🎬August 1975 marked the 40th anniversary of the opening of the M27 motorway. Paul Clifton looks back at the sometimes dramatic life of the road.

The first section of the motorway near Southampton opened in August 1975. The original idea was for a south coast motorway stretching from Kent to Cornwall. For financial reasons, this would never happen.

BBC South Today Production
19th August 2015

🎬British Movietone - Beaulieu, Hampshire. Memories of the first agricultural and commercial vehicles were revived at a rally in Hampshire - the first of its kind.

British Movietone News ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986.

🎬British Movietone - Southern Railway have converted Refreshment Cars into Snack Bars. Train pulls out of station. CU Refreshment Car on side of carriage. Interior - passenger at bar being served with whisky and sandwiches, also other passenger having drinks brought to them at their seats. Shots of people seated in carriage drinking.

British Movietone News ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986.

🎬British Pathé – A look at the exterior of Fawley oil refinery in Southampton, Hampshire. Fawley refinery. Southampton, Hampshire. Various shots of oil tanker in dock with pipes running from it, camera pans across to oil refinery where the crude oil goes. C/U pipes. Various good exterior shots of the refinery. M/S steam rising out of pipe. L/S flare stack which burns off excess gases

🎬British Movietone - NO SOUND - MS No. 122 Panhard-Levassor 1902 of Mr. R. Gates passes camera MS No. 55 Napier 1900 passes MS Cars collecting MS No. 53 Locomobile Steamer 1900 MS No. 140 Albion 1903 reversing MS No. 157 De Dion Bouton 1903 pushed in reverse MS No. 175 Humberette 1903 with bonnet open (x 2) MS Adjust- ments made to No. 31 Marot-Gardon 1899 (x 2) GV Cars to start MS Pan Town Crier walking with car MS Pan No. 39 Daimler 1900 driven by LORD MONTAGU LAS pan down to wheels of No. 123 Panhard- Levassor 1902 of Mr. E. Boorman MS No. 149 Daimler 1903 with Minister of Transport MR. NORMAN FOWLER in front passenger seat pan MS Pan up No. 110 James and Browne 1902 MS No. 6 Lutzmann 1896 MS Cars start GV Cars crossing Westminster Bridge MS Pan with No. 90 Renault 1901 over Bridge

🎬British Movietone - At Hythe by Southampton Water a full scale experiment is underway - Development Engineer Anthony Plunkett takes control of a rather ungainly contraption. Although it weighs three tons, air pressure raises it half an inch off the ground, allowing it to be pushed along with one finger. Enclose it in a aerodynamic shell and you have a hovertrain which could travel at a comfortable 200 mph.

British Movietone News ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986.