On this day in…
1883
140 years ago
Count Albert de Dion received a patent for a steam generator, the first of 394 patents issued to him or to his company Read more…
1898
125 years ago
The first recorded fatality in a motor race occurred Read more…
1901
122 years ago
The first Pierce Motorette was completed Read more…
1901
122 years ago
The world’s first postage stamp featuring an automobile was issued in Buffalo, New York by the United States Post Office Department as part of the Pan-American commemorative series – the vignette of the 4c stamp is unidentifiable, but is widely thought to be a Columbia electric Read more…
1905
118 years ago
Vermont (US) issued the state’s first automobile license to Charles C Warren of Waterbury for his Packard Read more…
1911
112 years ago
The gates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened for practice for the first Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1914
109 years ago
A H M J Ward, an electrical engineer and brother-in-law of W O and H M Bentley, joined the board of Bentley and Bentley Ltd Read more…
1915
108 years ago
Ford began the practice of using identity car numbers and engine numbers on its Model T assembly line Read more…
1916
107 years ago
The Sterling-New York, a low priced roadster, designed by Joseph A Anglada, was introduced Read more…
1917
106 years ago
The first Nelson automobile was completed in Detroit by the E Read more…
1924
99 years ago
The MG octagon was registered as a trademark by Morris Garages Read more…
1924
99 years ago
The Federal-Mogul Corporation was incorporated in Michigan as a merger of the Muzzy-Lyon Company and the Federal Bearing & Bushing Corporation Read more…
1924
99 years ago
Prince Edward Island, Canada switched from driving on the left to driving on the right Read more…
1924
99 years ago
DMG entered into an Agreement of Mutual Interest with Karl Benz’s Benz & Cie that would be valid until the year 2000 Read more…
1925
98 years ago
Ettore Bugatti registered the slogan Le Pur Sangre Des Automobiles, and the thoroughbred racing horse profile, as French trademarks Read more…
1926
97 years ago
Harry Hartz drove a Miller to victory in a 300 mile AAA Championship race that inaugurated the 1 Read more…
1926
97 years ago
Great Britain’s 33 and one-third levy on luxury imports to help pay for the war, the “McKenna Duties”, was extended to include commercial vehicles Read more…
1926
97 years ago
The Ford Motor Company became one of the first companies in America to adopt a five-day, 40-hour week for workers in its automotive factories Read more…
1931
92 years ago
Herbert Frood (66), English inventor of brake pads, died Read more…
1931
92 years ago
The Ford Model A Deluxe Pickup was introduced Read more…
1933
90 years ago
The Marmon Motor Car Company was declared bankrupt Read more…
1937
86 years ago
The Campbell Circuit at Brooklands for road racing was officially opened Read more…
1939
84 years ago
The 6,000,000th Ford V-8 was produced Read more…
1941
82 years ago
The electric microcar the Peugeot VLV was formally announced Read more…
1942
81 years ago
Hino Motors Ltd Read more…
1946
77 years ago
The first post-World War II Chevrolet truck with chrome trim was produced, reflecting the easing of wartime restrictions Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Cadillac discontinued its low priced Series 61, which had replaced the LaSalle in 1941 Read more…
1953
70 years ago
Ed Cole hired Zora Arkus-Duntov as the Corvette’s first chief engineer Read more…
1955
68 years ago
Britons Stirling Moss and racing journalist and navigator Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia in a Mercedes 300SLR Read more…
1955
68 years ago
Buck Baker drove his Buick to victory in the 100-miler at Charlotte, Virginia, US as two-time champion Herb Thomas was injured in a spill on lap 42 Read more…
1957
66 years ago
A fully-synchronized four-speed transmission was first made available on the 1957 model Corvette, as a US$188 Read more…
1959
64 years ago
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Oakland California adopted the policy of placing the orange safety cones at left front and the left rear corners of service truck while parked on the street to increase visibility and safety for the workers Read more…
1959
64 years ago
Jerry Unser suffered very serious injuries in a crash during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1961
62 years ago
The Maidenhead bypass opened Read more…
1962
61 years ago
The original A1(M) Stevenage Bypass (England) opened Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Stirling Moss drove a race car for the first time in over a year – since a crash that nearly killed him – in a test session at Goodwood, England Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Graham Hill passed his rookie test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Arjay Miller was elected Ford Company president Read more…
1964
59 years ago
Lee Roy Yarbrough drove to his first career NASCAR GN victory, winning the ‘Savannah 200’ on the 1/2 mile dirt Savannah Speedway Read more…
