On this day in…
1869
154 years ago
The Holborn Viaduct in the City of London was opened by Queen Victoria Read more…
1888
135 years ago
William Steinway, a member of the piano-making family, acquired the rights to build Daimler cars in the United States Read more…
1899
124 years ago
Only three months after work on his first automobile began, the first Packard was completed and test-driven through the streets of Warren, Ohio Read more…
1907
116 years ago
The first track records were set at Brooklands Frank Newton in a 25 Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Victor Héméry set a new speed record at the Brooklands circuit of 202 Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Construction began on the new Springfield Motor Company factory in Springfield, Illinois, US Read more…
1909
114 years ago
Joe Nikrent drove a Buick to victory in the Los Angeles-to-Phoenix road race Read more…
1920
103 years ago
The Orpington, built by Frank Smith and Jack Milroy at their Pond Garage, opposite Priory Road in Orpington, Kent, England went on a test run in front of the press Read more…
1930
93 years ago
Alfred Arthur Rouse murdered an unknown man and burnt him in his (Rouse’s) vehicle at Hardingstone in Northamptonshire, the first murder case in Britain to centre around a car Read more…
1933
90 years ago
English Racing Automobiles, the name by which ERA Read more…
1936
87 years ago
Henry Bourne Joy (71), President of the Packard Motor Car Company, died Read more…
1944
79 years ago
The first Citroën truck left the Javel plant in France Read more…
1947
76 years ago
The first shipment of post World War II Rolls Royce and Bentleys arrived in the United States Read more…
1947
76 years ago
The British motorcycle magazine, ‘Motor Cycling’ (November 6, 1947) cover exclaimed, “AJS Quality Motorcycles – The Choice of the Experts in Trials & Scrambles” Read more…
1949
74 years ago
Rex Mays (36), AAA Championship Car driver was killed in a crash during the only Champ Car race held at Del Mar Fairgrounds race track in Del Mar, California Read more…
1951
72 years ago
The Kuwait Oil Company (London) Ltd Read more…
1951
72 years ago
The Kuwait Oil Company (London) Ltd Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Production began at the Zeran Automobile factory in Warsaw, Poland Read more…
1953
70 years ago
The first Arnolt Aston Martin, based on the DB4/2, was completed by Carrozzeria Bertone Read more…
1954
69 years ago
Construction of the Cadillac Park Avenue show car began – the car, with modifications, was later produced as the ultra-luxury Eldorado Brougham Read more…
1955
68 years ago
Jack McGrath died at the age of 36 at the last race of the 1955 season, the Bobby Ball Memorial Rac,e on the dirt track in Phoenix, Arizona Read more…
1959
64 years ago
Two lorry drivers died in the first fatal crash on the recently opened M1 in England Read more…
1965
58 years ago
Richard Atwood and David Piper drove Piper’s Ferrari 365P2 to victory in the Rand 9 Hour Race at Kyalami, South Africa Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The Ferrari 512S was presented to the press at the Gatto Verde Restaurant, near Maranello, Italy Read more…
1972
51 years ago
Rolling Stone Bill Wyman lost his driving licence and was fined £20 by Chelmsford Magistrates court after being caught speeding in his Mercedes on the A12 Read more…
1977
46 years ago
The first side-by-side eight second bike race in Europe occurred during Santa Pod Raceways Fireworks Spectacular Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Rothmans Porsche 956s finished 1-2 in the non-championship 9-hour endurance race at Kayalami, South Africa Read more…
1983
40 years ago
A World Record for Most Persons in a Car VW Golf: 30, was set at the Raiffeisen Youth Club Langenlois, Austria Read more…
1986
37 years ago
Geely (officially Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Read more…
1986
37 years ago
The Henry Ford Museum’s ‘The Automobile in American Life’ opened Read more…
1986
37 years ago
The destitute Alfa Romeo company approved its takeover by fellow Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat, shortly after rejecting a takeover bid by the Ford Motor Company Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Alan Kulwicki notched his first victory in NASCAR’s premier series, winning the Checker 500 — the first race for the tour at Phoenix International Raceway (North Carolina, US) Read more…
1994
29 years ago
Damon Hill’s victory in the rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix kick-started his faltering, and ultimately futile, championship bid Read more…
1995
28 years ago
Buick General Manager Edward H Mertz announced ‘US Olympic Gold’ versions of the 1986 Buick regal and Skylark models to commemorate General Motors’ sponsorship of the 1996 US Olympic Team Read more…
1996
27 years ago
Toni Schmücker (75), the fourth chief executive officer of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG) automobile company, following the handover of the company in 1948 to German control from the British at the end of Second World War ended, died Read more…
1997
26 years ago
A passenger train crashed into a bus in Holguín Province, Cuba, killing at least 56 people Read more…
1998
25 years ago
President Bill Clinton declared that part of Detroit will become an “Automobile National Heritage Area Read more…
2000
23 years ago
Between 100 and 200 people were killed when a petrol tanker lost control, slammed into a traffic jam and exploded in Lagos, Nigeria Read more…
2004
19 years ago
The Ufton Nervet rail crash in England caused seven deaths Read more…
2013
10 years ago
A Tesla Model S on Interstate 24 near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (US), caught fire after it struck a tow hitch on the roadway, causing damage beneath the vehicle Read more…
2015
8 years ago
Shaun Davis (42) was jailed for 28 months after filming himself driving his Nissan GTR at 192 mph on a Northamptonshire road in England Read more…
