On this day in…
1904
119 years ago
The Honourable Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met for the first time at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, UK Read more…
1905
118 years ago
Tennessee (US) required the registration of all automobiles with the Secretary of State Read more…
1920
103 years ago
American Harry Miller was granted a US patent for a race-car design that introduced many features incorporated into race cars in the following decades Read more…
1930
93 years ago
The 21st Targa Florio received entries from the entire French Bugatti équipe, to fight against factory teams from Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Officine Mecchaniche, plus many independents, totaling 17 cars at the start Read more…
1940
83 years ago
Charles Yale Knight, inventor of the sleeve-valve engine, died in Mendocino, California, US Read more…
1954
69 years ago
The General Motors Board of Directors authorised the development of an ultra-luxury car, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, under the direction of stylist Ed Glowacke and engineer Fred Arnold Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Jimmy Pardue scored his first victory in NASCAR’s top division, leading the final 66 laps of a 200-lap main event at Southside Speedway in Richmond, Virginia, US Read more…
1966
57 years ago
Fiat sign a contract with the Soviet government to build a car factory in the Soviet Union Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The Spanish Grand Prix held at Montjuich Park was won by Jackie Stewart driving a Matra-Cosworth MS80S Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Porsches finish 1-2-3-4-6 in the Targa Florio road race in Sicily Read more…
1980
43 years ago
French driver Didier Pironi driving a Ligier JS11/15 won the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder Read more…
1984
39 years ago
American singer Bruce Springsteen released ‘Pink Cadillac’ as a B-side to ‘Dancing in the Dark’, the first and biggest hit single off Born in the USA, the best-selling album of his career. Read more…
1991
32 years ago
SEAT Toledo made its debut at the Barcelona Motor Show Read more…
1999
24 years ago
Changes to the ‘L’ test were introduced in the UK which included extending the length of the test, randomising the emergency stop manoeuvre and failing candidates for committing 16 or more driving faults Read more…
2002
21 years ago
At the Rim of the World Rally in Palmdale, California, David Higgins and Daniel Barritt from Wales, won in their Subaru Impreza Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari F2003-GA won the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona from pole position Read more…
2006
17 years ago
Aston Martin unveiled the new DBS which would be driven by James Bond in the next 007 film Casino Royale Read more…
2009
14 years ago
In Germany, Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Italy’s Fiat, drummed up support in Berlin for audacious plans to snap up General Motors’ European arm and merge it with the bankrupt Chrysler to create a new global auto giant Read more…
2010
13 years ago
An ordinance authorising the use of speed cameras in the town of Sykesville, Maryland, US was put to a referendum, in which 321 out of 529 voters (60 Read more…
