On this day in…
1900
124 years ago
The National Cycle & Automobile Company Limited opened a showroom in Toronto, Ontario – the first automobile dealership in Canada, to sell bicycles and Locomobile steamers Read more…
1903
121 years ago
Alexander Winton, driving his Winton ‘Bullet 1’ with a huge 13 litre water-cooled 4 cylinder engine, set the first speed record (68.14 mph) ever achieved at Daytona Beach, Florida Read more…
1914
110 years ago
Ralph DePalma driving a Mercedes GP won the 9th running of the Vanderbilt Cup (Santa Monica) race after a thrilling duel with Barney Oldfield Read more…
1916
108 years ago
The Scripps-Booth Company filed papers to dissolve the corporation Read more…
1922
102 years ago
Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro laid the first stone as construction began on the Autodromo di Monza, universally known as the Temple of Speed Read more…
1924
100 years ago
Kissel engineers Herman D Palmer and Joseph A Tarkington were issued with a US patent for their ‘Automatic Oil Control’, a throttle-controlled device to regulate the amount of oil supplied to the engine Read more…
1930
94 years ago
The first red and green traffic signal lights were placed at Manhattan street corners. Read more…
1935
89 years ago
Howard C Marmon and Georg H Freers received a United States patent for their ‘Motor Vehicle’, a front-wheel-drive V12 two-door sedan – a single prototype known officially as the HCM Special was built, but this car is usually considered to be the last Marmon automobile produced Read more…
1935
89 years ago
The Pontiac “Indian Maiden” mascot was patented by its designers Chris Klein and C Read more…
1936
88 years ago
Adolf Hitler opened in Saxony, the first manufacturing plant of Germany’s “peoples car” – the Volkswagen Read more…
1944
80 years ago
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is incorporated in Boston by seven sports car enthusiasts Read more…
1949
75 years ago
Adriano Malusardi died during practice for the Gran Premio Internacional San Martín, Argentina when his car crashed and rolled several times Read more…
1952
72 years ago
The 1952 Henry J Corsair was introduced as a mid-year replacement for the Vagabond line Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Tim Flock drove one of the Kiekhaefer Chrysler entries to win the 76 car NASCAR Grand National race on the Daytona beach & road course Read more…
1961
63 years ago
Marvin Panch took the lead when Fireball Roberts dropped out with 13 laps left and went on to win the third Daytona 500 Read more…
1965
59 years ago
Lee Roy Yarbrough set a new world closed course speed record in his hemi-powered Dodge, reaching 181 Read more…
1966
58 years ago
Mario Andretti made his first Daytona 500 start, driving a Chevrolet for Smokey Yunick Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Mario Andretti won the Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford, his only NASCAR Grand National win Read more…
1968
56 years ago
The first bus lane in London was put into service on Vauxhall Bridge. Read more…
1970
54 years ago
The second generation 1970 1/2 Pontiac Firebird was introduced Read more…
1972
52 years ago
Nearly 550 vehicles were shown on the opening day of the 1972 Chicago Auto Show, including the five-millionth Chicago-built Ford, a Galaxie 500 hardtop Read more…
1978
46 years ago
Benny Parsons took the lead when Lennie Pond suffered a flat right front tire with 77 laps to go, and went on to take the Richmond 400 NASCAR GN race Read more…
1981
43 years ago
Driver Ulf Grönholm (38) – the father of future World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm – and co-driver Bob Rehnström were killed after their car hit a snowplower and caught fire during a preparatory run on public roads for the Hankiralli, the Finnish round of the European Rally Championship scheduled two days later Read more…
1983
41 years ago
The 75th anniversary edition of the Chicago Auto Show opened Read more…
1984
40 years ago
Alba made their IMSA GT debut at Miami, Florida, USA Read more…
1986
38 years ago
Italian coachbuilders Terrazzano di Rho completed the first £87,000 Aston Martin Zagota supercar Read more…
1990
34 years ago
Cornell Gunter (53) of the Coasters was shot and killed while sitting in his car in Las Vegas, Nevada Read more…
1993
31 years ago
A bomb in a yellow Ryder truck was detonated in an underground garage at the World Trade Center in New York, shaking the 110 story towers and causing the collapse of several floors in the underground garage and tearing a hole in the ceiling of an adjoining subway Read more…
1995
29 years ago
Ray Bellm and Maurizio Sandro Sala won the 4 Hours of Jerez, Spain, driving a Gulf McLaren F1 GTR Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Giuseppe Bertone, called “Nuccio”, famed automobile designer and constructor died aged 82 Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Dennis Nalon (87), an American midget car, sprint car, and Indy 500 driver from Chicago, Illinois, United States, died Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Badawi told Proton to set its sights abroad as he launched the national carmaker’s 1 Read more…
2007
17 years ago
In an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues, the Honda Formula One (F1) team unveiled its Earth Car, a race car emblazoned with a large image of the planet instead of the typical advertising and sponsorship logos featured on most F1 vehicles Read more…
2007
17 years ago
A bus rolled down a 300-foot gorge in Reasi, India, killing 12 and injuring nine Read more…
2008
16 years ago
The classic car auction held at The Centaur Complex at Cheltenham Racecourse, grossed in excess of £1,500,000 Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Production of the all-new Ford Kuga, Ford of Europe’s first entry into the highly competitive crossover market began at the Ford plant in Saarlouis, Germany Read more…
2009
15 years ago
The record for the longest distance covered by a car driven on its side on two wheels of 371 Read more…
2009
15 years ago
General Motors reported a $9 Read more…
2009
15 years ago
Formula 1 drivers agreed to pay the hike in their superlicense fee, after threatening to go on strike at the height of their protest Read more…
2017
7 years ago
Chase Elliott started the Daytona 500 from the pole for the second year in a row Read more…
