On this day in…
1905
119 years ago
King Edward VII opened Kingsway and Aldwych (now on the A4200), a major road through London, England to ease congestion between Holborn and the Strand Read more…
1912
112 years ago
Thomas W Read more…
1915
109 years ago
Robert B Ward (62), founder in 1905 and President of the Ward Motor Vehicle Company, died in New Rochelle, New York Read more…
1919
105 years ago
Rolls-Royce America, Inc Read more…
1923
101 years ago
The Ministry of Transport in a letter to all county councils condemned the recent increase in roadside advertising billboards which were ‘disfiguring’ the countryside Read more…
1931
93 years ago
The first automobile race was held at the Oakland Speedway, California, US Read more…
1931
93 years ago
Thomas Edison (84), America’s greatest inventor, died in West Orange, New Jersey Read more…
1932
92 years ago
The Studebaker Corporation purchased the White Motor Company Read more…
1933
91 years ago
1934
90 years ago
The 1935 Buick model range were introduced Read more…
1938
86 years ago
Construction began on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (US) Read more…
1939
85 years ago
The Automotive Hall of Fame was founded in New York City by a group called the “Automobile Old Timers Read more…
1950
74 years ago
The new Consul and Zephyr launched at the Olympia Motor Show were the first Fords with monocoque body/chassis construction and the first cars in the world with MacPherson Strut front suspension, now an industry standard Read more…
1950
74 years ago
At the 1950 London Motor Show the Jaguar Mark VII saloon, specifically aimed at the US market, was presented and once again Lyons ‘stole the show’ Read more…
1951
73 years ago
The first DeSoto was produced with the Firedome V-8 engine Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Ford’s Louisville manufacturing plant in Kentucky was dedicated Read more…
1956
68 years ago
Elvis Presley (21) pulled into a Memphis gas station where he started to attract a small crowd of autograph seekers Read more…
1961
63 years ago
The Jaguar Mark X saloon was unveiled at the London Motor Show, Britain’s biggest car so far with unitary body construction Read more…
1964
60 years ago
Roger Penske drove a Chevrolet-powered Chaparral 2 to victory in the USAC-sanctioned sports car race at Laguna Seca in California Read more…
1967
57 years ago
For the first time since 1948, this year saw an increase in the normal daily admission charge to the London Motor Show at Earls Court, which was raised from 5 shillings to 7 shillings and 6 pence Read more…
1970
54 years ago
Denny Hulme drove a McLaren M8D to victory in the Laguna Seca, California, USA, Can-Am race Read more…
1977
47 years ago
Hanns Martin Schleyer, a Daimler-Benz executive and head of the West German employers’ association, was found dead in Alsace, France Read more…
1980
44 years ago
Helmut Henzler and Keke Rosberg in a prototype VW diesel-powered car at the Nardo Circuit, Italy, recorded the greatest distance covered in 1 hour by a car powered with an internal combustion engine, 219 Read more…
1982
42 years ago
The British government closed the DeLorean factory in Northern Ireland Read more…
1982
42 years ago
The first escape ramps for hedgehogs were installed in cattle grids on the A117 near Ludlow, Shropshire Read more…
1984
40 years ago
General Motors acquired the EDS Corporation for $2 Read more…
1986
38 years ago
Pride of place at the British International Motor Show held at NEC went to Jaguar’s new XJ6, which had enjoyed enormous publicity even before this, its international launch Read more…
1986
38 years ago
Morgan Shepherd posted a dominant NASCAR Nationwide Series win, leading 144 of 197 laps in the Sandhills 200 at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Racer John Cannon (66) was killed in an aircraft accident when an air supply fault led to a fatal crash-landing in a cornfield in New Mexico, US Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Britain’s Worst Driver, a TV series created and hosted by ex-Top Gear host Quentin Willson, was first broadcast on Five in the United Kingdom Read more…
2006
18 years ago
TVR, the independent car manufacturer founded in Blackpool (England) in 1947, announced that it would be quitting the town for good and moving production abroad Read more…
2007
17 years ago
South African reggae star, Lucky Dube (43) was shot dead by car thieves when he was dropping his teenage son and daughter off in a Johannesburg suburb Read more…
2009
15 years ago
British driver Jenson Button and Brawn GP secured the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship titles respectively at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season Read more…
2017
7 years ago
Royal Dutch Shell opened its first electric vehicle recharging points at three petrol stations in Britain, part of the oil giant’s efforts to respond to a global push toward zero-emission vehicles Read more…
