London taxi driver George Smith, an employee of the Electric Cab Company, drove into the frontage of a building on Bond Street, Mayfair and became the first person in the United Kingdom to be charged with drink driving
Friday 10th September 1897 London taxi driver George Smith, an employee of the Electric Cab Company, drove into the frontage of a building on Bond Street, Mayfair and became the first person in the United Kingdom to be charged with drink driving. He was spotted by PC Russell 247C driving his taxi erratically, onto a…
Major-General Montgomery of Winchester purchased a Coventry-built Daimler in what was the first British sale of a vehicle to a person outside of the automobile industry
Saturday 28th August 1897 Major-General Montgomery of Winchester purchased a Coventry-built Daimler in what was the first British sale of a vehicle to a person outside of the automobile industry.
Olds Motor Vehicle Co, which would later become Oldsmobile, was founded
Saturday 21st August 1897 Olds Motor Vehicle Co, which would later become Oldsmobile, was founded. The reliable, light, and fairly powerful curved-dash Oldsmobile was the first American car to be produced using the progressive assembly-line system, and the first to become a commercial success. In its 107-year history, Oldsmobile produced over 35 million vehicles, including…
The Paris-Trouville race was held
Saturday 14th August 1897 The Paris-Trouville race was held. Sixty-four starters left St. Germain at 10:00 for the race of 173 kilometers to the French resort at Trouville. Paul Jamin in a Bollée 3 hp was first overall (light cars), with Gilles Hourgières in a Panhard (heavy cars) declared as the overall winner. He clocked…
The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by C Harrington Moore and Frederick Simms, and held its first meeting at Whitehall Court in London
Tuesday 10th August 1897 The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by C Harrington Moore and Frederick Simms, and held its first meeting at Whitehall Court in London. The club evolved into the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and is the oldest existing automobile club in the world. Automobile clubs began as social…
The Paris-Dieppe Race from Saint-Germains to Dieppe, a distance of 106 miles, was won by Bollee driven by M
Saturday 24th July 1897 The Paris-Dieppe Race from Saint-Germains to Dieppe, a distance of 106 miles, was won by Bollee driven by M. Jamin in a time of 4h. 13m. 33s, at an average speed of 25.1 mph. The race included seven Bollee and seven Panhard cars.
Harry A Knox filed a US Patent application for his 2-cylinder gasoline engine
Tuesday 13th July 1897 Harry A Knox filed a US Patent application for his 2-cylinder gasoline engine.
The Roots Oil Motor & Motor Car Company Ltd
Wednesday 7th July 1897 The Roots Oil Motor & Motor Car Company Ltd., was registered in London, England by J D Roots to manufacture Roots & Veneables motorcars. The first three-wheeled vehicle was presented in 1897. The following year, the four-wheeled Petrocar with 5-hp single-cylinder engine (1.3 l displacement) came. A number of other small…
A German-built Benz Velo, appearing at the Grand Forks parade to promote cigars, became the first automobile to be driven in North Dakota, US
Monday 28th June 1897 A German-built Benz Velo, appearing at the Grand Forks parade to promote cigars, became the first automobile to be driven in North Dakota, US.
Born on this day, Justus Bulkley Entz, American electrical engineer and inventor of the electromagnetic transmission and a pioneer in the early automobile industry
Wednesday 16th June 1897 Born on this day, Justus Bulkley Entz, American electrical engineer and inventor of the electromagnetic transmission and a pioneer in the early automobile industry. In 1887, Justus Entz began working for Thomas A. Edison as an electrician at the Edison Machine Works. He stayed with Edison until 1890 and left as…