Early Racing Cars in Ulster

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Early Racing Cars in Ulster

From the collection of

Launched in 2000, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive spans from 1897 to the present day and currently contains an ever-expanding catalogue of 13,000 items. It comprises material from a variety of depositors including feature films, sport, documentaries, animation, amateur footage, light entertainment, and a significant proportion of broadcast material from the UTV Archive.

Early Racing Cars in Ulster

Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive
1903
Silent
1m

Motor-racing captured on film for the first time in historic footage.

The Irish Gordon Bennett race of 02 July, 1903 was the first motor race to be officially filmed. The event was run over a figure eight shaped closed circuit based around Athy, County Kildare. Featured in this film are key figures in the race, including English team member SF Edge driving a Napier, The Peerless of Louis Moorers - part of the US team – and the Breton driver Gabriel, driving a Mors.

Cecil Hepworth's company, the Biograph Studios were commissioned to film the event. Hepworth did not come to Ireland for the race and it was likely that it was filmed by his assistant Louis de Clarke. It is believed this film may be a 'lost' part of the Biograph film. This race had great significance, being the event from which all subsequent international motor sport evolved, right up to the current F1 Grand Prix series.

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