And the birth of F1
The 1940s, a decade of war and tension. A period with World War II and the start of the Cold War with frictions between the United States and the Soviet Union. But also a decades full of developments in motorsports, music and technology. For example, Jazz became increasingly popular in Europe and technological knowledge increased.
Motorsport In The 1940S
Formula 1 as we know it today did not yet exist. Several international races were held, but Formula 1 as we know it today did not emerge until 1947. However, the first official drivers Championship was not held until 1950 at Circuit Silverstone.
Zandvoort in the 1940S
Beach town Zandvoort was half demolished by the Nazis in the mid-1940s to build the Atlantic Wall. As a result, the construction of Circuit Zandvoort was postponed until after the war. On August 7, 1948, the first international race was held at Circuit Zandvoort.
The development of the automobile industry comes to a complete halt in Europe in the early 1940s due to the war. After the war, the production of cars is restarted with pre-war models such as the Citroën 2CV and the famous Volkswagen Beetle.
Maserati the fastest
In the 1940s, the Netherlands did not yet have race cars so the races in the Netherlands were set up as invitational races for British drivers. The Maserati’s were overwhelmingly the fastest at this time.
The Greatest Hits of the 1940S
Jazz music broke through in occupied Europe with musicians such as Bing Crosby, The Ink Spots, Vera Lynn and Fred Astaire, Jazz became wildly popular. With the invention of the Grammophone record and later this decades LPs, music became increasingly accessible to all.