On this day in…
1901
122 years ago
The Edison Storage Battery Company was founded in New Jersey, US, primarily to develop a nickel-iron alkaline battery to improve the feasibility of electric automobiles Read more…
1903
120 years ago
The Pope Motor Car Company announced that they had acquired the factory of the INternational Motor Car Company of Toledo, Ohio, US, manufacturers of the 1901-03 Toledo steam and gasoline cars, and that their new cars would be marketed as Pope-Toledo Read more…
1904
119 years ago
The first Buick ‘Valve-in-Head’ engine was completed Read more…
1905
118 years ago
White’s ‘Whistling Billy’ steam car made its racing debut, with Webb Jay winning the opening 10-mile race at Chicago’s Harlem Racetrack Read more…
1914
109 years ago
The first issue of GMC Truck Talk was published Read more…
1916
107 years ago
Barney Oldfield ran a qualifying lap in his front-wheel-drive Christie at 102 Read more…
1923
100 years ago
The first Le Mans 24-Hour race concluded Read more…
1929
94 years ago
Henry Segrave, holder of the land speed record, was knighted by King George V Read more…
1930
93 years ago
The 77-story art deco Chrysler Building in New York City opened as the world’s tallest building (1,048 ft, 319 m) Read more…
1937
86 years ago
Week long celebrations began to mark the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco with Marin County, California, US Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Stirling Moss made his Formula One debut at the Swiss Grand Prix held at Bremgarten Read more…
1953
70 years ago
The four-day East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika began, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Inness Ireland won the BRSCC race at Brand Hatch, England, in a Ferrari 250 GTO Read more…
1962
61 years ago
The 1498cc Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine made its race debut in a Lotus 23 sports car during the Nurburgring 1000km race Read more…
1970
53 years ago
The 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally, the first of two World Cup Rallies to be held and the second of four marathon rallies to be held in a nine-year period beginning with the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon, ended Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Dennis Priddle achieved the first six-second run outside the United States with a 6 Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Gary Bettenhausen led 138 laps of the Indianapolis 500 until his engine blew on lap 176 Read more…
1975
48 years ago
One of the worst recorded road accidents occurred in the UK, a coach crash on the B6265 near Grassington, North Yorkshire, in which 33 people died Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Professional ice hockey player Bob Gassoff (24), who played four seasons in the NHL for the St Read more…
1977
46 years ago
The Donington Park circuit closed in 1939 due to World War II, when it became a military vehicle depot, re-opened Read more…
1979
44 years ago
The 37th Monaco Grand Prix won by polesitter Jody Scheckter in a Ferrari 312T4 ahead of Clay Regazzoni (Williams FW07) and Carlos Reutemann (Lotus 79) Read more…
1979
44 years ago
The “pack up” rule was employed as a safety measure in the Indianapolis 500, during caution periods, and for the first time in history the Pace Car appeared on the track during the race Read more…
1984
39 years ago
Rick Mears won his second Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1990
33 years ago
Arie Luyendyk (Netherlands) completed the Indianapolis 500 in 2 hours 41 minutes 18 Read more…
1990
33 years ago
The 48th Monaco Grand Prix held over 78 laps of the three kilometre circuit for a race distance of 259 kilometres was won by defending race champion Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, who led every lap of the race driving a McLaren MP4/5B Read more…
1992
31 years ago
Louis Schweitzer became Chairman of Renault Read more…
2001
22 years ago
Jeff Burton ended a personal slump with a big victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, North Carolina, US Read more…
2001
22 years ago
Michael Schumacher driving for the Ferrari team won the Monaco Grand Prix, contested over 78 laps Read more…
2012
11 years ago
Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix from Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso in an unusual race which seemed to be an exercise as driving as slowly as possible in order to save tyres – at the finish the top six were separated by just six seconds Read more…
2018
5 years ago
After a duff pit stop cost him the win at the Monaco Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo got his redemption with a magnificent drive from pole position, despite a complete shutdown of his ERS which left him with 25 per cent down less power Read more…
