He didn't seem to be going insanely fast based on the bow wave (tough to tell from a near head on camera angle), but why on earth would he not have stood on the brake pedal the instant the nose of the car began to submarine? It looked like he tried to just keep going.
Some people's kids...
-Pat
Though, the car may have come out from that alright; it looks like the firewall is just above the waterline, so the interior of the car would have stayed relatively dry. The air intake would be at the bottom of the windshield, which is also above the water. As long as the engine doesn’t suck in water, it can run submerged for short periods.
Perhaps on your side of the world with its peculiar cars but most vehicles of that era have the air intake low down in front of the wheel arch. You can actually pick out the specific year model of that car and verify if you like....
I should have been more clear, I was talking about two separate things.
A lot of cars have the HVAC input at the base of the windshield. Obviously it’s designed to drain water (rain, splashes, etc.) but if you submerge it, it will end up in the cabin.
The engine’s air intake can be in numerous places, including the wheel well (more common on smaller front wheel drive cars), just sitting under the hood (with a conical filter, also a common aftermarket mod with ricers), slots in the top of the hood itself (you see this mainly with supercharged cars) and directly behind the grill (rear wheel drive sedans and trucks).