On this day in…
1877
146 years ago
Nikolaus Otto was issued with a US patent for his ‘Gas-Motor Engine’, ten days after receiving a German patent for the same – his design defined the modern four-stroke internal combustion engine Read more…
1893
130 years ago
The world’s first car licence plates were issued in Paris, France. Read more…
1897
126 years ago
The Paris-Trouville race was held Read more…
1912
111 years ago
The first double-decker bus appeared on the streets of New York, travelling up and down Broadway Read more…
1921
102 years ago
The first race was held at the Cotati Speedway in Santa Rosa, California, US Read more…
1924
99 years ago
Australia’s last horse-drawn stagecoach service run by Cobb & Co from Yuleba to Surat in Queensland Read more…
1935
88 years ago
Mrs Read more…
1955
68 years ago
Pole-starter Fonty Flock drove a Carl Kiekhaefer-owned Chrysler to victory in the Mid-South 250 at Memphis-Arkansas Speedway in LeHi, Ark (US), registering the 17th of his 19 career wins in NASCAR’s premier series Read more…
1957
66 years ago
H Jay Hayes (88), often credited with building the first all-metal automobile body in 1898, died in Forest Hills, New York, US Read more…
1960
63 years ago
Jack Brabham led home Bruce McLaren to win in Portugal for a Cooper-Climax 1-2 Read more…
1962
61 years ago
A 1962 Studebaker Avanti driven by Andy Grantelli at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, US set 29 national stock car records Read more…
1967
56 years ago
Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racecar driver Bob Anderson (36) died in Northampton General Hospital from chest and neck injuries sustained while testing at Silverstone, in which he slid off the track in wet conditions and hit a marshal’s post Read more…
1971
52 years ago
German car manufacturer, Georg von Opel (59), died Read more…
1974
49 years ago
The Twentieth Century Motor Car Company was incorporated in Nevada, US to manufacture the three-wheeled Dale Read more…
1977
46 years ago
The world’s longest ever rally, the Singapore Airlines London to Sydney rally, started in Covent Garden, London Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Michael F Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Future World Champion Alan Jones won his first Grand Prix Read more…
1983
40 years ago
Alain Prost won the Austrian Grand Prix for Renault at Österreichring Read more…
1987
36 years ago
Stefan Johansson destroyed his McLaren but was unhurt after hitting a deer at nearly 180 mph during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Oesterreichring Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Robbie Gordon won the off-road Heavy Metal Challenge, the final motorsports event held at Riverside International Raceway in California, USA Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Enzo Ferrari, founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque, died in Maranello, Italy, aged 90 Read more…
1994
29 years ago
Michael Schumacher took the first of his 4 wins at the Hungarian Grand Prix Read more…
1997
26 years ago
Fiona Beale, of Alvaston, Derby, England, jumped her Kawasaki KX500 over 12 trucks, covering a distance of 57 Read more…
1998
25 years ago
As part of a yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary, a redesigned version of the Michelin Man–the corporate symbol of one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, made appearance at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in Monterey, California, beginning on this day Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Driving a 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupé, Britons Richard Meredith and Phil Colley completed the entire length of the newly completed Asian Highway – 10,000 miles from Tokyo to London Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Hendrick Motorsports announced it has been unable to obtain Dale Earnhardt, Jr Read more…
2009
14 years ago
In Germany shares in Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, plunged after it approved a takeover of luxury auto manufacturer Porsche to create a sector giant Read more…
2010
13 years ago
The massive recurring China National Highway 110 traffic jam began to form, mostly on China National Highway 110 (G110) and Beijing–Tibet expressway (G6), in Beijing, Hebei and Inner Mongolia Read more…
2014
9 years ago
Phoenix-based Elio announced plans to start making cars next year at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana Read more…
2015
8 years ago
A 30ft hole appeared in one of Manchester (UK) city centre’s busiest roads, after heavy rainfall Read more…
