Vivid colorized images have revealed the evolution of the automobile and Motorcycle throughout history.

The re-imagined pictures show the first woman to obtain a motorcycle license in Washington DC in 1937, a Maxwell car in 1916 and the first official Austrian Formula 1 mechanic in his custom-made motor. Other shots also show an Alfa Romeo race car in 1922, men observing a car wreck in America in 1923 and a postman using a motorbike in 1915.

The original black and white images were colorized over a period of 40 to 50 hours by Austrian photographer Mario Unger.

“Color reduces the time distance to the photographed object I think,” he said. “It also adds mood and feeling while black and white somehow reduces this. I thought this would be a very nice and interesting project.”

The history of the motorcycle begins in the second half of the 19th century. Motorcycles are descended from the “safety bicycle,” a bicycle with front and rear wheels of the same size and a pedal crank mechanism to drive the rear wheel.