On this day in…
1898
126 years ago
The first regular motorised mail service in Great Britain began between Inveraray and Ardrishaig, Argyllshire, Scotland, using Coventry-built Daimlers Read more…
1899
125 years ago
The Automobile Company of America was formed in Bridgeport, Connecticut by John Brisben Walker, Editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, and asphalt paving magnate Amzi Lorenzo Barber Read more…
1903
121 years ago
Articles of incorporation for the formation of the Ford Motor Company were filed with the State of Michigan in Lansing Read more…
1904
120 years ago
The Gordon Bennett Cup, formally titled the V Coupe Internationale, was held on the Homberg Circuit in Germany Read more…
1907
117 years ago
Brooklands, the first purpose-built banked motor race circuit in the world Read more…
1914
110 years ago
The first all-steel automobile body was patented by Joseph Ledwinka, the Vienna, Austrian-born associate of Edward G Budd Read more…
1922
102 years ago
Less than a month after setting the Land Speed Record at 133 Read more…
1923
101 years ago
Enrico Ferrari, who would go on to an historic career as a driver for Alpha Romeo before being put in charge of their racing division, won his first race, a 166-mile event at the Circuito del Savio in Ravenna, Italy Read more…
1926
98 years ago
The Langhorne (Philadelphia, US) Dirt Track staged its first event, a 50-mile race won by Fred Winnai in a Duesenberg Read more…
1928
96 years ago
The same Bentley 41/2 that had crashed in 1927 won the Le Mans 24 hours with Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin at the wheel Read more…
1929
95 years ago
Ray Keech died in crash during AAA championship race at Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA Read more…
1929
95 years ago
The Cord Corporation was organised in Chicago, US as a holding company for his many transportation interests, with E Read more…
1931
93 years ago
Packard introduced the Ninth Series Standard Eight Read more…
1946
78 years ago
A driver in St Read more…
1947
77 years ago
Sir Edward Holden (61) the Australian vehicle manufacturer, ‘the father of the Australian car industry’, died Read more…
1951
73 years ago
In the Belgian Grand Prix, held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Juan Manuel Fangio’s pit crew took 14 minutes 18 seconds to put him back in the race Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Tim Flock lapped the field to post a dominant wire-to-wire win at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, New York (US) Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry, 1st Baron Perry KBE (77), Chairman of Ford Motor Company Limited for 20 years from its incorporation in 1928, completing almost a lifetime’s work with Henry Ford, died Read more…
1962
62 years ago
Jim Clark won his first Formula One Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, and the first of four consecutive victories in Belgium for the Scotsman (despite thoroughly disliking the circuit) and Team Lotus Read more…
1970
54 years ago
The Range Rover was launched to the press at the Meudon Hotel, Falmouth, Cornwall (UK) Read more…
1972
52 years ago
George Follmer drove an AMC Javelin to victory in the SCCA Trans-Am race at Watkins Glen, New York, US Read more…
1973
51 years ago
Denny Hulme in a McLaren-Cosworth M23 won the first World Championship level Swedish Grand Prix, held at the grandly-named Scandinavian Raceway Read more…
1984
40 years ago
Brabham’s defending World Champion Nelson Piquet scored his first win and indeed his first points for the season at the Canadian Grand Prix held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Read more…
1986
38 years ago
Before the start of the last race of Italian Sport Prototype Championship meeting, at Pergusa, Italy a service van driven by a circuit security guard crashed head-on into a private car passing in the one-way only small service road, all around the track Read more…
1990
34 years ago
“Handsome” Harry Gant became the oldest driver to win a Winston Cup race when he won the Miller Genuine Draft 500 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at the age of 50 years, 158 days Read more…
1994
30 years ago
The most watched car chase in the world was transmitted live when O J Simpson failed to turn himself in after the murder of his ex-wife and her friend Ronald Goldman 5 days earlier Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Ricky Rudd outran Jeff Gordon in the final laps to win the Pocono 500, Pennsylvania, US Read more…
2001
23 years ago
The Audi R8 of Frank Biela, Tom Kristianson, and Emanuele Pirro won the 24 Hours of Le Mans Read more…
2007
17 years ago
Lewis Hamilton became the first rookie to win the United States Grand Prix and the second-youngest driver to win a major event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
2007
17 years ago
The History Channel began to air Ice Road Truckers, a documentary-style reality television series following truck drivers as they drive across the ice roads (frozen lakes) in the Northwest Territories in Canada to transport equipment to the diamond mines in that area. Read more…
