On this day in…
1892
131 years ago
Charles Duryea and Erwin Markham signed a contract to design and finance the construction of a gasoline-powered automobile Read more…
1900
123 years ago
The British Royal family took delivery of its first motor vehicle, a Daimler Mail Phaeton Read more…
1901
122 years ago
Lorraine Barrow set a standing-start one-mile record of 72.6 seconds in a 35 hp Mercedes during the Nice, France, “Week of Speed” Read more…
1904
119 years ago
The last Nice (France) Speed Trials on a straight course was win by Louis Rigolly in a Gobron-Brillie Read more…
1909
114 years ago
The Coliseum Motordrome in Los Angeles, California, US, opened with Jake De Rosier setting four motorcycle world records Read more…
1912
111 years ago
The US Army Road Test to prove the reliability of motor trucks ended at Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Illinois after a 1,509 mile trip from Washington DC via Atlanta, Georgia Read more…
1913
110 years ago
The first production Morris ‘Bullnose’ Oxford left the converted military academy at Cowley on the outskirts of Oxford, England Read more…
1925
98 years ago
The last speed hillclimb was held on a public road in Great Britain, the Essex MC meeting at Kop Hill, Buckinghamshire Read more…
1926
97 years ago
Aymo Maggi driving a Bugatti T35 won the Rome Royal Grand Prix at Valle Giulia Read more…
1926
97 years ago
Automobile owners lobbied US Congress, supporting a bill that called for vehicle licensing and federal registration Read more…
1927
96 years ago
The 100,000th Pontiac was produced and presented to Pontiac , Michigan, US, major C L Rockwell Read more…
1928
95 years ago
Tazio Nuvolari driving a Bugatti T35C won the Pozzo Circuit Grand Prix at Pozzo Read more…
1934
89 years ago
The Road Traffic Bill was published in Britain containing a comprehensive programme of measures to improve road safety Read more…
1941
82 years ago
Construction of Ford’s Willow Run Plant, near Ypsilanti, Michigan, began Read more…
1948
75 years ago
The Necochea 1000 miles at Playas de Necochea in Argentina was won by Oscar Galvez in a Alfa Romeo 308 Read more…
1954
69 years ago
Dick Rathmann came from last to first to win the 125-mile race at Oakland Speedway in California (US) Read more…
1956
67 years ago
MGA #13355, a black roadster, was pulled off the assembly line and shipped to Bodies Branch at Coventry for conversion into the prototype MGA coupe Read more…
1959
64 years ago
The Rufforth Circuit opened for racing as a 2 Read more…
1961
62 years ago
Powel Crossley Jr Read more…
1964
59 years ago
Rolla Vollstedt purchased the first Offenhauser engine built for rear-engine application Read more…
1966
57 years ago
The 1966 Duesenberg Model D was unveiled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – promoted by Fred A ‘Fritz’ Duesenberg, son of August S Duesenberg, and designed by Virgil M Exner Read more…
1970
53 years ago
Racer D Ndahura was killed in Uganda during the East Africa Safari when his care was struck by a flash flood Read more…
1971
52 years ago
The Questor Grand Prix held at the Ontario Speedway, was won by Mario Andretti in Ferrari 312B Read more…
1976
47 years ago
The first American Grand Prix was held at Long Beach, California, the first of two races held in the USA that year Read more…
1979
44 years ago
The Jaguar XJ6 Series III and Daimler Double-Six Series III were introduced Read more…
1982
41 years ago
David Crosby was arrested after crashing his car on the San Diego Highway Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Sam Ard rolled to his first win of the season in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series in the Dogwood 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Virginia, US Read more…
1991
32 years ago
Volkswagenwerk AG agreed to purchase a 70% controlling interest in Skoda from the Czech government Read more…
1992
31 years ago
Volkswagebwerk AG announced that Ferdinand Piech would succeed Carl Hahn as Chairman in 1993 Read more…
1993
30 years ago
Dale Earnhardt scrambled back from a one-lap deficit to win the TranSouth 500 at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina (US) Read more…
1993
30 years ago
Brazil hosted the second round of the F1 championship; after numerous accidents in the rain on the same lap left the track littered with debris, the safety car was used for the first time in the modern era for eight laps Read more…
2006
17 years ago
In South Korea prosecutors formally arrested the top executive of an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co Read more…
2007
16 years ago
269 Mini’s illuminated Blackpool, to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest Mini convoy in the world Read more…
2008
15 years ago
Jean-Marie Balestre (86), who once was the most powerful man in motor sport for 13 years as president of the Federation Internationale de Sport Automobile (FISA) between 1979 to 1991, died Read more…
2010
13 years ago
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group signed a binding deal to buy Ford Motor Co Read more…
2012
11 years ago
The MG 5, a compact car that has been produced by the British company MG Motor, was launched Read more…
