On this day in…
1807
217 years ago
Isaac de Rivaz was issued with a French patent for his explosion motor, an important ancestor of the modern internal combustion engine Read more…
1903
121 years ago
The first British Motor Show organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) was held at Crystal Palace, London, from 30 January to 7 February Read more…
1906
118 years ago
Howard C Marmon, founder of the Marmon Motor Car Company, was issued with a US patent for his hollow crankshaft lubricating system, considered by many to be his most significant invention Read more…
1910
114 years ago
Construction work began on the Playa Del Rey board track, the first of the great wood plank automobile US speedways Read more…
1920
104 years ago
The Toyo Kogyo Company, Ltd Read more…
1922
102 years ago
Ford of Belgium founded in Antwerp Read more…
1925
99 years ago
Race car designer Harry A Miller filed for a US patent on his front-wheel-drive “Drive Mechanism for Vehicles” Read more…
1929
95 years ago
The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was unveiled at the Rome Auto Show Read more…
1937
87 years ago
The first Rand Grand Prix was held at Lord Howe Read more…
1939
85 years ago
The first Studebaker Champion was produced, a Morocco Gray 4-door sedan Read more…
1942
82 years ago
The last pre-war automobiles produced by Chevrolet and DeSoto rolled off the assembly lines Read more…
1948
76 years ago
Benson Ford elected a company vice president and general manager of Lincoln-Mercury Division Read more…
1949
75 years ago
The Juan Perón & Buenos Aires Grand Prix at Palermo Park was won by Alberto Ascari in a Maserati 4CLT/48 Read more…
1951
73 years ago
Ferdinand Porsche, the legendary Austrian-German automotive engineer, died in Stuttgart, Germany aged 75 Read more…
1952
72 years ago
Jerry Unser won the NASCAR Sportsman Division feature stockcar race at Honolulu Stadium Read more…
1962
62 years ago
The first Shelby AC Cobra prototype ran at Silverstone, England. Read more…
1965
59 years ago
The Teretonga International at the Teretonga Park Circuit, New Zealand, was won by Jim Clark in a Lotus 32B Read more…
1966
58 years ago
Harold H Read more…
1968
56 years ago
International introduced its Fleetstar-A-trucks to replace the R and V series Read more…
1971
53 years ago
The non-championship F1 race, the Highveld 100 held at Kyalami, was won by Dave Charlton driving a Lotus-Cosworth 49 Read more…
1987
37 years ago
Bobby Davis Jr Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Martin James Aldridge (25) professional footballer, scorer of 44 goals in 182 league appearances in a seven-year career in the Football League died from injuries received in a car accident on the A53 after leaving a game at Nene Park, Northamptonshire (UK) Read more…
2001
23 years ago
The new Ford Mondeo was bestowed with one of the most prestigious awards in the British motor industry Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Australian businessman Paul Stoddart purchased the Minardi Formula One team Read more…
2003
21 years ago
Twenty years after the introduction of compulsory front seat belt wearing, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) published their Seat Belts Factsheet which stated: “Seat belts are a proven way of reducing the severity of injuries Read more…
2004
20 years ago
To mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Volkswagen Golf, and to celebrate, VW launched the all-new Mk V version in the UK Read more…
2005
19 years ago
2007
17 years ago
The first Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé destined for the US was bought at a charity auction held during the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival in Florida for $2 million. Read more…
2008
16 years ago
Auto giant Ford announced a multi-million dollar investment in South Africa, brushing aside fears about an electricity crisis which had alarmed other international investors Read more…
2009
15 years ago
Teddy Mayer, who helped Bruce McLaren set up Bruce McLaren Motorsport in 1963, died aged 73 Read more…
