January 1st


On this day in…

1853

171 years ago

The world’s first practical steam fire engine Read more…

1873

151 years ago

Wilhelm Maybach was named Chief Design Engineer for Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz AG Read more…

1879

145 years ago

Karl Benz successfully operated his first two-stroke petrol engine for the first time Read more…

1904

120 years ago

The first motor vehicle registration plate in Great Britain Read more…

1906

118 years ago

The first car using the Lion-Peugeot name was introduced Read more…

1910

114 years ago

The Ford Motor Company occupied it’s new Highland Park, Michigan factory that was designed by architect Albert Kahn Read more…

1911

113 years ago

The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company and the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Company, builders of the E-M-F merged as the Studebaker Corporation Read more…

1914

110 years ago

Walter O Bentley wed Leonie Withers, in his first of three marriages Read more…

1915

109 years ago

The Dort Motor Car Company was incorporated, with J Dallas Dort as President, David M Averill as Vice President, Fred A Aldrich as Secretary-Treasurer, John D Mansfield as General Manager, and Etinne Planche as Chief Engineer Read more…

1916

108 years ago

Future auto racer and speed record holder Henry Seagrave received his wings from the Royal Flying Corp Read more…

1919

105 years ago

Edsel Ford succeeded his father, Henry Ford, as president of the Ford Motor Company Read more…

1921

103 years ago

Road car tax discs for obligatory display on windscreens were introduced in Britain Read more…

1922

102 years ago

Vancouver BC, Canada started driving on the right side of road Read more…

1924

100 years ago

Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company was declared bankrupt Read more…

1926

98 years ago

Ford Parts Depot and assembly operation was established in Berlin, Germany Read more…

1927

97 years ago

Massachusetts became the first state in the US to require automobile insurance Read more…

1927

97 years ago

Assar Gabrielsson was named Managing Director of AB Volvo Read more…

1928

96 years ago

The 1929 Hudson and Essex Super-Sixes were introduced Read more…

1928

96 years ago

The Dixi-built Austin Seven was introduced, an event often cited as the automotive beginning of BMW Read more…

1931

93 years ago

The Road Traffic Act 1930 came into force in Great Britain, abolishing the 20mph speed limit and set different limits for different classes of vehicle Read more…

1932

92 years ago

“Babe” Stapp was declared winner of the accident shortened 100-mile AAA Pacific Coast championship race at Oakland Speedway Read more…

1932

92 years ago

A merger of Praga, Skoda and Tatra became effective for a projected 20 years, but the Czech combine only lasted two months Read more…

1932

92 years ago

Auto Union AG acquired Wanderer-Werk AG of Siegmar-Schonau, Germany Read more…

1932

92 years ago

Production of GAZ Model A cars and GAZ Model AA trucks (based on the Ford Model A and Model AA) began at the Gor’kiy (USSR) Automotive Plant Read more…

1933

91 years ago

The Dodge Series DO was introduced; a car that was destined to be the marque’s last straight-8 Read more…

1933

91 years ago

The Pierce Silver Arrow concept car Read more…

1935

89 years ago

Mr Tom L. Williams of Tamworth Read more…

1937

87 years ago

Safety glass in windshields became mandatory in Great Britain Read more…

1937

87 years ago

Pat Fairfield won the South African Grand Prix in East London driving an ERA R4A, the first victory for the marque in the hands of a private owner Read more…

1938

86 years ago

Ford reported that a car was being completed every three minutes at its Cologne assembly plant, in Germany Read more…

1940

84 years ago

HGV licences and tests were suspended in Britain for the duration of World War II Read more…

1942

82 years ago

The U Read more…

1942

82 years ago

The Olds Motor Works officially became the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors Read more…

1944

80 years ago

The Motor Truck Division of the International Harvester Company is created Read more…

1948

76 years ago

The infamous ‘Horsepower Tax’ was done away with, replaced by the flat rate for motor cars that has survived until recent years, when the UK Government has again started to tax vehicles according to engine size but this time to encourage reduced overall emissions from car exhausts Read more…

1952

72 years ago

Colin Chapman and Michael Allen formed the Lotus Engineering Company Read more…

1954

70 years ago

Flashing direction indicator lights became legal on motor vehicles in Great Britain Read more…

1955

69 years ago

Studebaker modified its 1955 line up by changing the windshield to a wraparound design on all sedans and station wagons Read more…

1960

64 years ago

Production at Luton’s Vauxhall car plant halted because the men were ‘too hot’ Read more…

1963

61 years ago

Registration plate identifiers were introduced in the Britain with the suffix A Read more…

1964

60 years ago

The US government required front seat belts as standard equipment on all newly manufactured new cars Read more…

1965

59 years ago

Jim Clark in a Lotus-Climax celebrated Hogmanay by dominating the South African Grand Prix at East London, leading from pole and breaking the 100mph barrier, winning by half a minute from Graham Hill and John Surtees and even had time to complete an extra lap after the chequered flag was waved a lap too early Read more…

1966

58 years ago

Viewers of the Rose Bowl were first introduced to the new “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion”, the 1966 Dodge Charger Read more…

1967

57 years ago

The ‘blanket’ speed limit of 70 mph in Britain came into force, the first time that such legislation had been applied since the 1930s, apart from the 20mph speed limit imposed in blackout hours during World War II Read more…

