On this day in…
1833
191 years ago
Hancock’s steam omnibus, Enterprise, began a regular service between London Wall and Paddington via Islington, England Read more…
1833
191 years ago
Steam road vehicle pioneer Richard Trevithick (62) died in Dartford, Kent, England Read more…
1900
124 years ago
The Turin-Pinerolo-Saluzzo-Cuneo-Turin road race was won by L Gastè driving a Perfecta 6 hp tricycle, who completed the 131 km at an average speed of 64 Read more…
1907
117 years ago
The Targa Florio held at Madonie over 3 laps of the 92 Read more…
1911
113 years ago
The Packard Six, later called the Model I-48, was introduced Read more…
1913
111 years ago
Under the headline “Automobilism: the Wear of Roads and Trackways”, The Times, published an early comment on the expense of the construction and maintenance of roads as traffic became more mechanical and of greater volume Read more…
1921
103 years ago
Leland F Goodspeed, Chief Engineer of the Roamer Motor Car Company, set an unofficial stock car speed record of 105 Read more…
1925
99 years ago
Racer Fred Wells (26) was killed when the Wells Hornet, a car he had designed , crashed during a test run on the Long Island Parkway between Central islip and Brentwood, New York, US Read more…
1928
96 years ago
Ray Keech set a one-mile land speed record of 207.552 mph driving the 81 litre triple-engined internal combustion White-Triplex at Daytona Beach, US Read more…
1933
91 years ago
Sir Frederick Henry Royce (70), joint founder of Rolls Royce Ltd., died in West Wittering, West Sussex, England Read more…
1934
90 years ago
The Alessandria Circuit Grand Prix, held in Bordino, Italy was won by Achille Varzi in an Alfa Romeo B/P3 Read more…
1935
89 years ago
Alfred Neubauer, the head of the Mercedes team, ignored Hitler’s instructions that only German drivers should drive German cars and hired the best drivers available to drive the new 3.99 litre, 460 hp W25 at the Monaco Grand Prix Read more…
1937
87 years ago
The 2 Read more…
1944
80 years ago
The man who coined the words “petrol” and “motorcar” and founded of the Royal Automobile Club, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Frederick Richard Simms (80), died Read more…
1946
78 years ago
Gigi Villoresi drove a Maserati 4CL to victory in the first post-World War II Grand Prix, in Nice, France Read more…
1951
73 years ago
The San Remo Grand Prix was held at Read more…
1951
73 years ago
Marshall Teague drove his “Teaguemobile” Hudson Hornet to victory in the 150 mile NASCAR Grand National race on the Arizona State Fairgrounds 1 mile dirt oval Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Buck Baker drove one of the Kiekhaefer team Chrysler juggernauts to victory in the NASCAR GN race on the 1 mile circular dirt Langhorne Speedway, Pennsylvania, US Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Carroll Shelby drove a Ferrari to victory in the 100 mile ‘Del Monte Trophy’ race held on the 2 Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Walt Faulkner (38), the first rookie to win pole position at the Indianapolis 500, died after a qualifying crash at a USAC Stock Car event in Vallejo, California Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Stirling Moss, in a privately entered Maserati 250F, won the Aintree 200, a non-championship Formula One race Read more…
1957
67 years ago
Jean Behra in a Maserati 250F won the Pau Grand Prix run over 110 laps of the Pau temporary street circuit in France Read more…
1961
63 years ago
The VI Aintree 200 run to Formula One rules at Aintree Circuit, was won by Australian driver Jack Brabham in a Cooper T55 Read more…
1962
62 years ago
In the ‘Virginia 500’ won by his son Richard, Lee Petty made his first start since being badly injured in a 1961 Daytona qualifier, finishing 5th with relief help Read more…
1964
60 years ago
Ford Motor Company’s Wonder Rotunda opened at the New York World’s Fair Read more…
1970
54 years ago
The first Earth Day was held in communities all across the US Read more…
1973
51 years ago
Vern Schuppan drove his March 722 to victory in the Singapore Grand Prix, a 50 lap Formula Libre race held on the public road Upper Thomson circuit Read more…
1979
45 years ago
Richard Petty enjoyed a dominant day at Martinsville Speedway to capture the Virginia 500, notching his first victory in a Chevrolet Read more…
1990
34 years ago
Two buses collided in Havana, Cuba, killing 11 and seriously injuring 13 Read more…
1990
34 years ago
Brett Bodine captured his only NASCAR Cup Series win in the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway with some controversy Read more…
1990
34 years ago
Brett Bodine drove Kenny Bernstein’s Buick to his first career NASCAR Winston Cup win in the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (US) Read more…
1995
29 years ago
Rusty Wallace won his third straight race at Martinsville Speedway in the Hanes 500 Read more…
1996
28 years ago
At the 66th Turin International Motor Show, the series version of the Mercedes-Benz SLK was publicly presented for the first time Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Bobby Hamilton took the lead from Tony Stewart as they came to the final lap and went on score his first victory in over three years in a caution-free Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Greg Biffle brought out the first caution of the race with a spin but rallied back to win the NASCAR Xfinity (Busch) Series Basha’s Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix Raceway Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Kevin Harvick took advantage of several front-runners fuel problems late in the race to win the NASCAR Cup Series Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix Raceway Read more…
2006
18 years ago
President Read more…
2009
15 years ago
A car scrappage scheme was introduced in the United Kingdom Budget by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling Read more…
2011
13 years ago
Kyle Busch got around Ron Hornaday Jr Read more…
2012
12 years ago
Denny Hamlin held off Martin Truex Jr Read more…