1965
58 years ago
The application form for a driving or motorcycle licence was revised Read more…
1968
55 years ago
The International R series truck line was discontinued after 18 years of production Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The Porsche 917 was formally approved for competition by the FIA Read more…
1972
51 years ago
At the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama, In his Lotus, Emerson Fittipaldi came from his 4th place starting position to win in a time of 2:03:41 Read more…
1975
48 years ago
The Vauxhall Chevette, Britain’s first production small hatchback, which was similar in concept to the Italian Fiat 127 and French Renault 5, went on sale, prices starting at £1,593 Read more…
1978
45 years ago
The Arena Essex Raceway, a quarter mile stock car and speedway racing track located near Purfleet, Essex (UK), built in the remains of an old cement works overspill site, opened Read more…
1980
43 years ago
AMC marked the 25th anniversary of the Nash-Hudson merger with “Silver Anniversary” editions of the AMC Concord and Jeep CJ in two-tone silver (Jeeps then accounted for around 50% of the company’s sales and most of its profits); and introduced “LeCar”, a U Read more…
1983
40 years ago
Richard Petty picked up career win number 197 in the Winston 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway Read more…
1983
40 years ago
San Marino Grand Prix at Imola was won by Patrick Tambay in a Ferrari 126C2B , who dedicated his win to the man he replaced in the Ferrari team, the late Gilles Villeneuve Read more…
1984
39 years ago
The Toyo Kogyo Company Ltd, changed its name to the Mazda Motor Corporation Read more…
1986
37 years ago
Race car driver Bill Elliott set a stock car speed record with his Ford Thunderbird in Talladega, Alabama Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Ayrton Senna won the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola Read more…
1990
33 years ago
UK Driving Test Examiners were advised to give failed candidates a brief explanation of faults committed during the test, plus advice on areas for improvement Read more…
1994
29 years ago
Dale Earnhardt fended off Ernie Irvan’s late-race charge to win the Winston Select 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Alabama, US Read more…
1994
29 years ago
Three-time Formula One champion Ayrton Senna (34) died during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, of injuries he sustained after his car went off the track, slid across a long grassy area, and hit a concrete wall at 135 mph Read more…
1995
28 years ago
A total of 2,278 VW Beetles took part in a parade organised by the Volkswagen Aflicioado Club of Brazil on a race track near Sao Paulo, Brazil Read more…
2002
21 years ago
The 500,000th Ranger Rover was produced at the company’s Solihull manufacturing plant Read more…
2002
21 years ago
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that the groundbreaking SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier was in place in all four of the Speedway oval’s corners for the beginning of practice for the 86th Indianapolis 500 Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Chairman of General Motors Jack Smith retired, succeeded by Rick Wagoner Read more…
2003
20 years ago
The all-New Bristol Fighter was revealed at the manufacturers’ Kensington Showrooms in London Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Vauxhall celebrated century of building cars in the UK with “100 hours of spectacular deals” over the Bank Holiday weekend Read more…
2004
19 years ago
The all-new Toyota Corolla Verso model went on sale in the UK Read more…
2005
18 years ago
Jeff Gordon survived an accident-filled day and scored his second straight win in the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway Read more…
2007
16 years ago
A fully automated road-charging system called a Controlled Vehicular Access (CVA) was launched in Malta’s capital city of Valletta, reducing the number of vehicles entering the city each day from 10,000 to 7,900 Read more…
2008
15 years ago
The speed limit in the Hsuehshan Tunnel, Taiwan, located on the Taipei-Yilan Freeway (Taiwan National Highway No Read more…
2009
14 years ago
Kyle Busch outran Carl Edwards on a late race restart to win the NASCAR Xfinity (Nationwide) Series Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond Raceway Read more…
2009
14 years ago
The M10 was downgraded to an A road, and designated as part of the A414 Read more…
2010
13 years ago
Kyle Busch dominated the first half of the race but had to rally back with a pass by Jeff Gordon on the night’s final restart to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 at Richmond Raceway Read more…
2013
10 years ago
Electric car maker Coda Holdings Inc Read more…
2016
7 years ago
Brad Keselowski scored his fourth Talladega Superspeedway win in a crash-filled GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race Read more…
