The automotive industry is one of the biggest businesses in the world. Cars are used all around the world by a massive percentage of the global population, and many drivers also see cars as a means of entertainment. Some even take it a step further and take it up as a hobby, a job, or even the main focus of their life.
With the popularity and worldwide appreciation for the vast world revolving around cars, it was a no-brainer for the industry to pair up with entertainment and sports, another two of the biggest industries in the world, and to be honest, thank god it did, cause we have come to see some of the coolest stuff ever to be put on a television screen, thanks to the existence of cars and motorsport.
In the entertainment industry, we have seen countless movies and TV shows that relate to cars, whether it's informational and based on real life, like "Top Gear", or filled with epic fictional action filled with extremely fast driving, criminal action and big explosions like "Fast & Furious".
Whereas in the sports industry, we can see so many different kinds of races it would take us numerous lifetimes to watch them all in one go! There's plenty of automotive racing sports on all kinds of different terrains, using all sorts and sizes of cars. However, one of the most important, fundamental and popular motorsports of them all is Formula 1. In F1, for those who don't know, all the major car production companies pick out their best of the very best to design super fast cars that aren't even legal on the road, to race and see who has the best car technology and driver skills.
The first official Formula 1 race of all time took place on May 13th, way back in the year 1950. 70 years later, and the sport is still going very strong, with car technology advancing by the second, making the cars faster and better than ever. Formula 1 racing was always the pinnacle for automotive sports, and we never fail to enjoy watching an F1 race whether it's live at the track or even on television. It might be true that due to evolution, formula 1 cars keep getting faster and all around better as the years go by, however, there are some past innovations that will stay in the history books forever, due to the massive impact their advanced technology had on the races and even on the automotive industry in general. These cars also gave an incredible advantage for punters, who bet on them on online casinos in South Africa and many more countries all around the whole world.
The Ferrari 500
In 1952, the legendary Italian manufacturer, Ferrari had created one of the most memorable pieces of high-speed machinery in history. The Ferrari 500 (top) almost went two full seasons without losing a single race. In 1954, the 500 had lost its first ever race, after an impressive 14 out of 14 wins in 1952 and 53. The car was run on a 2000CC engine with just four cylinders. The 180 horsepower engine hauled the 500 at incredible speeds, reaching almost 200 mph, which nowadays doesn't seem that fast, but imagine seeing this epic thing in action 70 years ago, reaching the highest speed ever for the very first time!
The Maserati 250F
After the Ferrari 500 had reached unforeseen heights in the motorsport world, it was the Maserati 250F (centre) that took its place on the pedestal, breaking its unbeaten 14 win streak. First it came around and made all the other cars eat its dust in 1954. Then it kept being used till 1960! That's right, the car was so amazing, it lasted a whopping six years of non-stop use on the track! During its lifetime, the car had won 8 championships and earned a place on 26 podiums! The car drove on a 2490CC straight 6 cylinder engine that hauled at a top speed of 290 kilometers an hour!
The Lotus 72
This is one of the most sought out cars of all time (right). Not only did it have the best longevity ever when it came to racing, it just kept winning and winning. It started off in 1970, and kept on winning and winning. The incredible car managed to grab a hold of 20 championships and 29 podiums. This speaks massive volumes! The car drove on a 3000CC Ford V8 Cosworth engine, and it just hauled and hauled impressively, thanks to its 440 brake horsepower, holding its place at the top till 1976!
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