On this day in…
1896
130 years ago
The following report appeared in the Detroit Journal: “The first horseless carriage seen in this city was out on the streets last night Read more…
1903
123 years ago
Charles D Rolls, driving a Mors car on a private estate in Nottinghamshire, England, ran a record flying kilometre at 84.84mph Read more…
1907
119 years ago
The Chadwick Engineering Works was incorporated in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, US Read more…
1908
118 years ago
In the US, Cincinnati’s mayor, Mark Breith stood before the city council and announced, “Women are not physically fit to operate automobiles.” Read more…
1916
110 years ago
The manufacturing firms of Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto merged to form the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (Bavarian Aircraft Works) Read more…
1929
97 years ago
General Motors bought 80% of Opel Read more…
1932
94 years ago
The Communist Party of America organized the “March on Hunger”; the procession traveled from downtown Detroit to the Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge Plant in order to protest the company’s labour record Read more…
1934
92 years ago
The Hotchkiss team made record attempts at Montlhéry breaking the 4000 Miles, 5000 Miles and 48 hours records Read more…
1935
91 years ago
Malcolm Campbell set a Land Speed Record of 276 Read more…
1954
72 years ago
Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd won the sportscar race at Sebring, Florida, in Briggs Cunningham’s 1 Read more…
1959
67 years ago
Hinsdale Smith (88), developer of the roll-down car window died Read more…
1966
60 years ago
BMW AG celebrated its 50th anniversary Read more…
1966
60 years ago
Jackie Stewart drove his BRM to victory as the 1966 Tasman Cup series came to an end with a race on the public road circuit at Longford Read more…
1970
56 years ago
The great Australian racing driver Jack Brabham enjoyed his 14th and last Grand Prix win at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit Read more…
1971
55 years ago
Richard Petty won a controversial ‘Richmond 500’ NASCAR GN race on the 0 Read more…
1976
50 years ago
Dave Marcis took the lead from Richard Petty with 11 laps left to win the Richmond 400 at Richmond (Virginia, US Read more…
1980
46 years ago
Legendary American stockcar driver Lee Roy Yarbrough was admitted to a mental institution after trying to kill his mother by putting his hands around her neck Read more…
1985
41 years ago
Volvo Car Corporation unveiled the result of yet another cooperation in the field of luxury between Sweden and Italy, the Volvo 780, designed and built by Bertone in Turin at Geneva Motor Show Read more…
1986
40 years ago
Marku Alena and Iikka Kivimaki won the Olympus Rally with a Lancia Delta S4 Read more…
1990
36 years ago
William Clay Ford Jr Read more…
1991
35 years ago
The £200,000 Bentley Continental R debuted at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show to a standing ovation, upstaging the Mercedes W140 S-Class also launched there Read more…
1991
35 years ago
Rolls-Royce’s “Project 90” concept car, a mock-up of a future Bentley coupé, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show Read more…
1993
33 years ago
Davey Allison led all but four of the final 157 laps and throttled his Ford to an easy win in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway, Virginia (US) Read more…
1993
33 years ago
James Adamo died at the Daytona 200 in crash caused by front brake failure, causing bike and rider to strike trackside barrier Read more…
1994
32 years ago
Walter Payton became the first American pro football player to be a CART team owner when he joined with Dale Coyne to form Payton-Coyne Racing Read more…
1995
31 years ago
The Bentley Azure convertible was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show Read more…
1996
30 years ago
At the 1996 Geneva Motor Show the Lamborghini Diablo SV (Sport Veloce) was presented, a simplified and more sporty version of the Diablo, inspired by the legendary Miura SV Read more…
1999
27 years ago
The Burton brothers, Jeff and Ward, finished 1-2 in the Las Vegas 400, US, the first of three times they finished 1-2 in the 1999 Cup season Read more…
1999
27 years ago
From sixth on the grid, Eddie Irvine and Ferrari chalked up another win at the Australian Grand Prix Read more…
2002
24 years ago
The first customer took delivery of a red Koenigsegg CC 8S at the Geneva Auto Show and four more cars were built that year Read more…
2003
23 years ago
Jim Keeble (79), who founded the British Gordon-Keeble marque with John Gordon in 1963, died Read more…
2004
22 years ago
The Australian Grand Prix held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit was won by Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari F2004 Read more…
2006
20 years ago
Some motorway service stations are “dingy and unattractive”, but some are bright and modern, according to a survey by Holiday Which? magazine Read more…
2008
18 years ago
A California lawmaker wanted certain sex offenders to use specialised license plates that would distinguish the driver as a registered sex offender Read more…
2011
15 years ago
Spanish drivers slowed down under a new speed limit (120 to 110 km/h) designed to reduce energy use, angering some motorists but pleasing others who say every euro saved helps a nation slammed by Libya’s oil chaos and Europe’s financial crisis Read more…
2011
15 years ago
Ten Japanese companies announced that they plan to install electric vehicle chargers at the sites of beverage vending machines across Japan in a cost-cutting tie-up] Read more…
