Watch This 1962 British Car Show

In 1962, Pathe News visited the Earls Court Motor Show to get a look at the latest in British cars. It's a rich display—there's the classic Ford Cortina, a Mini Cooper with transparent panels all over, and a Riley Elf on a lifting suspension. They're all rotating. Because good cars in the 1960s apparently required rotating platforms.

A theme of the show is the range of the market, even within Great Britain. There are giant cars and tiny ones. Sports cars like the Triumph Spitfire and Lotus Elan were brand new, and all the cars on display had sleek, swooping lines. Spokesmodels are present in droves, often used to illustrate the seating capacity or general size of vehicles. Engines are presented in cut-away views to illustrate their high-tech precision.

Tune in for a brief time warp to an era when British cars were absolutely marvelous: