May 21st


On this day in…

1898

125 years ago

The Nesseldorf Prasident made its test run from Nesseldorf, Moravia to Vienna, Austria Read more…

1901

122 years ago

Connecticut became the first US state to pass a law regulating motor vehicles, limiting their speed to 12 mph in cities and 15 mph on country roads Read more…

1905

118 years ago

In the inaugural motor racing events on the 1 Read more…

1906

117 years ago

Louis Henry Perlman of New York City applied for a patent for his invention of the demountable tyre-carrying rim, similar to those used on today’s cars, but wider Read more…

1909

114 years ago

In the ‘Peoples Budget’ budget, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George announced that the British roads system would be self-financing and from 1910 all proceeds from road vehicle excise duties would be dedicated to fund the building and maintenance of the road system Read more…

1920

103 years ago

Road-tax discs for obligatory display on windscreens were proposed by the British government Read more…

1927

96 years ago

Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic, visited the Citroën’s Paris plant Read more…

1927

96 years ago

Barney Oldfield, driving a Hudson Super Six 2-door coach at Culver City Track, in California, US, established a non-stop 1,000 mile record for stock cars of 13 hours, 8 minutes – at an average speed of 74 Read more…

1927

96 years ago

Motor racing started at the Crystal Palace park when a motorcycle race was held over a mile-long course there Read more…

1929

94 years ago

The Ford Model A Fordor sedan, the so-called “Leatherback” model, with a “two-window” roofline without rear quarter windows, covered in pebble-grain artificial leather, was introduced Read more…

1933

90 years ago

The minor Picardy Grand Prix near Péronne was overshadowed by two fatal accidents involving notable international drivers Read more…

1933

90 years ago

On the first day of practice of the Avusrenen, one of Germany’s best drivers, Otto Merz (33), crashed to his death Read more…

1939

84 years ago

The XII Adac Eifelrennen run over 10 laps (141 Read more…

1949

74 years ago

Juan Manuel Fangio in a Simca-Gordini T15 won the Marseille GP held at Prado Read more…

1950

73 years ago

The fourth race of the 1950 NASCAR season was run at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, the first race in the lineage of the Virginia 500, the spring race at the track Read more…

1950

73 years ago

The very first multiple first lap pile-up in the World Championship took place at the Monaco Grand Prix Read more…

1965

58 years ago

The Matra MS1 race car made its initial test run at Montlhery, France Read more…

1976

47 years ago

The ‘last’ Jensen was built, although production of the Interceptor would later resume on a limited basis Read more…

1978

45 years ago

NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson outran Cale Yarborough at the finish to win the Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover (Delaware, US) International Speedway Read more…

1978

45 years ago

Mario Andretti utterly dominated the Belgian Grand Prix in the new Lotus 79, with Ronnie Peterson ending up second following a pit stop Read more…

1981

42 years ago

Pontiac introduced its 1982 J200 ‘world car’ Read more…

1981

42 years ago

The ‘Cimarron by Cadillac’ was introduced Read more…

1987

36 years ago

Robert Dodds and Ian Pridding arrived at Land Ends, 80 hours 47 minutes after leaving John O’Groats, covering the 919 miles in a Sinclair C5 Read more…

1988

35 years ago

Bobby Ore drove a double decker bus on its two side wheels for a distance of 246 metres at North Weald Airfield, Essex, to establish a new world record Read more…

1989

34 years ago

During the final ten-lap sprint of The Winston all-star event, Darrell Waltrip led with young Rusty Wallace all over his rear bumper Read more…

1993

30 years ago

Warren Johnson made the first 195 mph NHRA Pro Stock 1/4-mile run at Englishtown, New Jersey, USA Read more…

1993

30 years ago

The Proton Wira, based on the fourth-generation 1991 Mitsubishi Lancer, was launched in a four-door saloon guise Read more…

2000

23 years ago

Eventual 2000 world champion, Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari F1-2000 won the European Grand Prix at Nürburgring Read more…

2000

23 years ago

The Nevada Open Road Challenge was held on a 90 mile stretch of highway S Read more…

2001

22 years ago

Ford Motor and Bridgestone/Firestone announced the termination of their century old business relationship Read more…

2003

20 years ago

Former racing car driver and founder of the Italian sports car company De Tomaso Automobili in 1959, Alejandro de Tomaso (74), who also built up a substantial business empire, died Read more…

2005

18 years ago

The UK’s biggest ever gathering of Scalextric-type slot car fans was held at Toyota GB’s HQ in Burgh Heath, Epsom, England Read more…

2005

18 years ago

The Ford Focus four-door saloon officially went on sale in the UK, with prices starting from £14,970 and insurance ratings from just 7E. Read more…

2008

15 years ago

Humpy Wheeler, president and promoter of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, announced he was retiring from the speedway after 33 years Read more…

2017

6 years ago

Robert Allyn (driver, USA) and David Bauer (navigator, USA) in a 2001 Monte Carlo NASCAR during the 2017 Nevada Open Road Challenge, held on Nevada’s Route 318 recorded the highest ever average speed in a road ace of 353 Read more…

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