On this day in…
1913
111 years ago
The world’s first ‘closed’ production car was introduced, the Hudson Motor Car Company’s Model 54 saloon Read more…
1913
111 years ago
The last horse-drawn Paris omnibus ran, from Saint-Sulpice to La Villette Read more…
1917
107 years ago
The Ford Model T truck – the ‘TT’ was introduced Read more…
1919
105 years ago
Hudson’s new companion marque, the Essex, was publicly unveiled Read more…
1925
99 years ago
Rene Dreyfus made his major racing debut, winning the Falicon Hillclimb (near Nice) in a Bugatti Brecia Read more…
1937
87 years ago
Twelve days into a general sit-down strike at the General Motors (GM) factory in Flint, Michigan, General Motors security forces and the Flint Police Department moved in to evict the strikers Read more…
1940
84 years ago
General Motors celebrated the production of its 25-millionth American-made car, a silver Chevrolet Master Deluxe four-door town sedan Read more…
1944
80 years ago
John Walter Christie (78), a pioneer designer of front-wheel-drive cars, died in Falls Church, Virginia, US Read more…
1951
73 years ago
Harry M Bramberry Sr (56), the inventor of nitrided steel piston rings and a consultant to the White Motor Company, died in New York City Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Autobianchi, an Italian automobile manufacturer, was created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat, with a share capital of 3 million lira, 33% of which belonged to the Bianchi family Read more…
1956
68 years ago
The 1956-model Chevrolet Corvette was officially announced, a vast improvement over the first generation in almost every respect Read more…
1956
68 years ago
The DeSoto Pacesetter convertible was introduced as a limited production replica of the unique car produced to serve as a pace car for the forthcoming Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1957
67 years ago
Ford announced that the design of the Edsel would be far more radical than any of its other products and that equally radical sales and marketing techniques would be used to promote it Read more…
1957
67 years ago
Pontiac introduced its top of the line Series 28 Star Chief Custom Bonneville convertible coupe, and the equally exclusive Series 27 Star Chief Custom Safari 4-door station wagon, later dubbed the ‘Transcontinental’ Read more…
1958
66 years ago
The New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore was won by Jack Brabham driving 2-litre Cooper-Climax Read more…
1958
66 years ago
The Studebaker-based 1958 Packard sedan, hardtop and station wagon were introduced, which along with the Hawk sport coupe introduced three months earlier would be the last of the marque Read more…
1962
62 years ago
Dan Gurney and Frank Arciero drove a Lotus 19B to victory in the Daytona Continental 3 Hour race in Daytona, Florida, USA Read more…
1968
56 years ago
Matra unveiled their 3-litre V-12 F1 engine Read more…
1977
47 years ago
Henry Ford II resigned from the Ford Foundation Read more…
1980
44 years ago
Honda announced it would build Japan’s first U Read more…
1981
43 years ago
Bobby Allison drove his Ranier Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory as the NASCAR Grand National season opened with the Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway Read more…
1987
37 years ago
Twenty five motorists were publicly lashed for staging a car race in Saudia Arabia Read more…
1990
34 years ago
James R Read more…
1994
30 years ago
The last 2-door Range Rover was built Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Jaguar’s new F-Type Concept roadster was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Ford announced it would open a new design studio in London in 2001 Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Louis Krages Sports car driver, AKA “John Winter”, winner of the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Ford Motor Company announced it was eliminating 35,000 jobs, closing five plants and dropping four models Read more…
2003
21 years ago
BBC Top Gear’s original, black-suited Stig was unmasked by the Sunday Mirror as former F1 driver Perry McCarthy Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Two-time Dakar Rally motorcycle champion Fabrizio Meoni (47) was killed in a crash during the event Read more…
2006
18 years ago
British Police secured the conviction of a millionaire businessman who drove at 156 mph with a mobile phone at his ear Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Larry McClure announced that due to lack of sponsorship, Morgan-McClure Motorsports was shutting down Read more…
2009
15 years ago
South Korea’s Hyundai Genesis was named North American Car of the Year and the Ford F-150 as the 2009 North American Truck of the Year Read more…
2010
14 years ago
In Ecuador, Quito Mayor Augusto Barrera said his government would impose new driving restrictions to keep 80,000 private cars off the capital’s congested streets during rush hour Read more…
2011
13 years ago
Bryan Clauson won the opening night (Tuesday) qualifying feature of the 25th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, Tulsa, Oklahoma, US Read more…