On this day in…
1864
158 years ago
N A Otto & Cie was organised in Cologne by Nickolaus Otto and Eugene Langen to produce internal combustion gas engines Read more…
1898
124 years ago
The South African Motor Car Company began offering round trip bus excursions from Cape Town to Somerset West Strand Read more…
1913
109 years ago
The Vanden Plas (England) Ltd coachbuilding firm was founded Read more…
1917
105 years ago
Carl Kelsey was issued with a US patent for his friction drive transmission Read more…
1920
102 years ago
Marmon successfully met a challenge to lap the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a stock, fully equipped sedan at a mile a minute, as the Model 34 sedan recorded a lap at 63 Read more…
1927
95 years ago
Robert Benoist driving a Delage 15-S8 won the Grand Prix de l’Ouverture at Montlhéry Read more…
1928
94 years ago
The Luxford, a taxicab built on the Ford Model A chassis, was introduced Read more…
1928
94 years ago
Tazio Nuvolari drove a Bugatti 35C to victory in the Grand Prix of Tripoli for his first international auto racing win Read more…
1929
93 years ago
White Triplex – weighing 4 tons, with a total of 36 cylinders, powered by 3 Liberty V12 aircraft engines with a total capacity of 81.18 litres, developing 1500 bhp (at 2,000 rpm) crashed during an attempt at the world land speed record, killing its driver Lee Bible, at Ormond Beach, Florida Read more…
1931
91 years ago
The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc Read more…
1944
78 years ago
Charles Sorensen resigned as the vice president of the Ford Motor Company Read more…
1946
76 years ago
The Union of Auto Workers strike at General Motors plants in the US was resolved with a wage increase ½ cent higher than the company’s initial proposal Read more…
1946
76 years ago
The first Reliant Regent was completed, which was visually similar to an oversized motorcycle Read more…
1947
75 years ago
The Maserati A6 1500 Read more…
1947
75 years ago
The Austin Princess A120 was launched as the most expensive flagship model in the Austin range at the same time as the A110 Austin Sheerline (designed during the war) Read more…
1948
74 years ago
The Playboy was introduced at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City Read more…
1950
72 years ago
General Motors reported record net earnings of $656,434,232 Read more…
1951
71 years ago
Ak Miller, Marvin Lee, and Wally Parks created the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in a booth in the Tam-O-Shanter restaurant in Los Angeles, California Read more…
1953
69 years ago
Hudson introduced its new small cars, the Jet and the upscale-Super Jet, as designed by Frank S Springs with considerable input from corporation President A E Barit Read more…
1955
67 years ago
The Briggs Cunningham entered Jaguar D Type driven by Mike Hawthorn/Phil Walters was eventually declared winner of a confused Sebring 12 Hour World Sports Car Championship race Read more…
1956
66 years ago
The home retail prices of all British Motor Corporation vehicles rose by approximately 7% Read more…
1964
58 years ago
Derek Bell participated in his first motor race, a handicap event Read more…
1965
57 years ago
Mike Spence driving a Lotus-Climax 33 won the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch Read more…
1965
57 years ago
Vittorio Jano (73), famed Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s died Read more…
1969
53 years ago
A Porsche 917 was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show, painted white with a green nose and a black #917 Read more…
1969
53 years ago
The Walt Disney studio released The Love Bug Read more…
1970
52 years ago
The first production Triumph Stag rolled off the assembly line Read more…
1973
49 years ago
The Mercedes-Benz ESF 22, the fourth of five experimental safety vehicles, was introduced to the public Read more…
1975
47 years ago
Peugeot launched the 604, a large 4-door saloon with a V6 engine in a 90° V arrangement with 2664 cc which developed 136 bhp-DIN at the Geneva Motor Show Read more…
1977
45 years ago
Richard Petty drove his Dodge to a win in a wreck strewn NASCAR Grand National Carolina 500 Read more…
1980
42 years ago
A jury in Winamac, Indiana, found the Ford Motor Company innocent of reckless homicide in the fiery deaths of three young women riding in a Ford Pinto Read more…
1980
42 years ago
Henry Ford II resigned as Chairman of the Ford Motor Company after naming Philip Caldwell his successor Read more…
1982
40 years ago
Phil Parsons wins the first Busch Series race at Bristol, Tennessee, US Read more…
1983
39 years ago
The Brazilian Grand Prix at Jacarepagua was won by Nelson Piquet in a Brabham-BMW BT52 from the 4th place spot on the grid Read more…
1983
39 years ago
Richard Petty scored his 196th career win, leading the final 29 laps at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina, US Read more…
1988
34 years ago
20-year-old Jeff Burton, making his first NASCAR start, finishes last in the 200-lap Miller Classic Nationwide Series race at Martinsville, Virginia, US Read more…
1991
31 years ago
10 people are killed and 25 injured in a 51-car pile-up on the M4 near Hungerford after a van skids into the central barrier in heavy fog during the morning rush hour Read more…
1991
31 years ago
A serious crash occurred during foggy conditions on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 motorway near Hungerford, Berkshire involving 51 vehicles Read more…
1994
28 years ago
American driver Gene Hartly died; he was the son of driver Ted Hartley who raced in the 1960s Read more…
1999
23 years ago
British American Racing escaped with a mild rebuke from the FIA instead of a fine or suspension after apologising for its behaviour in a dispute over liveries and logos Read more…
2000
22 years ago
Filming of a new motoring show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson was abandoned after a member of the production team crashed a £140,000 Lamborghini Diablo Read more…
2002
20 years ago
Phoenix Formula One, the outfit which bought the remains of the failed Prost team, were told to stay away from the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix by the FIA who claimed to have told both parties that their proposed entry was invalid because they had not purchased the all-important “right to compete” Read more…
2004
18 years ago
Deep discontentment at McLaren after a poor Australian Grand Prix, with newspapers reporting long-time boss Ron Dennis was under pressure to quit Read more…
2005
17 years ago
Around 300 cars crashed on highways leading to Helsinki, Finland, resulting in 3 deaths and 60 injuries Read more…
2005
17 years ago
Subaru sold its three-millionth Legacy worldwide Read more…
2006
16 years ago
Despite failing to finish the Laguna Seca, USA Feature race, A1 Team France’s weekend performance was enough to guarantee an unbeatable lead making them the first world champions at the penultimate race of the season Read more…
2006
16 years ago
General Motors Corp Read more…
2008
14 years ago
Volkswagen, the biggest European carmaker, vowed to become “the best auto manufacturer in the world” and welcomed a looming takeover by luxury sports car maker Porsche Read more…
