for cash? We wouldn’t be surprised if the paint was still wet on some of those cars.)
This unedited newsreel footage was shot in 1957 by British Pathe, and is one of 90,000 or so newsreels filmed between 1896 and 1976 that are viewable on their website. It’s all searchable, and each clip comes with a pretty complete description of what it shows. (You can watch for free, or pay to download video clips or still images.)
As interesting as the cars themselves is the fashion show the Americans present. If you’ve ever wondered what the well-dressed American sports car enthusiast wore on a vacation to England during the Eisenhower years, here’s your answer.
This is British Pathe’s description of the clip:
Americans Collect their Triumph Cars
Unused / unissued material –
VS Of BOAC, DC7C arriving at London Airport. Various shots of rally participants disembarking from plane and taking over their cars, over the top of gangway of plane, sign reading “Welcome Triumph TR3 American Rally of Europe”. SV Man with camera. LS Batman. CU Two Americans looking over their cars. LS Cars lined up. CU Americans passing camera. LS Americans looking over their cars, plane in background. MS Woman getting into car. Various close ups of Americans making acquaintance with their cars. Further shots of rally drivers in their cars, setting out on their journey to Stratford-upon-Avon. MS Road sign A40 Oxford – A412 Rickmansworth.. MS Bull Hotel in Gerrards Cross, pan to cars outside. GV Cars lined up outside the Hotel. MS Car driving past camera, man and woman seated inside it.
(F/G) Old record suggests material dates from around 05/05/1957.