On this day in…
1897
125 years ago
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 Read more…
1899
123 years ago
The Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company reorganised as the Autocar Company Read more…
1902
120 years ago
Andrew L Riker was elected Vice President of Locomobile Read more…
1904
118 years ago
The Louisiana Purchase Trophy Race at the St Louis World Fair, Missouri, US was won by Barney Oldfield driving the Peerless Green Dragon Read more…
1907
115 years ago
The Oakland Motor Car Company was organised in Pontiac, Michigan, US by Edward M Read more…
1921
101 years ago
Construction of the Paragon Motor Company factory began in Cumberland, Maryland, US Read more…
1922
100 years ago
The famous Autodromo motor racing track, was completed in Monza, north of Milan, Italy Read more…
1934
88 years ago
Rolls-Royce of America, Inc Read more…
1936
86 years ago
Lord Herbert Scott was elected Chairman of Rolls-Royce Ltd Read more…
1937
85 years ago
The Toyota Motor Company Ltd, the world’s largest automobile manufacturer, was founded Read more…
1951
71 years ago
The 1,000th Porsche was produced Read more…
1951
71 years ago
Automobile windscreen manufacturer Dana Elisha Seeley (88) died on Mackinac Island, Michigan, US Read more…
1957
65 years ago
Pontiac staged its 50th Anniversary celebrations, based on the founding of the division’s original car, the Oakland Read more…
1960
62 years ago
Jack Brabham made the third fastest climb at Ollons-Villars hillclimb event in Switzerland with a Formula 2 Cooper Read more…
1961
61 years ago
Art Malone drove Bob Osiecki’s aluminium-bodied “Mad Dog IV” to a World Closed Course Speed Record of 181 Read more…
1966
56 years ago
Lothar Motschenbacher won the USRRC race at Mid Ohio in Lexington, Ohio, US, driving the McLaren-Olds owned by actor Dan Blocker Read more…
1966
56 years ago
The first British Drag Racing Championship began at the Santa Pod Raceway, England Read more…
1969
53 years ago
Oliver E Barthel (91), a pioneer designer with King, Ford, Oldsmobile and Cadillac, died in Detroit, Michigan, US Read more…
1971
51 years ago
Tiny Lund surged in front when Dave Marcis’ rear gearing failed, leading the rest of the way in the Buddy Shuman 276, the final race for NASCAR’s premier series at Hickory (North Carolina, US) Speedway Read more…
1972
50 years ago
General Motors announced that it would market a Wankel rotary engine as an optional power unit for the Chevrolet Vega within two years Read more…
1974
48 years ago
Citroen C 2000 and 2200 fastbacks, with engines inherited from the Citroën DS, positioned between the bottom of range DSuper and the exclusive DS 23 Pallas, were launched Read more…
1977
45 years ago
English driver Mike Parkes (45) who participated in 7 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1959, died Read more…
1977
45 years ago
The merger of Volvo and Saab was called off Read more…
1983
39 years ago
Rene Arnoux drove a Ferrari 126C3 to victory in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort Read more…
1986
36 years ago
Bob Glidden made the first NHRA Pro Stock 7 Read more…
1988
34 years ago
Ayrton Senna led home Alain Prost in a McLaren 1-2 to win the Belgian Grand Prix Read more…
1994
28 years ago
Damon Hill won the Belgian Grand Prix for Williams after Michael Schumacher was disqualified due to excessive wear on his Benetton’s skid block (the mandatory wooden plank introduced at Germany) Read more…
1998
24 years ago
Beiqi Foton Motor Co Read more…
1999
23 years ago
During his first season with the BAR team, Jacques Villeneuve demonstrated the same penchant for risk-taking as his father during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix Read more…
1999
23 years ago
In the closing laps of the popular Saturday night Rattle Hill Cage race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt led Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer Read more…
1999
23 years ago
A memorial service for the victims of the Tauern Road Tunnel fire was held in the town of Flachau before the tunnel – one of the primary north-south routes through the Alps – was officially reopened Read more…
2000
22 years ago
Seventy people died in a bus pile up in Abuja Read more…
2001
21 years ago
Red-faced council bosses apologised to a motorist after contractors winched his legally parked car off the ground to paint double yellow lines under it – and then issued him with a parking fine Read more…
2002
20 years ago
Ford of Europe introduced the World Rally Championship inspired Focus RS as well as the new Ford Streetka and Sportka Read more…
2005
17 years ago
After Alex Zanardi lost both legs in a horrific Champ Car accident in 2001, few people thought he would ever return to racing but he proved everybody wrong when he triumphed in a World Touring Car Championship event in Germany driving a specially modified BMW Read more…
2005
17 years ago
Martin Groves established the outright hill record for Gurston Down Motorsport Hillclimb in Wiltshire, England Read more…
2008
14 years ago
Phil Hill, the first American driver to win the Formula One World Championship, died in Salinas, California at the age of 81 Read more…
