In an unending quest for bragging rights, those with driver’s licenses – and some without – have sought fame by performing wildly fantastic and downright idiotic tricks with automobiles.
YouTube is rife with amateurs looking to make a name, and brand-makers hoping to sell an image. Consequently, the car-stunt well is in a perpetual state of replenishment. Even so, the greats tend to rise to the top – presuming they have not already been there for decades. Herewith, BBC Autos presents a survey of some of the most memorable automotive stunts ever performed.
- Robbie Knievel jumps over the Grand Canyon, 1999
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The hero bike: Honda CR500 motorcycle, unmodified.
The stunt: Robbie Knievel was predestined to jump the Grand Canyon. He was, after all, raised in the presence of daredevil father Evel Knievel, who devoted a significant portion of his life and career to facilitating this very stunt. In 1999, the pieces came together not for Evel, but for his son, to attempt the jump on an unmodified 500cc motocross bike. By closing a gap of 228 feet, Robbie edged out his previous record of 223 feet.
Best known for: The TV announcer’s grave pre-stunt remarks that foretold “certain death” as a result of any mishap, which turned to ebullient post-stunt commentary. “That’s what it looks like to fly over the Grand Canyon.”
- Marx Madness at Muroc, 1932
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The hero car: a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Phaeton.
The stunt: This epic race is also a cautionary tale. Hollywood royals the Marx Brothers, with a 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster, were keen to show up Phil Berg, owner of a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Phaeton. Unable to race on the streets, they postponed and chose a new venue: the dried-up Muroc Lake in southern California’s Mojave Desert – where the capable Duesy proved to be a dark-horse juggernaut. With actors such as Clark Gable and Mae West looking on, the Marx’s car was vanquished, and the brothers relieved of the wagered $25,000. The victorious car, pictured above, sold at auction in 2012 for $1.3 million. (Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions)
Best known for: A costly gamble amid the Great Depression.
- Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashes a dragster, 2006
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The hero: Richard Hammond
The stunt: Hammond, the risk-taking foil to stodgier co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May, accepted the task of driving the Vampire, a jet-powered dragster capable of 300mph, for a segment on the show. When the vehicle suffered a tire blowout, Hammond was trapped inside and rolled with the car into the grass. The crash was televised on a later season of the programme.
Best known for: The Hamster’s remarkable, and full, recovery from the incident.