On This Day

The Maryland House of Delegates (US) issued a patent to Oliver Evans for his high pressure steam engine. He continued to work on this for the next several years, envisioning both a stationary engine for industrial purposes and an engine for land and water transport. In 1801 he built in Philadelphia a stationary engine that turned a rotary crusher to produce pulverized limestone for agricultural purposes. Continue Reading →

An artistic reconstruction of Oruktor Amphibolos

The first automobile (Benz) arrived in Netherlands.

British Motor Racing was born, in Bexhill-on-sea, when the 8th Earl De La Warr encouraged the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland to organise the ‘Great Whitsuntide Motor Races’. Having business interests in the tyre-making firm Dunlop had led the Earl to create a Bicycle Boulevard on the seafront in 1896, which stretched from the Sackville Hotel in the west to Galley Hill in the east. He turned this bicycle track into a one-kilometre motor racing course in 1902 as, being his own private land, it was exempt from the national speed limit of 12 miles per hour. Continue Reading →

Serpollet's “Easter Egg” steam driven car in action in 1902

While in San Francisco's University Club as a guest, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson agreed to a $50 wager to prove that a four-wheeled machine could be driven across the country. He accepted even though he did not own a car, had practically no experience driving, and had no maps to follow. Continue Reading →

Jackson driving the Vermont on the 1903 cross-country drive

Buick Motor Company, founded by Scottish-born American David Dunbar Buick, was incorporated. The following year, William Durant, a titan of the horse-drawn carriage industry, invested in Buick’s company, which was by then based in Flint, Michigan. That same year, the company made a total of 37 autos, known as the Model B. Continue Reading →

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (65), founder of the Tata Group, India's biggest conglomerate company, died. His ambitious endeavours helped catapult India into the league of industrialized countries. Born into a Parsi family, Jamsetji was the first child and only son of Nusserwanji Tata. Continue Reading →

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata

The first automobile race in Russia, a 438 mile run from St Petersburg o Moscow, was won by Victor Emery driving a Benz.

The Dodge Senior Six was introduced

Dodge Senior Six

Otto Merz (33), winner of the 1927 German Grand Prix, was killed when he crashed at the Avus Circuit in Germany. A few minutes after 13:00, Merz crashed his SSK on the long straight, near the Grunewald station and nearly two kilometers away from the finish line. At the place of the accident the surface changed from cobblestones to tarmac, and traces of the car trajectory were clearly visible on the cobblestones - but suddenly ended. Continue Reading →

Otto Merz

Lawrence of Arabia (Thomas Edward Lawrence), British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18, died aged 46, from injuries sustained 6 days earlier in a motorcycle crash. Whilst riding his Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle in Dorset, he swerved to avoid two boys on their bicycles obscured from views by a dip in the road and was thrown over the handlebars. The spot is marked by a small memorial at the side of the road.

Lawrence of Arabia

The Frankfurt-Darmstadt (Germany) Autobahn was opened by Adolf Hitler. It is often considered the first true motorway in the world, a four-lane divided highway with interchanges intended for public use. This would serve as a model for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the US which opened for business on October 1, 1940.

Opening of Reichsautobahn Frankfurt - Darmstadt (current A5) - May 1935

Packard completed two White House fleet cars with air conditioning, a first for the marque - the option would become available to the general public six weeks later.

Despite a hesitant start to the Monaco Grand Prix, Stirling Moss led away on the first lap from Peter Collins, Manuel Fangio, and Mike Hawthorn. On lap 4 coming out of the tunnel, there was mayhem. Moss went straight through the chicane, sending debris from the wrecked barrier crashing onto the circuit. Continue Reading →

Fangio 1957 Monaco Grand Prix, Maserati 250F

Buck Baker was declared winner of the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway after a crash halted the event on lap 441 of the scheduled 500-lapper.

Paul Goldsmith and Buck Baker lead the field around the 1/2-mile Martinsville Speedway on the pace lap of the May 19 Virginia 500

Archie Scott Brown (31) was mortally injured following an an accident in a sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead. He was born with severe disabilities, a result of German measles suffered by his mother during pregnancy, and had no proper front forearm and both legs were radically twisted. But Archie had an enormous talent to drive cars very fast. Continue Reading →

Archie Scott Brown

John Surtees and Willy Mairesse drove a Ferrari 250P to win the ADAC 1000 km race at the Nurburgring in Germany.

