On this day in…
1847
176 years ago
Robert W Read more…
1879
144 years ago
George Baldwin Selden of Rochester, New York filed the first US patent for an automobile Read more…
1896
127 years ago
The first horseless carriage show was held at London’s Imperial Institute Read more…
1899
124 years ago
Ettore Bugatti, driving a Prinetti & Stucchi, won the Reggio-Brescello-Parma-Reggio road race in Italy Read more…
1899
124 years ago
Olds Motor Vehicle and Olds Gasoline Engine Works of Lansing merged to form Olds Motor Works with $500,000 capital Read more…
1903
120 years ago
Clement Ader applied for a patent for hs V-4 and V-6 automobile engines Read more…
1931
92 years ago
The Ford Model AA Type 229-A Packers’ Express was introduced Read more…
1932
91 years ago
Louis Chiron was the only foreigner in the 23rd Targa Florio where just 16 cars arrived for the race, two from the Maserati works, five Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos and two Bugatti’s, entered privately by Chiron and Varzi Read more…
1932
91 years ago
The first Finnish Grand Prix was a race between five Finns and five Swedes run at Eläintarharata Read more…
1933
90 years ago
Radio Engineering Laboratories of Long Island City installed the first police radio system, connecting headquarters to patrol cars and two patrol cars to one another, in Eastchester Township, New York Read more…
1934
89 years ago
(8th – 10th): The three drivers (Dhome, Girod, Perrot) began racing a Delahaye 3 Read more…
1939
84 years ago
Packard completed its famous production line bridge over Grand Avenue at its Detroit, Michigan, US factory Read more…
1947
76 years ago
A day short of two years after the island was liberated from German Occupation, the first Jersey Road Race was held Read more…
1955
68 years ago
Alberto Ascari in a Lancia D50 won the Naples Grand Prix Read more…
1956
67 years ago
Henry Ford II resigned as chair of the Ford Foundation Read more…
1957
66 years ago
The 2,996th and final Lincoln Continental Mark II was produced Read more…
1962
61 years ago
The last trolley buses ran in London Read more…
1968
55 years ago
Colin Chapman, effected by the previous day’s death of Mike Spence and the recent death of Jim Clark, left Indianapolis and flew back to England, leaving the STP Indy team to be run solely by Andy Granatelli Read more…
1974
49 years ago
Britain lifted the temporary 50mph speed limit from all motorways Read more…
1977
46 years ago
The Spanish Grand Prix held at the Circuito del Jarama was won by Lotus-Ford driver Mario Andretti Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Gilles Villeneuve (32) died in a 140 mph (225 km/h) crash caused by a collision with the March of Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder Read more…
1989
34 years ago
Rudolf Uhlenhaut (82), Anglo-German engineer and executive for Mercedes-Benz, died Read more…
1993
30 years ago
Ward Burton capped a dominant day at Martinsville Speedway, Virginia, US leading 227 of 300 laps in the Miller 500 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Read more…
1996
27 years ago
Race car designer Brian Lovell (68), died Read more…
2000
23 years ago
Ford introduced the propane-powered, bi-fuel Super Duty F-Series chassis cab. Read more…
2002
21 years ago
14 people died in the suicide bombing of a bus in Karachi, Pakistan Read more…
2002
21 years ago
The Second UN Car Free Day Demonstration and Practicum for Regional Mayors took place in Fremantle, West Australia Read more…
2005
18 years ago
The Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona was won by Kimi Räikkönen, driving a McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20 Read more…
2009
14 years ago
The “Wind Up” which measures 104 Read more…
2011
12 years ago
The final race around the superb Istanbul Park circuit was won by Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mark Webber, Red Bull’s domination righting the wrongs of the previous year Read more…
2012
11 years ago
Two 1960s petrol station canopies gained listed status: the sweeping concrete canopy at Markham Moor off the A1 and one on the A6 at Red Hill in Leicestershire Read more…
