On this day in…
1880
144 years ago
The first electric streetlight was installed in Wabash, Indiana, US Read more…
1897
127 years ago
A prototype Daimler parcel van, the first petrol-powered truck to be manufactured in Great Britain, completed a successful 70-mile round trip between Coventry and Birmingham with a full payload Read more…
1922
102 years ago
Morris Markin formed the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company Read more…
1923
101 years ago
Gasoline mixed with tetraethyl lead was first sold to the public at a roadside gas station Read more…
1926
98 years ago
The Marmon Motor Car Company was established as a separate corporation from the parent Nordyke & Marmon Company Read more…
1942
82 years ago
The US government ordered the rationing of all new cars held by dealers Read more…
1946
78 years ago
Sir Stafford Cripps officially opened Rover’s Solihull car plant Read more…
1954
70 years ago
Enrico Plate (45), Argentine motor racing driver and team manager, died Read more…
1955
69 years ago
The Chrysler Corporation legally made Imperial a separate marque, to better compete with its North American rivals, Lincoln and Cadillac, and European luxury sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer and the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Read more…
1958
66 years ago
Juan Manuel Fangio won the Buenos Aires Grand Prix held at Buenos Aires in the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Production of the Mercury Comet began in Lorain, Ohio, US Read more…
1962
62 years ago
The first 260 Roadster, minus engine and transmission, is air freighted to Carroll Shelby’s shop in Southern California Read more…
1962
62 years ago
Rod “Black Bandit” Perry won the Modified Stock Car race over Dur Howe and Pee Wee Griffin at the Palmetto Speedway in Miami, Florida, US Read more…
1962
62 years ago
Jerry Blundy won the opening event of the Winternational Sprint Car series at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida (US) Read more…
1969
55 years ago
In a race that saw the Porsche and Ford teams collapse, the Daytona 24 Hours World Sports Car Championship race was taken by the Roger Penske entered Lola of Mark Donohue/Charlie Parsons Read more…
1969
55 years ago
Chris Amon drove his 2 Read more…
1970
54 years ago
It became an offence in Britain to drive, or to employ another person to drive a heavy goods vehicle unless the driver held the appropriate HGV licence to drive such a vehicle Read more…
1974
50 years ago
The Bricklin SV-1 was introduced at the National Association of Automobile Dealers convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, US Read more…
1975
49 years ago
Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood won the Daytona 24 Hours Sports Car race, round 1 of the 1975 Sports Car World Championship for Makes Read more…
1975
49 years ago
Warwick Brown drove his Chevrolet powered Lola T332 to victory in the Tasman Cup Formula 5000 series round at Oran Park Raceway, Narellan, New South Wales, Australia Read more…
1979
45 years ago
Jim Childers won the Sprint Car feature as part of the third annual Rocky Fisher’s Florida Sprint Car Nationals, at the DeSoto Memorial Speedway, Bradenton, Florida, US Read more…
1985
39 years ago
Bob Glidden became the first NHRA Pro Stock driver to run the 1/4-mile in under 7 Read more…
1986
38 years ago
A Lauwenbrau sponsored Porsche 962 was driven to victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona by Al Holbert, Derek Bell, and Al Unser Jr Read more…
1992
32 years ago
A Nissan R91 became the first Japanese car to win the 24 Hours of Daytona event in Daytona Beach Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Seven drivers (Rob Dyson, James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger, Andy Wallace, John Paul Jr Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Tony Stewart, driving the Steve Lewis #9x, won the USAC Western States Midget race at the Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona, US Read more…
1999
25 years ago
David McComb (37), former leader of the Black-Eyed Susans and Triffids, died in Melbourne, Australia, while recovering at home from a car accident he had been involved in three days earlier Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Eddie Jordan called on F1 bosses to “strive earnestly” to put Africa back on the schedule, seven years after the last race on the continent Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Ford Motor Company and UPS Logistics Group, a subsidiary of United Parcel Service, formed a strategic alliance to reduce vehicle delivery time from Ford plants to dealers and customers Read more…
2004
20 years ago
A standard 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10, driven by NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan (US), reached a speed of 248 Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Chanoch Nissany became the first Israeli F1 driver when he signed a testing contract with Minardi Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Toyota announced it had reached the 15 million mark in North American car production. Read more…
2007
17 years ago
An overcrowded minibus skidded off a road and fell into a gorge in Rajouri District, India, killing 19 and injuring 23 Read more…
2007
17 years ago
A tanker carrying liquefied carbon dioxide crashed, overturned and exploded in Tigbao, Philippines, killing 50 and injuring 65 Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Bernie Ecclestone launched a remarkable verbal attack on Ron Dennis when asked about the £50 million fine slapped on McLaren as a result of the Spygate scandal Read more…
2008
16 years ago
South Korean car giant Hyundai Motor Co opened a second plant in India, making the country its biggest foreign manufacturing site Read more…
2018
6 years ago
Car factories across Germany were at a standstill as industrial workers staged a third day of 24-hour strikes, focusing on plants owned by Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and BMW Read more…
