What was the First Car Chase in Cinema History?

[Blumf]

Oddly Google hasn't been helpful, you'd think there'd be a page somewhere that researches the history of car chases. Best I can find is this but it starts off without cars and then skips to 1940.

So, my rules:

• Must involve cars. No horses, stage coaches, trains, etc.(although they can turn up as obstacles)
• Cars must be driven at speed and around corners/obstacles
• It must be a chase; that is one or more cars driving after another car(s). No racing to a destination or against each other

And I'll throw in a starting entry: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) involves a pretty decent chase towards the end. Inspector Lohmann and crook made good Kent chasing a deranged Prof. Baum back to the insane asylum where Dr. Mabuse resided.
Involves a nipping through closing rail crossing, but sadly no crash or capture.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8enHiConnF4#t=4743

There must be earlier examples though, and we might as well natter about our favourites too.

[NoSleep]

The Keystone Cops probably had a few motor vehicle chases. I couldn't specify a film, but they are the first name that comes to mind. Possibly they only speed to destinations, though.

[NoSleep]

Something from the Keystone Cops here (just some clips in a compilation):

https://youtu.be/gpHmY_U-qjk?t=81

[Blumf]

Yeah, the Keystone Cops (Kops?) came to mind, but I could only remember seeing them driving erratically, not proper car chases.

That's brilliant stuff in the link, but I'm not sure it's a chase (they're rushing to help that family on the cliff?)

[NoSleep]

I think they're clips from various films but they keep coming back to the cliff scene in excerpts.

[Blumf]

Got it!

Love, Loot and Crash (1915)
https://archive.org/details/love_loot_and_crash

Keystone Cops in a car chase at the end of the film.

Any improvements on 1915?

[non capisco]

I was under the impression from Kevin Brownlow's excellent 1980s documentary series about silent Hollywood ('Hollywood', it's called) that very early cinematic comedy shorts were virtually nothing BUT car chases, and extremely hazardous ones at that.

[Steven]

Any improvements on 1915?

Death Proof!

[newbridge]

Runaway Match or The Runaway Match, or Marriage by Motor (UK title Elopement à la Mode) is a 1903 short silent film consisting of nine shots.[1][2] It may be the "first auto-centered narrative film"[1] and the first car chase in the movies.[2]

"In nine shots, A Runaway Match tells the story of a young couple eloping in a hired car. The bride's rich father gives chase, but his chauffeur-driven car breaks down. By the time he arrives at the church, the wedding is over."

https://books.google.com/books?id=ym3JHm0MyooC&pg=PA179#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Blumf]

Look like that might be it. Can't find it on-line, or even if the film still exists at all, boo! Really is surprising that such a common trope in films hasn't had more of a historical exploration.

Ah well, here's a version of Alice in Wonderland from the same year:
https://archive.org/details/AliceInWonderland_343 (8 mins, silent)

And here's what a car from 1903 looks like: