On this day in…
1867
156 years ago
Work on the first underwater highway tunnel in the United States began in Chicago, Illinois Read more…
1900
123 years ago
A four-wheel-drive mechanism was patented in Germany Read more…
1901
122 years ago
The Henry Ford Company was organised to continue the work of the defunct Detroit Automobile Company Read more…
1901
122 years ago
More than 25,000 people lined the Ocean Parkway in New York to see Henri Fournier in a Mors win a measured-mile contest at 69 Read more…
1903
120 years ago
Pioneer British motoring enthusiast Sir Frederick Bramwell (85) died Read more…
1905
118 years ago
Reo made its racing debut as Daniel Wurges won two of three races driving the Reo Bird at the Empire City track in Yonkers, New York Read more…
1907
116 years ago
The first exclusive show for motor trucks opened in Chicago, US with 29 exhibitors Read more…
1911
112 years ago
William C Read more…
1911
112 years ago
The American Grand Prize, the final race of the 1911 Grand Prix season was held on the Savannah, Georgia road course three days after the Vanderbilt Cup was held on the same track Read more…
1911
112 years ago
AB Scani-VABIS was organised in Sodertalje from a merger of Scania and Vabis in Sweden Read more…
1920
103 years ago
William C Durant attended his final General Motors board meeting, losing his corporate presidency for the last time as well as $90,000,000 of his personal wealth Read more…
1921
102 years ago
After disappointing tests General Motors officially cancelled the development of the ‘copper-cooled’ 6-cylinder Oakland Read more…
1929
94 years ago
The UK Road Traffic Bill was published, suggesting an increase in the 20-mph speed limit and a ‘fitness’ test for drivers Read more…
1933
90 years ago
The N Read more…
1936
87 years ago
The General Motors Truck & Coach Division of the Yellow Truck & Coach Manufacturing Company was formed to handle sales of GMC trucks Read more…
1940
83 years ago
The General Motors AC Delco factory in Southampton, England was destroyed during a German air raid Read more…
1949
74 years ago
Julius P Read more…
1950
73 years ago
The 1,996-cc, 4-cylinder Renault Frégate, an executive saloon, was launched at the Paris Motor Show in the Palais de Chaillot Read more…
1955
68 years ago
The 1956 Hudson Wasps, Hornet Sixes and Hornet V-8’s were introduced Read more…
1960
63 years ago
The first Scout all-terrain vehicle rolled off the assembly line at International Harvester’s plant in the US Read more…
1960
63 years ago
The De Soto marque, founded by Walter Chrysler in 1928, was officially dropped, just forty-seven days after the 1961 model year was announced Read more…
1963
60 years ago
Henry Cave (89), a pioneer designer for the Daimler Motor Syndicate Ltd and Imperial Autocar Manufacturing Company Ltd in England who came to the US to work with Andrew Riker and later founded the SKF Ball Bearing Company, Connecticut, died Read more…
1965
58 years ago
Ralph Nader’s “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a book that has been voted among the top 100 pieces of journalism of the 20th century, was published Read more…
1973
50 years ago
The Mercury Bobcat was introduced as a badge-engineered Ford Pinto by the Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd Read more…
1975
48 years ago
Gulf Research Racing, which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier in the year (and had won it twice previously as John Wyer Automotive Engineering), closed its doors Read more…
1976
47 years ago
Roger Clark became the first British driver to win a World Rally Championship (WRC) event when he triumphed at the 1976 RAC Rally with Stuart Pegg, driving a Ford Escort RS 1800 Read more…
1978
45 years ago
CART team owners announced that they would run their own races, without USAC sanction Read more…
1979
44 years ago
The ‘last’ Buick V-8 engine block was produced at the Buick foundry, an action thought to signal the end of Buick V-8 cars, but the availability of this type of engine continued without model year interruption Read more…
1981
42 years ago
The 156 Read more…
1991
32 years ago
A 93 car and 11 truck accident near San Francisco, US during a dust storm killed 17 Read more…
1995
28 years ago
Ford and Mazda establish AutoAlliance (Thailand) to build pickup trucks for Asia Read more…
1998
25 years ago
The 1999 Ford Windstar minivan earned the highest scores possible in government frontal crash test ratings Read more…
2004
19 years ago
Jack Danile (92), a leading engineer who helped design the Morris Minor and the original Mini, died after a two year battle with cancer Read more…
2006
17 years ago
The Passat R36 made its public debut at the Essen Motorshow, joining the Golf R32 and only the second model in the Volkswagen line-up to carry the ‘R’ badge Read more…
2010
13 years ago
A report by the US national Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that evidence of drug use was being found with increasing frequency among drivers who died in motoring accidents Read more…