1968

56 years ago

Most seat belt legislation in the United States is left to the states Read more…

1968

56 years ago

FIA declared there could be sponsorship on cars participating in racing they sanction, providing the sponsor’s logo was no larger than one square foot Read more…

1968

56 years ago

Collapsible safety-steering columns became mandatory for all US cars. Read more…

1968

56 years ago

The South African Grand Prix held at Kyalami Circuit, the first round of the 1968 Formula One season, contested over 73 laps, was won by two time World Drivers’ Champion and 1965 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Clark for Lotus-Ford after starting from pole position Read more…

1973

51 years ago

All vehicles registered before this day are eligible for a free vehicle licence under the “Historic Vehicles” legislation Read more…

1973

51 years ago

Robert D Lund was named General Manager of Cadillac, succeeding George R Elges Read more…

1973

51 years ago

All vehicles manufactured and driven in Britain after this date had to display number plates of reflex-reflecting material, white at the front and yellow at the rear, with black characters. Read more…

1974

50 years ago

The UK Government introduced a 50mph speed limit to conserve fuel, as oil prices rose five-fold from $2 Read more…

1975

49 years ago

Iveco was created by FIAT manager and mechanical engineer Bruno Beccaria through the merger of five companies operating in Italy, France and Germany; Fiat Veicoli Industriali (located in Turin), OM (Brescia), Lancia Veicoli Speciali (Bolzano), Unic (Trappes) and Magirus (Ulm) Read more…

1975

49 years ago

The Honda Civic CVCC was introduced in the US Read more…

1976

48 years ago

A snarling cougar head was introduced as the new Ford Cougar emblem Read more…

1976

48 years ago

Full driving licences become valid until the age of 70 from 1 January 1976 Read more…

1980

44 years ago

Chrysler UK Ltd became Talbot Motor Co Read more…

1981

43 years ago

The two millionth Fiesta came off Ford’s Cologne (Germany) assembly lines Read more…

1981

43 years ago

Mauri Rose (74), American racecar driver, winner of the Indianapolis 500 three times during the 1940s and inventor of a device that made it possible for amputees to drive an automobile, died aged 85 years Read more…

1981

43 years ago

Roger B Smith was elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors Read more…

1982

42 years ago

Ford introduced the Escort convertible in Germany Read more…

1982

42 years ago

Volvo assumed responsibility to market the Renault 5 through its dealer network Read more…

1984

40 years ago

Hong Kong officially had the highest traffic density in the world- 302,118 motor vehicles on 778 Read more…

1985

39 years ago

Audi NSU Auto Union AG was renamed AUDI AG Read more…

1985

39 years ago

US’s first mandatory seat belt law came into effect in New York Read more…

1985

39 years ago

Switzerland began charging its citizens for using public highways Read more…

1988

36 years ago

Dr Ferdinand Piech, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, was named Chairman of Audi NSU Auto Union AG Read more…

1996

28 years ago

The TV channel, which eventually became SPEED Channel was launched by Roger L Read more…

1997

27 years ago

A new test category was created for a car with a large trailer (B+E) Read more…

1999

25 years ago

Ford announced its intention to acquire 51% interest in Norway’s PIVCO Industries, maker of the TH!NK two-seat electric city car Read more…

1999

25 years ago

Sir Alex Trotman, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Co Read more…

2001

23 years ago

Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus International ‪when Mayflower Corporation (owner of Dennis and Alexander) merged with Henlys Group (owner of Plaxton) Read more…

2002

22 years ago

Pop singer Shakin’ Stevens was stopped by the police and was found to have 83 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35mgs Read more…

2003

21 years ago

BMW AG assumed the rights to use the Rolls-Royce marque Read more…

2004

20 years ago

A fee of £38 was payable on the first registration and licensing of a motor vehicle in the United Kingdom Read more…

2004

20 years ago

The Mitsubishi Outlander, Mitsubishi’s first new European car since 2000, went on sale in the UK Read more…

2005

19 years ago

Mandatory tolls were introduced for heavy trucks using the German autobahn system Read more…

2007

17 years ago

Roady’s Truck Stops was founded, when two trucking industry marketing groups merged Read more…

2007

17 years ago

The last appearance of the name Rootes was at a garage, still extant in Maidstone (England), which bore the name Read more…

2007

17 years ago

Former world boxing champion Naseem Hamed was stripped of his MBE after served 16 weeks of a 15-month term in 2006 year for seriously injuring Anthony Burgin in the high speed car crash in Sheffield in May 2005 Read more…

2007

17 years ago

Denver Broncos starting cornerback Darrent Williams was shot dead in a stretch limousine Hummer, in Denver Read more…

2008

16 years ago

Washington became the first US state to ban text messaging while driving Read more…

2015

9 years ago

A total of 103 cars got in sync to burn rubber at the 28th annual Street Machine Summernats in Canberra, Australia, smashing the previous record of 68 vehicles set at the same event in 2013 Read more…

365 Days Of Motoring

Recent Posts

Categories

Disclaimer

I We have no wish to abuse copyright regulations and we apologise unreservedly if this occurs. If you own any of the material published please get in touch.