On this day in…
1893
131 years ago
The first electric car in Canada, a two-seater with padded seats and wire-spoke wheels, was completed by John Dixon Carriage Works in Toronto Read more…
1911
113 years ago
Warren Johnson (63), inventor of the electric thermostat and manufacturer of Johnson tracks since 1905 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, died Read more…
1925
99 years ago
The paved track at Marouba Speedway, New South Wales, Australia, opened Read more…
1932
92 years ago
The first Ford Model C car was introduced Read more…
1933
91 years ago
Charles Nelson Pogue of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada was issued with the first three United States patents for his Pogue Carburetor, said to increase gas mileage to as high as 200 mpg Read more…
1936
88 years ago
Austin W Read more…
1938
86 years ago
The Champion Spark Plug Company was reorganised in Delaware to succeed the original company founded in 1910 Read more…
1949
75 years ago
The Central States Racing Association, a rival Midwestern-based stock car racing sanctioning body, announced it would sanction the inaugural Southern 500 at the new Darlington Raceway, South Carolina, US in 1950 Read more…
1951
73 years ago
The first push button-controlled Park-O-Mat garage opened in Washington, DC by Parking Services Inc Read more…
1951
73 years ago
Chester S Ricker, a pioneer employee of Henderson and Stutz who was the official scorer for the first Indianapolis 500 race in 1911 and had performed this function at this event since, died aged 63 Read more…
1958
66 years ago
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan opened Britain’s first stretch of motorway, the 8-mile Preston bypass in Lancashire Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Leyland Motors announced it would purchase Standard-Triumph International Read more…
1970
54 years ago
Highway administrators piled into a car and took a ceremonial drive through a paper ribbon at the entrance to the final segment, known as the West Leg, of the infamous Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, US Read more…
1973
51 years ago
The UK government imposed a compulsory 50-mph speed limit to save fuel during the Middle East oil crisis Read more…
1975
49 years ago
The funeral of former world champion Graham Hill was held at St Albans Abbey, Hertfordshire Read more…
1977
47 years ago
The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon were introduced Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Don Panoz, founder of Panoz Auto Development, was presented with the John Bolster Award for technical excellence at the Autosport Awards Banquet for successfully bringing front-engined cars back to top-flight sportscar racing Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Gloomy times in the F1 business Read more…
2019
5 years ago
Uber launched in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan, part of its expansion into African markets with low levels of car ownership and limited mass transport Read more…
