AGAINST THE CLOCK 1955

late 1950s / 1960s?

Titles: 'BMC presents - AGAINST THE CLOCK - FINE PERFORMANCE BY BMC CARS'.

Several shots of BMC cars being loaded onto a plane at Ferryfield airport. The cars are an MGA, Raleigh Pathfinder and Austin Healy. Plane takes off. Aerial shots as we fly towards France. Brief shot of people in cabin.

At Le Touquet airport the plane taxis to a halt and cars are unloaded. Drivers including Ron Flockhart and Marcus Chambers come down the stairs of the plane. Customs man checks under the bonnet of one of the cars. Drivers check maps for the route to the Montleri (sp?) circuit near Paris then set off. Shots taken from inside cars as we drive along roads, in heavy rain at one point. At Montleri, mechanics work on cars. C/U of weather dials measuring the strong wind and rainy conditions on the track.

Several shots of Ken Woolton (Warton?) getting into MGA and driving around the tracks during trials. Men watch and take notes and timings. At the end of the trial, team leader Chambers waves Ken in - he has held a consistent average speed of 100 miles an hour for the hour, in spite of the bad weather conditions. Mechanics check tyre pressures and seal the engine for later examination. Raleigh Pathfinder is next on trial, driven by Bob Porter with his wife and two others in the car for the ride. He zooms round the track and is signalled to go slower for this endurance test.

Austin Healy on trial, driven by Ron Flockhart in bad weather conditions. Then the Austin Westminster, driven by Chief Superintendent John Gott of the Hertfordshire Police. He comes in at the end of the trial and is given a pat on the back. Gott takes the Wolsey 2 on the next trial. Shots of mechanics and others smiling because the last car came in with time to spare, while Gott has a well-earned cup of tea!

Various shots of men making official checks on the car engines. C/U of certificates for the cars. End titles - 'Produced by Associated British Pathe For The British Motor Corporation'.