On this day in…
1907
117 years ago
The Luverne Automobile Company was incorporated in Minnesota, US with A D LaDue as President, E A Brown as Vice President, S C Rea as Secretary, Jay A Kennicott as Treasurer, F A Al Leicher as Manager, his brother Edward L Leicher as mechanical Engineer and S B Nelson, William Jacobsen, Dr C O Wright and J W Gerber as minority shreholders Read more…
1909
115 years ago
The Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company was organised in Clintonville,Wisconsin (US) by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich Read more…
1911
113 years ago
The US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Ford Motor Company was not infringing George Selden’s patent Read more…
1912
112 years ago
The first Ahrens-Fox piston pumper fire truck was delivered to the Rockford Fire Department, Illinois, US Read more…
1915
109 years ago
Earl Cooper scored his first victory, winning the 305 mil Point Loma Road Race in San Diego, California, US, driving his famous Strutz No Read more…
1924
100 years ago
The Ford Motor Co Read more…
1926
98 years ago
The first Pontiac car, the “Chief of the Sixes,” a 6-cylinder car, was launched at the New York Auto Show Read more…
1932
92 years ago
The Packard 900 Light Eight and Twin-Six were introduced, expanding its market coverage in both directions (the Twin-Six was actually a quickly assembled show car, with the specification much-modified by the time actual production began in April) Read more…
1948
76 years ago
The last 1947 Pontiac was produced, 12 days after production of the 1948 Pontiacs had began, one of the few times that two model years were produced concurrently Read more…
1953
71 years ago
Fabbrica Automobili Isotta-Fraschini was declared bankrupt Read more…
1958
66 years ago
Toyota and Datsun make their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Construction of the Volga Automobile Works began in Togliatti in the Soviet Union Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Roy D Chapin Jr was named Chairman of American Motors to succeed the retiring Robert B Evans Read more…
1972
52 years ago
Lee Kunzman won the 75-lap USAC indoor midget race at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum ,Fort Wayne, Indiana, US Read more…
1972
52 years ago
Ronnie Peterson and Tim Schenken drove a Ferrari 312PB to victory in the 1000K World Championship for Makes endurance race at Buenos Aires, Argentina Read more…
1977
47 years ago
In the smouldering heat of the Argentine Grand Prix Jody Scheckter won the 1977 seasons opening in Buenos Aires with the brand new, Dr Read more…
1979
45 years ago
Just 33 months after its launch, the millionth Ford Fiesta was built at Ford’s Cologne (Germany) facility, breaking all previous European production records Read more…
1982
42 years ago
Mark Thatcher, son of the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher along with his French co-driver, Anne-Charlotte Verney, and their mechanic went missing for six days in the Sahara Desert whilst driving a Peugeot 504 in the Dakar Rally Read more…
1986
38 years ago
The new Ford Transit medium van/truck range was launched in Europe Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Three buses collided and ignited on a highway in Argentina, killing 55 and injuring 70 Read more…
1998
26 years ago
U.S. Post Office unveiled a new Ford Model T stamp. Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Concept cars introduced at the Detroit (North American AutoShow included the GMC Terradyne and the Mercedes-Benz Vision SLA Read more…
2001
23 years ago
The Ford Expedition became the only SUV to earn top US government crash ratings, earning a double five star rating in front crash testing Read more…
2002
22 years ago
The Bush administration and the automobile industry agreed to promote development of pollution-free cars and trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Australian KTM motorcyclist Andy Caldecott (41), died whilst competing in the Dakar Rally, as a result of neck injuries received in a crash approximately 250km (155mi) into stage 9, between Nouakchott and Kiffa in Mauritania Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Mercedes-Benz showcased four world premieres at the opening of the North American International Auto Show 2006 in Detroit: The innovative E 320 Bluetec was equipped with the cleanest diesel engine in the world Read more…
2008
16 years ago
70 vehicles were involved in a large pileup on I-4 near Polk City Read more…
2009
15 years ago
After nearly a decade-long ban on new licences for private taxis, the Cuban communist government announced that private drivers were permitted to apply for taxi licences in an attempt to improve its transportation system and support the free market. Read more…
2010
14 years ago
Donny Schatz picked up a $20,000 victory with the World Series Sprint Car race at the Brisbane International Speedway, Brisbane, Australia Read more…
2011
13 years ago
It was reported that the influential environmental scientist Amory Lovins (53) of Colorado was attempting to build a super-efficient sport-utility vehicle called the Hypercar Read more…
2016
8 years ago
Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first woman to compete in a world championship Formula One Grand Prix, passed away at the age of 89 Read more…
2017
7 years ago
Polaris Industries issued a press release announcing that they would immediately begin winding down operations of Victory Motorcycles due to struggles in establishing market share and limited profitability Read more…
