On This Day

The Aermore Manufacturing Company based in Chicago received a patent for the Aermore Exhaust Horn, a multiple-pipe horn powered by an engine exhaust that played a chord like a church organ.

Arthur L. Garford (74), a chassis manufacturer associated with the early Studebaker, died in Ohio, US. By the early 1900s, Garford had amassed a sizable fortune from the Garford Manufacturing Company. Continue Reading →

The first annual Automotive Equipment Display and Hot Rod Exhibition, presented by the Southern California Timing Association, opened at the National Guard Armory in Exposition Park, in Los Angeles, California.

NASCAR President Bill France promoted a 100-mile race at the new Broward Speedway. The huge two-mile speedway consisted of a paved circle used as taxiways at the Ft. Lauderdale-Davie Airport, Florida, US. Continue Reading →

A German patent was issued to Bela Barenyi for his chassis design that was quickly adopted by Mercedes Benz and is considered to be the first conceived primarily with safety in mind.

The World Motor Sports Show opens in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Argentine 1000 Kilometers World Sports Car Championship was won by Enrique Saenz Valiente and Jose Maria Ibanez in a Ferrari.

Dense fog brought many roads in England and Wales to a virtual standstill. An AA spokesman said 28 hours of fog in the capital had left a nil-visibility ring around London. He said: "It is a motorist's nightmare as rush-hour drivers grope their way through nil visibility in the Hendon, Finchley, Northolt, Wandsworth, Bromley and Sidcup districts. Continue Reading →

William Clay Ford, grandson of Henry Ford, son of Edsel Ford, was elected President of the Detroit Lions football team. Nearly 30 years after taking in that first game University of Detroit Stadium, Mr. Ford purchased the team outright for $4. Continue Reading →

William Clay Ford Sr.

Dan Gurney won his fourth consecutive Riverside 500 to set a Grand National record. Gurney's streak would be broken the following year, but he would win again at Riverside in 1968. All five of Gurney's career Grand National victories occurred at Riverside. Continue Reading →

Dan Gurney

Jackie Stewart won the first Argentine Grand Prix run since 1960. Argentina's Carlos Reutemann made his Grand Prix debut in spectacular fashion, claiming pole in his Brabham BT34. Brabham also had a new manager, Bernie Ecclestone. Continue Reading →

Jackie Stewart (Argentine 1972)

Richard Petty won a fog shortened NASCAR GN "Western 500" at Riverside International Raceway. The race began in foggy conditions which worsened, forcing the race to be flagged after 149 of a scheduled 191 laps. Just days earlier, STP had signed a multi-year sponsorship of Petty. Continue Reading →

Richard Petty

Wayne Shugart won the 40-lap NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race over David Ezell at the Jacksonville Speedway, Jacksonville, Florida, US.

Carlos Reutemann secured his first win for Ferrari at the Brazilian Grand Prix, his second victory at the event. James Hunt led for half the race until he was forced to pit and concede the lead, and he eventually took second while Niki Lauda was third. After the race an angry Carlos Pace accused Hunt of reckless driving. Continue Reading →

Carlos Reutemann

Singer Vic Ames (52) of the Ames Brothers singing quartet, who in their fifteen-year notched up 49 US chart entries, died after his car skidded on a patch of ice and struck utility pole.

Ames Brothers

The South African Grand Prix at Kyalami was overshadowed by a dispute between the drivers and FISA, the sports governing body which for some time threatened to cause the cancellation of the race. The drivers had spent Thursday locked in their hotel after objection to new so-called superlicences which, they claimed, removed their ability to enter into contract negotiations during a season. They refused to practice for the Saturday grand prix, and although a truce was called in time to allow the race to happen, FISA suspended the licenses of 29 of them immediately after the finish. Continue Reading →

Alain Prost

Dana Carter, driving the Rollie Helmling # 54, won the 100-lap USAC Midget race at the Hara Arena, Dayton, OHhio, US

General Motors Corporation stated that they had acquired 59.7% of Group Lotus shares for about $20 million.

Patty Moise set a record closed course run for a female at 217.498 mph (350.029 km/h), driving a Buick, at the 2.66 mile Talladega Speedway, Alabama, US. She drove in five Winston Cup races from 1987 to 1989, and 133 Busch Series races from 1986 to 1998.

Patty Moise

Eddie Irvine announced his retirement after failing to secure a drive for the season. "It's a sad day for Formula One that Eddie can't continue," said former team boss Eddie Jordan. "With Jordan, Ferrari especially, and Jaguar he's shown great style and lots of character. Continue Reading →

Eddie Irvine

International glamour and fashion photographer Helmut Newton (83) was leaving the Chateau Marmont hotel at speed when he lost control of his Cadillac SRX and ploughed into a nearby wall on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. He died in the crash. Newton was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."

Portrait of Helmut Newton from his gravesite, by his wife Alice Springs.

"Who Killed the Electric Car?," a documentary about the aborted attempt by the auto industry to create an electric vehicle, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie posited that there was a conspiracy between oil companies, automakers and the government to kill the electric car. The film focused on the efforts in the 1990s of several automakers, including General Motors (GM), to develop an eco-friendly, gas-free vehicle. Continue Reading →

Ford Motor Co., the second-largest US automaker, said that it would cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities by 2012 as part of a restructuring designed to reverse a $1.6 billion loss last year in its North American operations.

NASCAR announced that the "Car of Tomorrow" would be run at 16 races in 2007, 26 races in 2008, and the full schedule in 2009.

The world’s first driveable fuel-cell hybrid electric vehicle with plug-in capability, the Ford Edge with HySeries Drive, was unveiled in Washington, D.C. Capable of 80 mph, the HySeries combined an on-board hydrogen fuel-cell generator with 336-volt lithium ion batteries to deliver more than 41 mpg. The vehicle was driven by the stored electricity alone for the first 20 or so miles, after which the fuel cell began operating to keep the battery pack charged.

Ford Edge

A young businessman paid Dh2.61 million (c. £460,000) for car number plate '11111' in an auction conducted by Abu Dhabi Police and Emirates Auction at Emirates Palace Hotel. Continue Reading →

A yellow Ferrari previously owned by Eric Clapton sold for £66,500 at auction. The rare 2003 Ferrari 575 Maranello, which had only 10,000 miles on the clock, was snapped up by a private buyer at a sale at the Classic Car Sale at Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England. The yellow Maranello was bought new by Mr Clapton, who signed its service book, was later sold to BBC radio presenter Chris Evans.

2003 Ferrari 575 Maranello

Justin Bieber was arrested after racing his yellow Lamborghini against another sports car on a Miami Beach street. Police said the singer did not co-operate when pulled over also charged him with resisting arrest without violence and having an expired driving licence. The 19-year-old singer was granted bail set at $2,500 (£1,500).