Video: The 12 Hours of Sebring looked a lot different in 1955 | From the IMSA archives

Roll bars? We don’t need no roll bars. 

David S. Wallens said:

Roll bars? We don’t need no roll bars. 

Isn't that what a helmet is for? 

If you don't have seat belts why do you need roll bars?

Safety third, right?

But, seriously, videos like this are good reminders for how far driver safety has come. 

Pretty rustic back then. I remember it well...not, but I was there. Drove down from Tyndal AFB, near Panama City, FL in a '55 Thunderbird same color as the one in the film. Bought it half way through pilot training with another six months before finishing. Would have been repossessed for sure, if I had washed out.

WRT safety gear, when I was a kid in the 60s the belief was it was better to be "thrown clear", hence no one used seat belts.  It's a wonder any of them lived to a ripe old age, but some did. 

Al said:

WRT safety gear, when I was a kid in the 60s the belief was it was better to be "thrown clear", hence no one used seat belts.  It's a wonder any of them lived to a ripe old age, but some did. 

 I've read that as well. Certainly didn't make accidents look any less scary, though.

In the day, most roll overs ejected the drivers out of the car, so why would you want something that will get in your way of ejecting from the vehicle. Many lived to tell the ejection tails, but that was when seats were far more upright, and in most cases above the drive shaft line.  they got flung out easily.

I really appreciated that 16mm film. It was well produced. First time ever viewing it. The level, relatively for the  lack of safety precautions in the era, is rather startling,  lack of any roll bars, refueling from 5 gal cans into an open  funnel, shirtless crew on the pit lane, zero separation of pit lane from the racing circuit, high voltage utility pole at the exit of the hair pin turn , a hay bale and half protecting the pedestrian bridge support? on each side of the front pit straight, numerous track workers standing mere feet from the racing surface around the course, with only three signal flags. It also had at that race a rather short run LeMans foot race start. liked the way the commentator Americanized the mispronunciation of LeMans.

I attended as a spectator my first of many Sebring races in 1959. It is amazing and lucky I suppose I have only witnessed one fatality in all that time at the track. 

it is a great track with an enormous and colorful history.
I get goose bumps anytime I get on the track thinking of all the talent that preceded me., and that will follow me.

As kids, we use to gather at the base exit stairs of that pictured Amoco Bridge and basically "beg" for paddock passes from departing attendees so we could get up close to race cars in the paddock. It worked BTW.

In reply to Staff Writer :

I think it should also be noted that the 1955 winning Jag was owned by Briggs Cunningham who himself had a substantial Sebring racing history as a driver and owner. He had an extensive car collection that after his racing involvement ended was purchased in full by another racer Sam Collier and is part of his Museum  today in Naples Florida.