On this day in…
1889
135 years ago
Gottlieb Daimler was issued with a German patent for his V-2 gasoline engine Read more…
1904
120 years ago
The first Buick Model B was driven from Flint to Detroit by Walter L Read more…
1908
116 years ago
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu officially opened the new Rolls Royce Ltd Read more…
1908
116 years ago
The fifth Glidden Tour began in Buffalo, New York with a planned route into Pennsylvania, the New England states, and finished in Saratoga Springs, New York Read more…
1909
115 years ago
C K Batchelder and his riding mechanic, John Twohey, were killed when their Stearns 60 hp crashed during a race at the Blue Bonnets track in Montreal, Canada Read more…
1919
105 years ago
The Ford Motor Company was reorganised as a Delaware corporation with Edsel Ford as company president Read more…
1927
97 years ago
The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce accompanied by her husband plus a journalist and an engineer departed from London driving an AC Six car (PF6465) borrowed from Selwyn Edge Read more…
1929
95 years ago
BMW announced in full-page advertisements that it had started business as a car manufacturer Read more…
1933
91 years ago
The ground breaking ceremony was held for the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Read more…
1939
85 years ago
German driver Hermann Paul Müller won the French Grand Prix driving an Auto Union Typ D Read more…
1955
69 years ago
British racer Donald Beauman (26) died Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Austin celebrated its Golden Jubilee Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Mettoy introduced Corgi Toys model cars, manufactured in South Wales Read more…
1961
63 years ago
Fred Lorenzen drove a Holman-Moody Ford to a runaway victory in the Festival 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Georgia, US Read more…
1963
61 years ago
Swedish born rally champion Erik Carlsson married Pat Moss, sister of British racer Stirling Moss and herself a world class rally driver Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Outdueling Darel Dieringer in a race long battle, Richard Petty drove his Plymouth to victory in the NASCAR Grand National ‘Northern 300’ on the 1 mile paved Trenton Speedway, New Jersey The crowd of 19,500 was thrilled for most of the race as Petty and Dieringer dueled for the lead in heavy traffic Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Jochen Rindt won the F2 Rouen Grand Prix in France at the wheel of a Brabham BT23 Read more…
1974
50 years ago
Sir Harry Brittain, Chairman of D Napier & Sons Ltd, who attempted to put Napier back into the automobile business through acquisition of Bentley `Motors Ltd, died at aged 101 Read more…
1976
48 years ago
(9th-10th): Gerald Hoagland drove a 1969 Chevrolet Impala 501 miles in reverse for 17 hours 38 minutes at Chemung Speed Drome, New York, at an average speed of 28 Read more…
1976
48 years ago
A recreated 1904 Buick built to celebrate the United States bicentennial successfully retraced the original 1904 trip made by the first Buick Read more…
1979
45 years ago
A car bomb destroyed a Renault motor car owned by the famed “Nazi hunters” Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France Read more…
1982
42 years ago
Checker Motors Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, US announced they were withdrawing from automobile production after 60 years Read more…
1985
39 years ago
Malaysian car manufacturer, Proton, launched its first model, the Proton Saga Read more…
1989
35 years ago
Alain Prost in a McLaren-Honda MP4/5 won the French Grand Prix Read more…
1999
25 years ago
A Los Angeles jury ordered General Motors to pay $4 Read more…
2000
24 years ago
Tony Stewart outran Joe Nemechek in the final laps and was declared the winner at New Hampshire (US) when a thunderstorm shortened the scheduled 300-lapper to 273 laps Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Ford dedicated its new car plant in St Read more…
2004
20 years ago
All vehicles were banned from using Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire due to safety concerns Read more…
2006
18 years ago
The Fiat 500 Club Italia, an organization formed in appreciation of the iconic 500 (“Cinquecento” in Italian) car produced by the automaker Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino), earned what the Guinness Book of World Records called the world’s largest parade of Fiat cars, between Villanova d’Albenga and Garlenda, Italy with a record-high number of participants (754 teams) gathered to make up a parade of 500 Fiats Read more…
2006
18 years ago
Jeff Gordon drove to his 75th career win in the USG Sheetrock 500 at Chicagoland Speedway, Illinois, US Gordon was just one win behind Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time list Read more…
2007
17 years ago
Civilian Jack Carroll, who was filmed as he drove a tank over a car at an army barracks, was banned from driving for a year and given community service by magistrates in Northallerton Read more…
2012
12 years ago
Steve Morgan of Birmingham, owner of the last Mini to leave Longbridge, incorporated a new “Austin Motor Company Limited”, but was dissolved in 2014 Read more…