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…