Fiat announced plans to build a factory in Poland.

On a 600ft long strip Dennis Priddle put in some demo drag racing burnouts and launched in his 'Mr Six' slingshot at the Goodwood circuit (England). Southern TV recorded the action which was shown on the evening news and the 'Day By Day' programme.

Rolling Stone Keith Richards crashed his car near Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamsire, after falling asleep at the wheel; marijuana and cocaine were found by the police resulting in another fine for the guitarist.

The Triumph TR7 was launched in the UK. It was characterised by its ‘wedge’ shape, which was commonly advertised as ‘The Shape of Things to Come’, and by a swage line sweeping down from the rear wing to just behind the front wheel. Power was provided by a 105-bhp (78-kW), 1,998-cc, 8-valve, 4-cylinder engine. Continue Reading →

Triumph TR7

The Triumph TR8, an eight-cylinder version of the "wedge-shaped" Triumph TR7 sports car, designed by Harris Mann, and manufactured by British Leyland, was launched in the US. Because of its outstanding performance, the TR8 was often dubbed the "English Corvette".The majority of TR8s were sold in the United States and Canada.

Ringo Starr and his future wife Barbara Bach were involved in a car crash less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan was killed. The car was a write-off but Starr and Bach were not seriously injured.

Alain Prost driving a McLaren-TAG Porsche MP4/2B won the Monaco Grand Prix.

Alan Bates in Nobby Hills Corvette was credited with a 5.99 second run, the first five second Funny Car run at the Santa Pod Raceway, Northamptonshire, England. The run was dismissed by some that saw it as being a mid-six second run although it is often credited as being the first UK Funny Car five.

Nobby Hills

James Brown was arrested for the fifth time in 12 months, following a car chase near his home in South Carolina, US. He was charged with assault, resisting arrest and being in charge of illegal weapons. He was given a 6 year jail sentence.

James Brown mug shot 1988

Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Ribbs, a Californian, objects to the obstacles placed in front of African-American racers: "Here we are, moving into a new millennium, and auto racing still looks like 1939 baseball. Continue Reading →

Willy T Ribbs in 1984

Davey Allison started from the pole position and routed the field at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina (US) leading all 70 laps of NASCAR’s All-Star race in a Robert Yates Racing Ford. Ken Schrader took second place, 2.87 seconds back at the finish. Darrell Waltrip finished third in the last all-star event run during the day at the 1.5-mile track.

The Monaco Grand Prix was run in wet weather, causing significant attrition and setting a record for the fewest number of cars (3) to be running at the end of a Grand Prix race. Olivier Panis scored his sole career Formula One victory, earning the last ever Formula One victory for the Ligier team (and the first ever for engine manufacturer Mugen Motorsports) after switching to slick tyres in a well-timed pitstop.

Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix

Troy Ruttman (67), the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500, at the age of 22 years and 80 days, died. He led several of the 12 Indy 500s in which he participated, but was a frequent victim of mechanical failures. Ruttman retired from racing following the tragedy filled 1964 Indianapolis 500. Continue Reading →

Greg Anderson covered 440 yard in 6.670 sec driving a Pontiac Grand Am at Concord, North Carolina, the lowest elapsed time for an NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Pro Stock Car. This run also gave him the record for the highest terminal velocity for a Pro Stock Car of 207.18 mph.

After nearly three years of waiting since the previous M5 ceased production, the all new £61,760 BMW M5 was delivered to UK dealers. The first two year’s production had been either are sold or spoken for.

Los Angeles, California, was the first stop on a cross-country road show launched by Smart USA to promote the attractions of its “ForTwo” micro-car, which was scheduled for release in the United States in 2008. In the early 1990s, Nicholas Hayek of Swatch, the company famous for its wide range of colourful and trendy plastic watches, went to German automaker Mercedes-Benz with his idea for an “ultra-urban” car. The result of their joint venture was the diminutive Smart (an acronym for Swatch Mercedes ART) ForTwo, which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997 and went on sale in nine European countries over the next year. Continue Reading →

Smart “ForTwo” micro-car

Nissan Motor Co. and NEC corp. announced plans to begin mass-producing lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. Continue Reading →

President Barack Obama announced a new fuel and emission standard that he said would, at last, put the United States on the road to a cleaner environment and better fuel efficiency

Tesla, an electric car maker in San Carlos, California, US, sold a 10% stake to German auto giant Daimler.