Vintage Car Crashes...How did anyone survive?

Looking at these vintage photos of car wrecks from the old days, I wonder how anyone survived before seat belts, airbags, crumple zones and ABS. 

The death rate was amazingly high back then, and a glance at these twisted, razor-sharp chunks of exposed metal is all you need to know why...

1940 Lincoln cruising through vintage New Mexico!

Speed Magazine cover , UK, 1935

Rare cover shot of the British "Speed" magazine #3, from August, 1935

1950's Indianapolis 500 "Nodder" Toy

Kingston Race Car Toy, 1920's - 1930's

George Kingston was an Indiana icon who developed a carburetor that was widely used by Ford in the 1920's. Interestingly, he decided to produce a line of automotive toys as well, featuring firetrucks, roller skates and race cars.

Here's a rare example of one of those metal cars, a racer and it's original box...enjoy!

The Malcom Campbell BLUEBIRD, 1932

Here's a rare illustration of the legendary Bluebird racer piloted by Malcolm Campbell from the Italian magazine, "ILLUSTRAZIONE DEL POPOLO", 1932

And here's a clipping from a 1931 newspaper chronicling the exploits...

My First Car, A 1957 Chevrolet 150

Everyone remembers their first car. Some even have that car now. But the majority of us have only pictures and memories, like these faded shots of a 1957 Chevy, with a Buick grille and Corvette Pearl Silver paint. I loved that car, but life and college bills got in the way, and off it went into the ether, and all I have now are a couple of grainy snaps...

More Vintage Stewart Warner Dashboard Gauge Sets From 1955

Car Craft magazine, February, 1955

Vintage NARDI Danese "TORINO" Speedometer

NARDI was an Italian company known for a few custom sports cars in the middle of the last Century, and probably even more famed for their steering wheels, which graced the cockpits of countless Porsches and Cobras of the late-fifties and sixties.

But they also made a handful of ancillary accessories, like horn buttons, gearshift knobs, and the very rare gauge.

This is a super-rare example of one such gauge, a NARDI Danese Torino -branded speedometer. Although a top-end of 200km an hour seems fine today, in say, 1950's Europe, 125mph was no joke, especially in a Fiat 500 which was a common recipient of these add-ons. 

In any case, these were like hens teeth, so enjoy the cool graphics of a 200-numeral speedo!