On this day in…
1861
162 years ago
Legendary American industrialist William Crapo Durant was born in New York Read more…
1908
115 years ago
Four 80-acre tracts of land were purchased for $72,000 to build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Charles Rayfield applied for a United States patent for his carburettor, a design that would become the favourite of race car designers and drivers and standard equipment on several well known marques Read more…
1913
110 years ago
Arthur Duray driving the 300 hp Super Fiat at Ostend, Belgium recorded a one-way run at 132 Read more…
1915
108 years ago
The Diamond T Motor Car Company of Chicago registered both the ‘diamond’ logo and large ‘T’ as trademarks Read more…
1921
102 years ago
Carroll A Hochwalt created tetraethyl lead (TEL) by combining zinc ethyl and lead chloride, leading to the development of ‘ethyl’ gasoline (leaded petrol) Read more…
1922
101 years ago
A dinner was given to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Royal Automobile Club at which the Prince of Wales (later Duke of Windsor) was present and Frederick Simms, its founder, was presented with an illuminated address by the chairman, Sir Arthur Stanley Read more…
1926
97 years ago
Pierre Fenaille was issued with a French patent for a constant velocity U-joint considered essential for a successful front-drive automobile Read more…
1930
93 years ago
A US patent application was filed by E L Cord, Herbert C Snow, and Don C Hollister to protect the design of the 1931 Auburn radiator shell Read more…
1932
91 years ago
The first Pontiac was produced with a straight 8 engine designed by Benjamin Anibal Read more…
1939
84 years ago
Twin road tunnels between Folkestone, Kent and Cap Gris Nez in France were proposed by three French engineers, Messieurs Basdevant, Dauphin and Darlet, in the French engineering journal Le Génie Civil Read more…
1942
81 years ago
At the age of 73, the architect and engineer Albert Kahn, known as “the man who built Detroit”, died at his home there Read more…
1945
78 years ago
The Toyota Motor Company received permission from the occupation government to start production of buses and trucks, vehicles necessary to keep Japan running Read more…
1957
66 years ago
Driving Frank Arciero’s 4 Read more…
1957
66 years ago
The first Sunday newspaper section devoted entirely to automobile advertising appeared in the US, featuring the 1958 Packard, Studebaker and Mercedes-Benz lines Read more…
1981
42 years ago
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the automotive division of the huge Mitsubishi conglomerate of Japan, began selling cars in the U Read more…
1984
39 years ago
Razzle, the drummer of Finnish glam rock band Hanoi Rocks, was killed in a tragic car accident Read more…
1991
32 years ago
General Motors announced the closure of 21 plants Read more…
2002
21 years ago
“If you’re Ralf Schumacher I’m Arnie Schwarzenegger Read more…
2004
19 years ago
A drunk Dutch driver had to be freed by the fire brigade after she locked herself in a hospital toilet to avoid a blood test Read more…
2005
18 years ago
Firestone, a multinational rubber manufacturing giant known for its automobile tires, came under fire from human rights and environmental groups for its alleged use of child labour and slave-like working conditions at a plantation in Liberia Read more…
2008
15 years ago
British car parts maker Wagon PLC said it planned to file for a form of bankruptcy protection after a global slump in demand for cars crippled its business Read more…
