On this day in…
1895
128 years ago
First cross country automobile trip Read more…
1904
119 years ago
Now billed as one of the oldest motorsports events in the United States, the Mount Washington – Climb to the Clouds – was first run, seven years before the first 500-mile race at the Brickyard in Indianapolis and 12 years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado Read more…
1906
117 years ago
The third Gilden Tour began in Buffalo, New York with a side trip into Quebec, Canada enroute to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, US Read more…
1909
114 years ago
The sixth Glidden Tour began in Detroit, Michigan with a planned route to Kansas City, Missouri, US Read more…
1910
113 years ago
Charles Steward Rolls (32), pioneer aviator and co-founder of Rolls Royce, was killed when the tail of his plane snapped off in mid-air during a flying exhibition in Bournemouth, England Read more…
1913
110 years ago
The buildup to the Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France and the race itself were marred by three fatal crashes Read more…
1916
107 years ago
Mr and Mrs William Warwick and 4 year old daughter Daisy began the first long haul truck run Read more…
1922
101 years ago
Baron von Tuna drove a Mercedes 6/25/40, the first supercharged production car to be raced in a hillclimb, to second place in a hillclimb in the Black Forest of Germany Read more…
1924
99 years ago
Ernest A Read more…
1925
98 years ago
The first veteran car rally was held, in Munich, Germany Read more…
1933
90 years ago
The first three-wheeled, multi-directional Dymaxion concept car, designed by Buckminster Fuller, was completed Read more…
1943
80 years ago
Plans were unveiled for London that included a ring road around the city Read more…
1958
65 years ago
The Studebaker-Packard Corporation announced that 1959 production would consist only of Studebakers Read more…
1966
57 years ago
British Transport Minister Barbara Castle stated that the 70 mph speed limit was to stay Read more…
1966
57 years ago
Bobby Allison cruised from the pole position to score his first victory in NASCAR’s top series, leading 238 of 300 laps at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine (US) Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The Trenton Speedway, New Jersey, US staged its first event, the Northern 300 NASCAR race, which was won by David Pearson in a Ford Read more…
1970
53 years ago
The Chaparral 2J ‘sucker car’ with vacuum assisted road holding features made its racing debut in the Cam-Am Challenge race in Watkins Glen, New York, but driver Jackie Stewart retired with minor mechanical problems Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Mr John Horam MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, officially opened the Coventry and Leicester sections of the M69 Read more…
1982
41 years ago
The last of the distinctive-looking Checker taxicabs rolled off the assembly line in Kalamazoo, Minnesota Read more…
1987
36 years ago
Nigel Mansell squeezed every last drop out of his Williams, overtaking team-mate Nelson Piquet three laps from the end of the British Grand Prix before running out of fuel on his lap of honour Read more…
1992
31 years ago
At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Nigel Mansell scored his 28th Formula One win, putting himself third on the all-time Formula One win list Read more…
1996
27 years ago
Walter Hassan (91) OBE, British automobile engineer Read more…
1998
25 years ago
Alex Zanardi, driving a Reynard-Honda, won the CART race at the Burke Lake Front Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, US Read more…
1998
25 years ago
A soggy British Grand Prix was marred by dismal stewarding which enabled Michael Schumacher to take the win after a penalty was issued by them so late on that Ferrari were able to bring him into the pits on the final lap, meaning he won the race in the pit lane and before he technically served the stop-start punishment Read more…
1998
25 years ago
The largest number of Triumph motorcycles in a single parade, 313, for the “Rally of the Tigers” was established at Chislehurst, Kent, England Read more…
2001
22 years ago
The Reliant Robin BN-1 was officially launched Read more…
2001
22 years ago
The decision to make Toyota Aygo was made when the presidents of Toyota and PSA Group, Fujio Cho and Jean-Martin Folz respectively, decided to produce a small car to share development costs Read more…
2005
18 years ago
A Saudi newspaper reported that a woman had defied the country’s ban on female drivers to save her husband after he collapsed at the wheel Read more…
2009
14 years ago
Mark Webber’s maiden Formula 1 win came at the German Grand Prix and despite a drive-through penalty when he clipped Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn on the first corner Read more…