On this day in…
1898
128 years ago
The first race in Belgium, from Brussels to Spa was run Read more…
1912
114 years ago
(25th – 26th): The French Grand Prix race was run over two days with the drivers completing ten laps on each day and their times being aggregated to produce the winner Read more…
1914
112 years ago
The Salem, Massachusetts, US bicycle shop of Lucius B Read more…
1915
111 years ago
The Daniels Motor Car Company was incorporated in Reading, Pennsylvania, US by George E Daniels and Neff E Parish Read more…
1929
97 years ago
The 6,000,000th Chevrolet was produced Read more…
1939
87 years ago
Richard Seaman (26) crashed during the Belgian Grand Prix held at Spa-Francorchamps on the La Source hairpin into a tree, causing the fuel line to break Read more…
1939
87 years ago
Hans Stuck driving an Auto Union Typ D won the Bucharest Grand Prix Read more…
1940
86 years ago
Henry Ford was awarded the James Watt International Medal by the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers at a diner in Detroit, Michigan, US Read more…
1946
80 years ago
The Longbridge car plant in the West Midlands (UK) produced its millionth car, an Austin Read more…
1949
77 years ago
(25-26th): The first Le Mans 24 hours was held following the end of World War II Read more…
1950
76 years ago
The seventh race of the 1950 NASCAR season was run at Dayton Speedway at Dayton, Ohio Read more…
1953
73 years ago
A full-sized clay model of the proposed Lincoln Continental Mark II was completed Read more…
1954
72 years ago
British doctors urged stricter drink-driving tests on motorists than tongue-twisters and walking in a straight line. Read more…
1956
70 years ago
The last Packard–the classic American luxury car with the famously enigmatic slogan “Ask the Man Who Owns One”–rolled off the Detroit production line Read more…
1957
69 years ago
The last Hudson rolled off the Kenosha assembly line in Wisconsin, US Read more…
1961
65 years ago
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway), the second purpose-built road race course in Canada, held its first major race, the Player’s 200, a sports car race bringing drivers from the world over to rural Ontario Read more…
1961
65 years ago
Augie Pabst drove a Scarab MK2-Chevrolet to victory in the USAC Road Racing Championship event at Indianapolis Raceway Park, in Indianapolis, Indiana, US Read more…
1969
57 years ago
The Vehicle and Driving Licences Act came into force in the UK, introducing new regulations that included a licence-fee increase and the specification of vehicle groupings for the purposes of driving tests. Read more…
1972
54 years ago
Pole-starter Richard Petty lapped the field on a steamy day at Texas World Speedway (US), leading 186 of 250 laps to win the Lone Star 500 Read more…
1974
52 years ago
The Bricklin SV-1 was introduced to the public in Livonia, Michigan, US Read more…
1980
46 years ago
Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd and Vickers Son & Company Ltd announced plans to merge Read more…
1981
45 years ago
The United States Postal Service issued a 17-cent regular coil stamp picturing an “Electric Auto” at the Greenfield Village, Michigan Post Office Read more…
1983
43 years ago
John Pratt drove a Lola to victory in the Townsend Thoreson FF1600 race at Oulton Park, England Read more…
1995
31 years ago
Steve Read became Europe’s first four second Top Fuel driver when he ran 4 Read more…
1999
27 years ago
General Motors celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the automatic transmission Read more…
2002
24 years ago
Volkswagen celebrated a very special milestone with the production of the 21,517,415th Golf at the Wolfsburg factory in Germany Read more…
2006
20 years ago
Polesitter Fernando Alonso took his sixth win of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix and increased his championship lead over Michael Schumacher, who finished second after passing Kimi Räikkönen with two laps remaining when the Finn ran wide Read more…
2007
19 years ago
Honda’s next-generation FCX Concept fuel cell vehicle made its European driving debut at the Gotland Ring in Sweden Read more…
2008
18 years ago
Swedish car maker Volvo, a unit of US auto giant Ford, said it planned to cut 2,000 jobs worldwide, most of them in Sweden Read more…
2020
6 years ago
California became the first state to force trucks to go electric Read more…
