On this day in…
1875
149 years ago
Yataro Iwasaki (50), the founder of Mitsubishi, died in Tokyo, Japan Read more…
1919
105 years ago
Henry Ford was ordered by the courts to distribute profits, with interest, to stockholders back to August 1916 Read more…
1920
104 years ago
The Amerada Corporation was founded in Delaware, US Read more…
1931
93 years ago
David Evans, driving the Cummins No Read more…
1938
86 years ago
The first bench tests of the new Mercedes-Benz 3-litre V-12 engines were conducted prior to its installation into the W154 chassis Read more…
1938
86 years ago
Harvey S. Firestone Read more…
1942
82 years ago
The US federal government ordered passenger car production to be stopped Read more…
1954
70 years ago
Two-time NASCAR Grand National champion Herb Thomas won the 1954 NASCAR season opener at West Palm Beach (US) in his Hudson Hornet Read more…
1954
70 years ago
Dodge began its lavish 40th anniversary celebration Read more…
1958
66 years ago
The 2,000,000th Cadillac was produced, a Sedan DeVille that was met at the end of the assembly line by Division General Manager James M Roche and Joe Malachinski, a Cadillac employee since 1903 Read more…
1958
66 years ago
DAF’s first production car Read more…
1959
65 years ago
The Daytona International Speedway formally opened Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Bruce McLaren took his second F1 victory at the season-opening Argentine Grand Prix Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Karl Maybach (80), son of Wilhelm Maybach, and designer of the Maybach Zeppelin of the 1930s, died in Friedrichshafen, Germany Read more…
1964
60 years ago
Flaminio Bertoni, Italian, automobile designer, responsible for some of the most radical reconceptualisations of automobiles ever died aged 61 years Read more…
1975
49 years ago
Canada imposed a 55mph speed limit Read more…
1981
43 years ago
Carlos Reutemann won the disputed South African Grand Prix in a Williams – the race did not count towards the FIA World Championship as it was not sanctioned, but one used as leverage by FISA in an ongoing battle with the governing body Read more…
1985
39 years ago
The first Ford Tempo with an air bag was delivered to the United States Department of Transportation for testing Read more…
1987
37 years ago
1987 Chicago Auto Show Read more…
1988
36 years ago
Dale Earnhardt won the NASCAR Winston Cup Busch Clash race at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Florida (US) Read more…
1998
26 years ago
A Chevrolet Corvette convertible featured on the cover of the 90th Chicago Auto Show program Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Umberto Maglioli, who gave Porsche their first overall Targa Florio win, died at the age of 69, after a long illness, in Monza, Italy Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Ferrari launched its car for the F1 2000 season Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Jack Fairman (88), British racing driver who participated in 13 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1953, died Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Under shareholder pressure to return to profitability, General Motors Corporation announced it was cutting in half its yearly dividend to $1 a share and reducing the salaries of its chairman and senior leadership team. Read more…
2006
18 years ago
12 Turkish tourists died when their bus plunges into a ravine in Rome, Italy Read more…
2007
17 years ago
David Coulthard was fined $650 for injuring a woman in a road car accident in Monaco Read more…
2007
17 years ago
Scottish transport group FirstGroup purchased Laidlaw International for $3 Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Force India unveiled its first car, the VJM01 at ceremony in Mumbai Read more…
2009
15 years ago
A rare unrestored 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe that had been found in the garage of a British doctor a month earlier, was sold at a Paris auction for some $4 Read more…