On this day in…
1882
142 years ago
Gottlieb Daimler and his protégé Wilhelm Maybach reached an agreement to work towards the creation of a high-speed internal combustion engine for the purpose of propelling vehicles Read more…
1900
124 years ago
The Long Island Road Race was won by Anthony L Riker driving his special low-sprung Riker Torpedo electric vehicle Read more…
1906
118 years ago
A fire caused by the San Francisco earthquake destroyed the production facilities of the fledgling Sunset Automobile Company in San Francisco, California Read more…
1925
99 years ago
Renato Balestrero driving an OM 665 won the first Tripoli Grand Prix, held on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania Read more…
1928
96 years ago
The Hispano-Suiza driven by Charles Weymann and Robert Bloch defeated the Stutz Black Hawk driven by Tom Rooney and Gil Anderson in a match race staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1929
95 years ago
The 500,000th Pontiac was produced Read more…
1934
90 years ago
The Citroen Traction Avant (French for ‘front-wheel drive’) was shown to an astonished public in Paris Read more…
1938
86 years ago
Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, better known as Prince Bira of Siam (now Thailand) or by his nom de course B Read more…
1940
84 years ago
The Alfa Romeo Type 162 prototype race car was completed Read more…
1949
75 years ago
Juan Manuel Fangio driving a Maserati 4CLT/48 won the Paul Grand Prix Read more…
1949
75 years ago
The Hudson Motor Car Company launched its 40th anniversary celebration with a nationwide radio broadcast opened by Michigan (US) Governor G Mennen Williams Read more…
1950
74 years ago
The 2,000,000th Nash automobile was produced Read more…
1954
70 years ago
Herb Thomas dived underneath his brother Donald with 34 laps to go and held on to win the 100 mile NASCAR Grand National race on the 1 mile dirt Orange Speedway, North Carolina Read more…
1955
69 years ago
The Ford Motor Company split the Lincoln-Mercury Division into two separate divisions and established the Special Products Division Read more…
1956
68 years ago
The non-Championship Aintree “200” Formula One race at Aintree (England) was won by Jean Behra in a Ferrari 246 Read more…
1958
66 years ago
The Corvette Stingray made its debut at the President’s Cup Race at Maryland’s Marlboro Raceway Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Glen Wood scored his first career NASCAR GN win, leading all 200 laps on the 1/4 mile paved Bowman-Gray Stadium oval, North Carolina in his Ford Read more…
1960
64 years ago
The 8th Glover Trophy, run to Formula One rules held at Goodwood Circuit, England Read more…
1963
61 years ago
The Worboys Committee Report review of signage on all British roads was published Read more…
1964
60 years ago
(18th-19th): The Ford GT40 Mk1’s (chassis 101 and 102) first made their appearance at the Le Mans test weekend Read more…
1965
59 years ago
Jud Larson drove the Watson car to victory in the USAC Sprint Car feature on the high banked 1/2 mile dirt Eldora Speedway, Ohio, US Read more…
1965
59 years ago
Taking the lead when a blown tire sent Marvin Panch into the wall with 11 laps to go, Junior Johnson won the NASCAR GN ‘Gwyn Staley Memorial’ on the Read more…
1968
56 years ago
Bobby Isaac won the 100 mile NASCAR GN race on the 1/2 mile dirt Columbia Speedway, South Carolina, US Read more…
1968
56 years ago
Joe Edwards resigned as Managing Director of British Motor Corporation Read more…
1969
55 years ago
The BMC Moke (YDO8) was launched in Australia Read more…
1970
54 years ago
British Leyland announced that production of the Morris Minor, Britain’s longest-running car would cease by 1971 Read more…
1971
53 years ago
Not only was it the first IMSA race held at Virginia International Raceway, it was the first race for IMSA’s Grand Touring class Read more…
1971
53 years ago
The Danville 300 at VIR saw future legendary teammates Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood win the overall event in their GTU-1 class, Porsche 914/6 GT Read more…
1971
53 years ago
In the Spanish Grand Prix held at Montjuich Park, Jackie Stewart took his Tyrrell from 4th on the grid to win in a time of 1:49:03 Read more…
1982
42 years ago
Darrell Waltrip dominated the Northwestern Bank 400, leading 345 laps from the pole for his second consecutive win at North Wilkesboro Speedway Read more…
1992
32 years ago
Tommy Houston started last in the 30-car field and overcame a record 26 cautions to win the Mountain Dew 300 at Hickory (North Carolina, US) Motor Speedway, marking his last victory in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Ford started building the Flexible-Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Taurus at the Chicago Assembly Plant Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Rusty Wallace won the First Union 400 to setup for a season sweep of North Wilkesboro Speedway Read more…
1994
30 years ago
The 250,000th Citroen Xantia left the Rennes-la Janais production unit Read more…
1999
25 years ago
In a field of Panoz GT’s, Audrey Zavodski won the inaugural Women’s Global GT Series race, run at Road Atlanta in Georgia Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Robert Drake (70), a Los Angeles based automobile restorer who then went on to build a reputation as a stunt driver and performing car preparation work for the movie industry, died Read more…
1999
25 years ago
John Andretti captured his second NASCAR Cup Series win in the Goody’s Body Pain 500 at Martinsville Speedway driving the No Read more…
2004
20 years ago
Rusty Wallace ended a 105-race winless streak when he drove his Miller Lite Dodge to victory in the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Danilo Elia and Fabrizio Bonserio began a great adventure from Fiat’s Lingotto headquarters in Turin, with a 1973 Fiat 500 Read more…
2006
18 years ago
PSA Peugeot Citroën announced the closure of the Ryton manufacturing facility in Coventry, England Read more…
2007
17 years ago
US research found that ethanol-fuelled vehicles could contribute to more illnesses and deaths from respiratory disease than petrol-powered cars and trucks. Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock and her husband were involved in a head-on crash with a drunken driver in Massachusetts, US Read more…
2009
15 years ago
Mark Martin won the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Speedway in Avondale, Arizona, and became the first 50-year-old to claim victory at a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Sprint Cup race since Morgan Shepherd did so at a race in Atlanta in 1993, renewing hope for senior citizens everywhere Read more…
2011
13 years ago
Following the Citroën DS3 and DS4, the brand unveiled the DS5 in Shanghai Read more…
2015
9 years ago
Joey Logano rolled to a dominating victory in the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway Read more…
