I was reading this thread, and just started reminicing about the old days when I first started to get interested in racing (mid 1950's). Drivers drove in t-shirts and white jeans! No fire suits. The helmets wouldn't save you from a golf ball let alone a wreck! And most scary of all, no seatbelts!! The drivers where scared to death of getting trapped in a burning car, which was common back then. And, you could tell the cars from one another. Ferraris, Jags, Lotus, MG's all were unique in styling, and the factory colors. But, you still had dominating cars and drivers. The guys with the money still won.
Driving style was completely opposite as it is today. You stayed on the power and slid the car around corners, feathering the throttle to maintain control. The smell of rubber and exhaust was very strong. I don't know if it is the tire compound of today or the fact that the tires have so much grip, but the smell around the track just isn't like it was back in the day!