Video: London traffic in 1926

This remarkable film has been pinging around the in-boxes of Top Gear HQ for a few days now. The British Film Institute have released these ten minutes of life in our nation’s capital almost hundred years ago in glorious colour.

And aside from the sheer preponderance of hats, what also sticks out is how London’s traffic hasn’t really changed.

OK, so there’s no congestion charge, not a single yellow line, and not as many City boys hooning around in brand-new coachbuilt Delahayes. And a few more horses. 

But it’s good to see that even back then, buses still got in everyone’s way, tourists wandered obliviously in front of traffic, and the average speed through the city centre remained about 3mph.

It’s well worth a watch: click on the big arrow below.

(also contains bonus footage of England beating Australia at cricket)