On this day in…
1895
128 years ago
Wilhelm Maybach joined Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft as Chief Engineer Read more…
1895
128 years ago
The first US magazine devoted to the motor vehicle, ‘The Horseless Age’, was published Read more…
1895
128 years ago
The first automobile club in the United States, the American Motor League, held its preliminary meeting in Chicago, Illinois, US with 60 members Read more…
1899
124 years ago
The first automobile show in the United States opened in New York City as part of a general technology exposition Read more…
1904
119 years ago
William Crapo (“Billy”) Durant of Durant-Dort Carriage Company, Flint, Michigan, took control of the Buick Motor Company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy Read more…
1905
118 years ago
Ground breaking ceremonies were held in Flint, Michigan, US for the new Buick Motor Company factory Read more…
1908
115 years ago
The first Hupsmobile was completed, a Model 20 runabout Read more…
1913
110 years ago
The Scrippe-Booth Cyclecar Company was organised in Detroit, US by Willaim E Scripps, George G Booth and James Scripps Booth Read more…
1916
107 years ago
Henry Ford’s only son, Edsel Bryant, married Eleanor Lowthian Clay in Detroit, Michigan Read more…
1919
104 years ago
Armstrong Siddeley Motors was officially formed in Britain [1 November 1919] Read more…
1924
99 years ago
Automobiloe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo (AMO), which later changed its name to ZIS/ZIL, produced its first vehicle, a 1 Read more…
1926
97 years ago
General Motors (Australia) Pty Read more…
1927
96 years ago
For the first time since the Model T was introduced in 1908, the Ford Motor Company began production of a significantly redesigned automobile, the Model A Read more…
1927
96 years ago
The 2 millionth Buick was produced, a 1928 coupe Read more…
1927
96 years ago
Car manufacturer, Eddie Rickenbacker bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which he operated for nearly a decade and a half, overseeing many improvements to the facility Read more…
1928
95 years ago
The Ford Motor Company became the first mass producer of automobiles to use safety glass as standard equipment Read more…
1929
94 years ago
Petrol prices in Great Britain fell to 1s 7d a gallon Read more…
1931
92 years ago
Auto Union AG was established as a legal entity, although the actual formation of the corporation did not take place until June 1932 Read more…
1931
92 years ago
The Soviet Ford factory near Nizhni Novgorod (now Gor’kiy), Russia was competed Read more…
1932
91 years ago
Hochleistungsfahrzeugbau GmbH was founded by Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Rosenberger with the sole purpose of building a Grand Prix car in the new unlimited classification Read more…
1945
78 years ago
The first post World War II Lincoln and Mercury vehicles were produced Read more…
1946
77 years ago
Driving tests were reintroduced in Britain a year after the end of World War Two Read more…
1948
75 years ago
General Motors resumed management control of Adam Opel AG Read more…
1949
74 years ago
The 1,200-foot-long (365 meters long), West Rock Tunnel carrying Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway) through West Rock Ridge in New Haven, Connecticut, the state’s first automobile tunnel, was opened to the public It was renamed Heroes Tunnel in 2003 to honor “heroes of all kinds” in the post-September 11 era Read more…
1953
70 years ago
Buck Baker surged to victory in the season finale at Lakewood Speedway outside of Atlanta (Georgia, US) as Herb Thomas drove home 14th to become the first two-time NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series champion Read more…
1955
68 years ago
The Studebaker Hawk made its debut Read more…
1956
67 years ago
Elvis Presley bought a 1957 Harley-Davidson FLH Read more…
1957
66 years ago
The Mackinac Straits Bridge, between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, opened to traffic Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Ricardo Rodríguez, Mexcian racing drive, died aged 20 Read more…
1965
58 years ago
A crowded trolley bus plunged into Nile River in Cairo, Egypt killing 74 Read more…
1972
51 years ago
The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey changed its name to the Exxon Corporation Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Twenty-year-old Ricardo Rodriguez was killed on this day, probably trying a little too hard to impress in qualifying in front of his home ground at the Mexican Grand Prix Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Having the body design executed by Bertone in an attempt to produce a “special” look, Lamborghini unveiled the Urraco P250 in Turin Read more…
1972
51 years ago
The Fiat 126 and Lotus Esprit Concept car were both unveiled at the Turin Motor Show Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Michael Edwardes began his five-year term as chairman of BL Read more…
1979
44 years ago
CART announced that PPG would be the organization’s new title sponsor and the PPG Indy Car World Series was created Read more…
1979
44 years ago
The US Government loaned Chrysler Corporation $1 Read more…
1981
42 years ago
British Leyland’s 58,000-strong workforce began a strike over pay Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Honda becomes the first Asian automobile company to produce cars in the United States with the opening of its factory in Marysville, Ohio; a Honda Accord was the first car produced there Read more…
1983
40 years ago
A bus collided with a motorcycle and hit a second bus 370 miles northeast of Bangkok, Thailand, killing 21 and injuring 40 Read more…
1992
31 years ago
Davey Allison snatched the lead in the NASCAR Winston Cup title chase with a win in the Pyroil 500 at Phoenix, Arizona (US) Read more…
1993
30 years ago
Alex Trotman succeeded Harold Poling as chairman of the Ford Motor Co Read more…
1998
25 years ago
Mika Hakkinen’s flag-to-flag victory at the Japanese Grand Prix clinched him the first of two world titles and also gave McLaren its first constructors’ crown since 1991 Read more…
1998
25 years ago
At Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, USA, Gary Scelzi’s Top Fuel dragster ran the 1/4-mile at a record speed of 326 Read more…
1999
24 years ago
Norway’s first mass-produced vehicle, the TH!NK City started to roll off the assembly line in Oslo Read more…
2000
23 years ago
The Jaguar X-Type, designed at the Whitley Engineering Centre in Coventry (England), was formally unveiled Read more…
2000
23 years ago
Bill Devin, founder of Devin Cars and a major influence on the automobile industry by demonstrating the world’s first (dual) OHC driven by rubber-toothed belt, died Read more…
2002
21 years ago
Eddie Irvine was sacked from the Jaguar team over the phone by team boss Niki Lauda, ending an ultimately disappointing career Read more…
2003
20 years ago
The new Lexus LS430 design concept with a smooth exterior profile and supreme aerodynamic performance went on sale in the UK Read more…
2006
17 years ago
Two buses collided in Sirajganj District, Bangladesh, killing 18 and wounding 30 Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Unique Performance, a sort of Shelby endorsed car builder, was busted by Dallas Police (US) for VIN washing Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Chrysler LLC said it planned to cut up to 12,000 jobs, or up to 15 percent of its workforce, as part of an effort to slash costs and match slowing demand for some vehicles Read more…
2009
14 years ago
A fairly irrelevant end to a gripping season under lights at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Red Bull’s 1-2 (Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber) did lay down a good marker for the next season Read more…
