On this day in…

1879

143 years ago

Mosley Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, England became the first street in the world to be lit by electric light – Joseph Swan’s invention Read more…

1903

119 years ago

The first 10 hp Royce engine was tested by designer F H Royce Read more…

1903

119 years ago

The Reading Automobile Company of Reading Pennsylvania, US was reorganised as the Relay Motor Car Company Read more…

1910

112 years ago

The Lozier Motor Company reorganised with plans to relocate from Plattsburg, New York, to Detroit, Michigan, US and challenge Packard for leadership in the United States luxury car market Read more…

1915

107 years ago

Eddie O’Donnell won the 100 Read more…

1919

103 years ago

Clessie Lyle Cummins incorporated Cummins Engine Co Read more…

1924

98 years ago

Petrol in Britain rose fourpence-halfpenny to two shillings a gallon Read more…

1929

93 years ago

Major H O D Seagrave set a new land speed record of 231 Read more…

1942

80 years ago

Buick’s Plant #11 produced its last pre-World War II automobile engine Read more…

1943

79 years ago

Theodore A Willard (80), inventor of the storage battery and founder of the Willard Storage Battery Company, died in Beverly Hills, California, US Read more…

1947

75 years ago

Charles C Morgan Jr Read more…

1948

74 years ago

The first Cadillac with tailfins was produced, heralding the dawn of the tailfin era Read more…

1951

71 years ago

August Horch German engineer and automobile pioneer, the founder of the manufacturing firm that would become Audi, died aged 82 years Read more…

1953

69 years ago

Art Chrisman made the first sub-10 second (9 Read more…

1954

68 years ago

The 1954 Kaiser Manhattan was introduced along with the first series Kaiser Special – these cars were actually slightly modified and recoded 1953 models Read more…

1956

66 years ago

Johnny Claes, an English-born racing driver who competed for Belgium, died aged 39 from tuberculosis Read more…

1958

64 years ago

Paul Goldsmith drove Smokey Yunick’s Pontiac to victory in the last stock car race held on the beach at Daytona, Florida, USA Read more…

1962

60 years ago

Bruno Brackey won the 100-lap ATQMRA TQ Midget race at the indoor Teaneck Armory, Teaneck, New Jersey (US) Read more…

1963

59 years ago

Jim Hall won the first United States Road Racing Championship race, at Daytona, Florida, USA, driving a Cooper Monaco Read more…

1971

51 years ago

Jerry Blundy won the first event of the Winternational Sprint Car series at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida, US Read more…

1974

48 years ago

Emerson Fittipaldi inaugurated the new Autodromo de Brasilia by winning the non-championship F1 “Grand Prix de President Medici” on the twisting 3 Read more…

1974

48 years ago

Max Stewart drove to his second straight Tasman Championship Formula 5000 victory, winning round 5 at Oran Park Raceway Read more…

1978

44 years ago

Doug Wolfgang won the opening 40-lap feature of the 1978 Southern Sprint Car Nationals at the East Bay Speedway, Gibsonton, Florida, US Read more…

1979

43 years ago

Donnie Tanner won the Sprint Car feature as part of the third annual Rocky Fisher’s Florida Sprint Car Nationals, at the Sunshine Speedway, St Petersburg, Florida, US Read more…

1981

41 years ago

On the centenary of his birth the citizens of Mako, Hungary dedicated a memorial plaque to József Galamb, noting his major contributions to the design of the Ford Model T and the Fordson farm tractor Read more…

1985

37 years ago

Rick Johnson made the first 5 Read more…

1990

32 years ago

General Motors unveiled their first prototype ‘Impact’ electric car Read more…

1993

29 years ago

Jeff Andretti set the (then) unofficial closed-course speed record for IndyCars of 234 Read more…

1999

23 years ago

Head of the South Korean Daewoo corporation in South Africa, Yong Koo Kwon was found shot dead in his car in a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, a victim of a car hijacking Read more…

2000

22 years ago

Mercedes parent company Daimler bought 40% of McLaren, solidifying its engine supply deal that had been in place since 1995 Read more…

2000

22 years ago

Ford announced that eligible employees worldwide would be provided a computer, printer and Internet usage at home for a nominal fee Read more…

2004

18 years ago

Singer Gene Hughes (67) of the Casinos doo-wop group died after a car accident in Nashville, Tennessee Read more…

2004

18 years ago

Sean “P. Diddy” Combs settled a $3 million (£1.76 million) court case Read more…

2006

16 years ago

Midland launched the first Russian Formula One car, the M16 Read more…

2006

16 years ago

Malaysia’s national carmaker Proton renewed its alliance with Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp Read more…

2006

16 years ago

“The World’s Fastest Indian,” a movie based on the true story of motorcycle racer and land-speed record holder Burt Munro, opened in U Read more…

2007

15 years ago

Two buses collided on a highway in Hechi, China, killing 13 and injuring 75 Read more…

2012

10 years ago

Tracy Hines won the 30-lap Sprint Car race at the Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona, US Read more…

2016

6 years ago

Toyota announced that it would discontinue the Scion brand in August 2016, with selected models to be re-branded as Toyota vehicles for the 2017 model year Read more…