On this day in…
1906
117 years ago
The Cadillac crest was granted registered trademark status Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Alice Huyler Ramsey arrived in San Francisco, California in her Maxwell Model 30, completing the first trans-United States automobile trip by a woman Read more…
1915
108 years ago
Des Moines, Iowa, mile board track opened with a 300-mile race in front of 10,000 spectators Read more…
1915
108 years ago
Driving a Peugeot, race-car driver Dario Resta won the 100-mile Chicago Cup Challenge Race at the Maywood Board Speedway in Chicago, Illinois, US Read more…
1915
108 years ago
The first of two motorcycle events, the so-called ‘all Khaki” meetings was held at Brooklands during the First World War Read more…
1919
104 years ago
The Continental Motors Corporation produced its first type 7-R 6-cylinder engine Read more…
1922
101 years ago
The Barley, named for Albert C Read more…
1926
97 years ago
The first British Grand Prix was held at Brooklands in Surrey, over a distance of 110 laps (287 miles) Read more…
1927
96 years ago
The last Dodge Convertible Cabriolet was produced Read more…
1927
96 years ago
Legendary mechanic Giulio Ramponi competed as a driver in his first major racing event, finishing third in the Cuneo-Colle della Maddelena Hillclimb, on the Italian/French border, in an Alfa Romeo Read more…
1930
93 years ago
The 2,000,000th 6-cylinder Chevrolet was produced Read more…
1935
88 years ago
The 1,000,000th 1935 General Motors vehicle, a Chevrolet, was produced Read more…
1935
88 years ago
John Cobb’s Napier-Railton, holder of the all-time lap record at Brooklands, made its initial appearance in the Byfleet Lightning Short Handicap Read more…
1937
86 years ago
The Auburn Automobile Company, produced its last car, a 1937 Cord Read more…
1938
85 years ago
In the opening event of the XVIII Coppa Ciano, Emilio Villoresi won the voiturette race on the Montenero circuit in Livorno, Italy Read more…
1939
84 years ago
The British Automobile Racing Club held its last ever meeting at Brooklands Read more…
1944
79 years ago
Under the threat of Allied bombing during World War II, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen halted the production of the “Beetle” Read more…
1947
76 years ago
Ferdinand Porsche approved the final design for the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car just two days after being released from prison Read more…
1948
75 years ago
The first race meeting at the Zandvoort circuit in Holland was organised by the British Racing Driving Club Read more…
1949
74 years ago
The third race of the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock season was held at the Occoneechee Speedway, North Carolina, US Read more…
1953
70 years ago
British racing driver Nigel Mansell CBE, who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series, was born in Upton-upon-Severn Read more…
1956
67 years ago
Mack Trucks, Inc purchased the Brockway Motor Truck Corporation of Cortland, New York Read more…
1956
67 years ago
Tire manufacturer Piero Pirelli (75), died in Milan, Italy Read more…
1959
64 years ago
The first 1960 Edsel pre-production (Pilot) cars were built Read more…
1960
63 years ago
Stirling Moss drove a Lotus 19 Monte Carlo to victory in the 75-kilometer sports car race at Karlskoga, Sweden Read more…
1960
63 years ago
Marshal Tito’s personal chauffeur, Milivojic Bozie, was one of the competitors at the Freiburg Hillclimb in Germany Read more…
1966
57 years ago
John Taylor (33) died following an accident four weeks earlier at the German Grand Prix, when his Brabham collided with Jacky Ickx’s Matra on the first lap of the race Read more…
1966
57 years ago
Australian Jack Brabham won the German Grand Prix on his way to becoming the first man to win the World Drivers Championship in a car he built himself Read more…
1966
57 years ago
The 1959 and 1960 World Champion Jack Brabham driving his Brabham BT19 won the German Grand Prix, his fourth win in succession Read more…
1974
49 years ago
French daredevil Philippe Petit walked across a tightrope strung between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City Read more…
1983
40 years ago
Rene Arnoux won the German Grand Prix for Ferrari by over a minute from Andrea de Cesaris in an Alfa Romeo 183T Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Ayrton Senna led home Alain Prost at the Hungarian Grand Prix for the 10th consecutive McLaren win of the season Read more…
1998
25 years ago
A small group of angry shopkeepers brought one of Mexico City’s main traffic routes to a halt Read more…
1999
24 years ago
Volvo announced it had agreed to acquire a majority share in Scania Read more…
2001
22 years ago
Ford and Navistar joined forces to create the Blue Diamond Truck Company to build medium commercial trucks Read more…
2002
21 years ago
Three members of Oasis were injured when the taxi they were travelling in was involved in a crash during a US tour in Indianapolis Read more…
2002
21 years ago
Ford Motor Co Read more…
2004
19 years ago
The Midnight Sun solar car team left the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, on a journey of 15,070 km (9,364 miles) through Canada and the United States Read more…
2004
19 years ago
The outright Craigantlet Hillclimb, Northern Ireland record of 39 Read more…
2005
18 years ago
Tony Stewart, a native and resident of Columbus, Indiana, scored an emotional win at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, becoming the first Indiana-born driver to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and the first driver from Indiana to win a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since Shelbyville native Wilbur Shaw won the 1940 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Read more…
2008
15 years ago
Aston Martin released the first image of its newest flagship vehicle – the limited-edition One-77 Read more…
2008
15 years ago
Andrea Pininfarina (51) Italian engineer and manager, former CEO of the Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, founded by his grandfather Battista “Pinin” Farina died while riding a Vespa near the company’s headquarters in Cambiano outside Turin, Italy Read more…
2009
14 years ago
President Obama signed into law a measure tripling the budget of the $1 billion incentive “cash for clunkers” program Read more…
2014
9 years ago
The busiest motorways in Britain suffered lane closures every single day in 2013, meaning they never actually operated at full capacity Read more…
2015
8 years ago
The body of the grand prix legend Juan Manuel Fangio was exhumed to try to resolve paternity cases brought by two men claiming to be the five-times world champion’s son Read more…
