On this day in…
1895
128 years ago
Simone Federmann, driving a Daimler Omnibus, won the first Italian motor race, the 93 km (57 Read more…
1901
122 years ago
The Overman Wheel Company of Chicopee Fall, Massachusetts, US registered the name ‘Victor’ as a trademark for its steam cars Read more…
1906
117 years ago
H Moreland of Gloucester, England ordered a six-cylinder 30 hp Rolls-Royce, but this order was later amended to a new 40/50 hp, the first sale of the chassis that would be later known as the Silver Ghost Read more…
1915
108 years ago
Cannon Ball Baker, driving a Stutz Bearcat, arrived in New York City 11 days, 7 hours and 15 minutes after leaving San Diego, California, breaking all existing cross-country records Read more…
1922
101 years ago
Kenelm Lee Guinness in a Sunbeam 350 HP, powered by a V12 Manitou engine, set new Land Speed Records at Brooklands: the Brooklands lap record at 121 Read more…
1922
101 years ago
The 6,000,000th Ford Model T was produced Read more…
1949
74 years ago
The first NASCAR-sanctioned event at the Bowman Gray Stadium (North Carolina, US) took place and was won by Fonty Flock Read more…
1952
71 years ago
Italian driver Piero Taruffi scored his only win in a World Championship race, driving for Ferrari, at Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held at Bremgarten Circuit Read more…
1952
71 years ago
Piero Taruffi won the Swiss GP, the only race of his career after his main rival and pole-sitter Giuseppe Farina broke down early on Read more…
1958
65 years ago
Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to drive in a Formula One event when she participated in the Monaco Grand Prix, driving a Maserati Read more…
1958
65 years ago
Junior Johnson posted a popular hometown victory at North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Carolina, US holding off pole-winner Jack Smith by six seconds in the Wilkes County 160 Read more…
1958
65 years ago
Lotus made its Formula One debut at the Monaco Grand Prix with Cliff Allison finishing in fifth place Read more…
1966
57 years ago
The Socony Mobil Oil Company Inc changed its name to Mobil Oil Corporation Read more…
1968
55 years ago
Graham Hill was the first to break the 170 mph barrier in qualifying at Indianapolis 500, and recorded a four-lap average of 171 Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Graham Hill in a Lotus-Cosworth won the Monaco Grand Prix Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Because of rain, for the first time in history, no car qualified for the Indy 500 on the first weekend of qualifying Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Graham Hill drove to victory at Monaco GP for the fifth time – a record only beaten by Ayrton Senna – in what also turned out to be his 14th and final F1 win Read more…
1971
52 years ago
German Georg von Opel, in his own Opel GT, established an electric car standing-start kilometre world record of 31.07 seconds Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Racer Jim Malloy (36) died from injuries suffered four days earlier during a practice run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1974
49 years ago
Sir Harry Ricardo (89), one of the foremost engine designers and researchers in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine, died Read more…
1980
43 years ago
The 38th Monaco Grand Prix, held over 76 laps of the 3 Read more…
1980
43 years ago
Hunt House in Paulerspury, England, home of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club and the Sir Henry Royce Foundation, opened Read more…
1983
40 years ago
The Princess of Wales opened the Redheugh Bridge, a road bridge spanning the River Tyne between the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, in North East England, which carries the A189 Read more…
1983
40 years ago
Owen Bieber was elected President if the United Auto Workers Read more…
1989
34 years ago
Two 2-litre Opel Rekords completed an epic 354,287 miles to establish a record for the greatest distance covered in 1 year Read more…
1990
33 years ago
Orion films released Cadillac Man, starring Robin Williams Read more…
1991
32 years ago
Hiro Matsushita became the first Japanese driver to qualify for the Indy 500 when he qualified 24th Read more…
2003
20 years ago
The Austrian Grand Prix, contested over 69 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari F2003-GA after starting from pole position Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Despite a brief fire during a pit stop which dropped him from first to third, Michael Schumacher took his third win in a row after the BMW engine in Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams blew up while leading Read more…
2005
18 years ago
PC Mark Milton who reached 159mph on the M54 in 2003 whilst “familiarising” himself with a new Vauxhall Vectra GSI police car was cleared of speeding and dangerous driving at Ludlow Magistrates’ Court after the Judge called the constable the “creme de la creme” of police drivers Read more…
2008
15 years ago
DJ Chris Evans purchased a 1961 Ferrai 250 GT SWB California Spyder at an auction in Maranello for a record breaking $10,894,000 – around £5 Read more…
2009
14 years ago
It was reported that South Korea’s top technology university has developed a system to power electric cars through recharging strips embedded in roadways that use a technology to transfer energy found in some electric toothbrushes Read more…
