On this day in…
1844
179 years ago
Charles Goodyear received another patent (U Read more…
1901
122 years ago
Cleveland issued the first automobile license in Ohio, US to C E Burke Read more…
1902
121 years ago
The first hillclimb in Italy, the Consuma Cup event near Florence, in which Nourry’s 8 hp De Dion Bouton averaged 23 mph over a 9 Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Crane & Breed of Cincinnati, Ohio, US introduced the first motorized hearse Read more…
1918
105 years ago
The first production Hanson Six was completed at the Atlanta, Georgia, US factory of the Hanson Motor Company Read more…
1929
94 years ago
Ray Keech (29) board track and brick track racer in the 1920s, best remembered for winning the 1929 Indianapolis 500, and for setting a land speed record, died from injuries from a racing accident at the Altoona 200-Mile Race in Tipton, Pennsylvania, US Read more…
1936
87 years ago
Fiat’s Topolino (‘little mouse’ in Italian), referred as “the five hundred”, was officially presented to the public under the slogan “the smallest automobile in the world” Read more…
1937
86 years ago
Harold T Read more…
1938
85 years ago
Dallas E Read more…
1952
71 years ago
Mercedes-Benz 300SLs finished 1-2 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the car of Karl Kling and Fritz Riess beating the car of Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermeyer Read more…
1958
65 years ago
The Belgian Grand Prix was held at Spa-Francorchamps over 24 laps of the 14 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 339 kilometres Read more…
1961
62 years ago
Guilo Cabianca (38) was killed in a bizarre incident at the Modena Autodrome test track in Italy Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Rover’s gas-turbine-powered racing car, the Rover-BRM, took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Briton Graham Hill and American Richie Ginther driving Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Jackie Ickx and Jackie Oliver drovee a Ford GT40 to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Read more…
1975
48 years ago
Derek Bell and Jackie Ickx drove a Gulf Mirage-Cosworth GR8 to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Read more…
1980
43 years ago
Benny Parsons drove from pole position at Michigan International Speedway to win the Gabriel 400 Read more…
1981
42 years ago
Ford’s Essex Engine Plant in Windsor (Ontario, Canada) was dedicated Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Jaguar/Group 44 unveiled the Jaguar XJR-5 race car Read more…
1986
37 years ago
Richard Petty made his 1,000th NASCAR start at the Miller American 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan Read more…
1986
37 years ago
Nigel Mansell driving a Williams-Honda FW11 won the Canadian Grand Prix Read more…
1993
30 years ago
James Simon Wallis Hunt (45) died from a heart attack in his house in Wimbledon, England shortly after having asked his fiancée Helen to marry him Read more…
1997
26 years ago
The Canadian Grand Prix race was marred by a big crash involving Olivier Panis, who broke his legs and would be unable to start the next seven Grands Prix Read more…
1997
26 years ago
Michele Alboreto, Stefan Johanson, and Tom Kristianson drive a Porsche WSC95 to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Read more…
1997
26 years ago
Ernie Irvan won the Miller 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race in Brooklyn, Michigan, USA, the scene of his near fatal crash three years earlier Read more…
2002
21 years ago
A truck and a bus crash head-on on a highway in North Chungchong, South Korea, killing 15 and seriously injuring about 20 people Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari F2003-GA won the Canadian Grand Prix, despite nursing an ailing car home towards the ends of the race, with the Williamses of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya right behind him, and the Renault of Fernando Alonso not far behind them Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Bentley, with an Audi engine and support from Audi works team Joest Racing, won its first Le Mans title since 1930, in the Bentley Speed 8, driven by Italian Rinaldo Capello, Britain’s Guy Smith and the Dane Tom Kristensen, who set a personal record with his fourth straight victory Read more…
2004
19 years ago
In Germany, Volkswagen fired Klaus-Joachim Gebauer, a midlevel personnel manager, for alleged embezzlement Read more…
2006
17 years ago
A bus carrying 45 miners from the Uchucchacua mine to Lima in Peru fell into a ravine, killing 28 people Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Race car owner and race promoter Samuel William Traylor III, (79), died at his home Read more…
2018
5 years ago
Jaguar Vector Racing broke the world speed record for an electric battery powered boat Read more…
