A group of thrill-seeking stunt drivers performed stunning acts in front of audiences in the 1930s. Stunt drivers wrecked cars, drove their vehicles through firewalls, and hurtled over multiple cars and city buses while performing ramp to ramp stunts.
Jimmie Lynch was one of these daredevils who performed spectacular stunts in flimsy cars throughout the United States with his troupe. They jumped over cars and trucks, smashed through flaming walls, and caused their vehicles to tip over on two wheels. Lynch himself rode a “horse car” on the hood, steering it with hydraulic cables. Although Lynch’s daredevil thrill shows featured rollovers, crashes, and stunts, he promoted automobile safety. The National Safety Council hired him to test drivers and teach them not to drive.
Another famous stuntman was Earl “Lucky,” who formed the Hell Drivers troupe and performed dangerous tricks. Even though he tragically ended his career when his car failed to jump two Greyhound buses, Teter was the first to coin the term “Hell Drivers,” which would later be adopted by various other groups of adventuresome automobile enthusiasts.
Here are some historical photographs of daredevils who entertained crowds by crashing into cars and going through firewalls.
