On this day in…
1882
141 years ago
The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey was incorporated by the Standard Oil Trust Read more…
1882
141 years ago
Enrico Bernardi patented the Motrice Pia, his petrol combustion engine (one cylinder, 121 Read more…
1888
135 years ago
Bertha Benz (née Ringer) without her husband Karl’s knowledge, drove her sons, Richard and Eugen, fourteen and fifteen years old, in one of Benz’s newly-constructed “Patent Motorwagen” automobiles — from Mannheim to Pforzheim — becoming the first person to drive a motor car over more than a very short distance Read more…
1899
124 years ago
The Detroit Automobile Company was organised with Clarence A Black as President, Albert E F White as Vice President, William H Murphy as Secretary, and Frank R Alderman as Treasurer- the Mechanical Superintendent was Henry Ford Read more…
1902
121 years ago
William K Vanderbilt from the US drove a Mors to a record speed of 122 km/h (76 Read more…
1914
109 years ago
A lighting ceremony was held for the world’s first electric traffic lights used to control the flow of different streams of traffic Read more…
1923
100 years ago
Dagenham (UK) was chosen as the site of a new Ford Britain factory Read more…
1923
100 years ago
The first public tours of Ford Rouge were held Read more…
1935
88 years ago
The first Limerick Grand Prix or Cuirt Luimnighe race, took place in Limerick, Ireland Read more…
1935
88 years ago
Oliver Bertram, driving the 8-litre special Barnato-Hassan Bentley racing car, set the all-time Brooklands outer lap record with a time of 69 Read more…
1947
76 years ago
Ferdinand Porsche was released from a French prison Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Amedee Gordini’s supercharged Simca-Gordini made its racing debut with Maurice Trinignant winning the Albi Grand Prix Read more…
1955
68 years ago
The 1,000,000th Volkswagen, a standard Beetle painted gold to commemorate the occasion, was produced Read more…
1956
67 years ago
45 year old Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring and broke Hermann Lang’s 17 year old lap record in a Mercedes Read more…
1961
62 years ago
During practice for the German Grand Prix, American Phil Hill became the first person to complete a lap of the Nordschleife (the 14-mile ‘northern loop’) in under 9 minutes, with a stunning lap of 8 minutes 55.2 seconds Read more…
1961
62 years ago
Walt Hansgen drove a Maserati Tipo 63 V12 to victory in the SCCA National event at Bridgehampton, New York, US Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Jack Brabham entered German Grand Prix with a car of his own construction, the BT3, but was forced to retire Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Jim Paschal rolled to victory in the Nashville 500 (Tennessee, US), leading 307 of the 500 laps on the half-mile asphalt track at the state fairgrounds Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Craig Breedlove drove the “Spirit of America” on the Bonneville Salt Flats to a new Land Speed Record of 407 Read more…
1970
53 years ago
Racer Jerry Titus (41), the 1967 Trans-Am Champion, died from injuries suffered a month earlier at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, US Read more…
1973
50 years ago
Jackie Stewart won his 27th and last Grand Prix victory in Germany Read more…
1974
49 years ago
The Ford Guest Center was opened to the public Read more…
1987
36 years ago
Chrysler Corporation purchased the American Motors Corporation from Renault, recreating ii as the Jeep-Eagle Division of Chrysler Read more…
1991
32 years ago
Sochiro Honda, founder of the Honda Motor Company, died at the age of 84 Read more…
1995
28 years ago
British driver and software author Mark Colton (34) was killed in practice for a hillclimb at Craigantlet, Northern Ireland Read more…
1995
28 years ago
Dale Earnhardt bided his time in the early going, then hustled into the lead in the closing stages to win the second annual Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1999
24 years ago
A Mini John Cooper LE was announced to jointly celebrate the Mini’s fortieth birthday and John Cooper’s achievements in the racing arena Read more…
2001
22 years ago
Jeff Gordon won the eighth Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, becoming the first three-time winner of that prestigious event Read more…
2001
22 years ago
Roy D Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Thomas LaSorda became President of Chrysler, with Bob Nardelli succeeding him as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren, his third win and tenth podium of the season Read more…
2010
13 years ago
The US Export-Import Bank unveiled a loan guarantee for Ford Motor Co that would finance $3 Read more…
