On this day in…
1772
252 years ago
The Major of London laid the foundation stone of the Maidenhead Bridge over the River Thames Read more…
1860
164 years ago
An internal combustion engine designed by Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci was installed at the Maria Antonia railway station in Florence, Italy, the first instance where such an engine was put into practical usage Read more…
1897
127 years ago
Henry Sturmey completed a 929 mile trip from John O’Groats to Land’s End in his Coventry Daimler, to become the first person to cross Great Britain from end-to-end by automobile Read more…
1915
109 years ago
American actress Anita King, backed by Jesse L Lasky, the studio boss of Paramount Pictures, became the first female to drive alone across the US Read more…
1923
101 years ago
Car manufacturers, Delage & Cie Read more…
1924
100 years ago
Count Louis Vorow Zborowski (29), of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame, died in wreck during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Read more…
1927
97 years ago
Australian adventurer Francis Birtles, driving a 14-bhp Bean, left London and eventually arrived in Sydney on 15 July the following year – the first overland trip from England to Australia by car Read more…
1932
92 years ago
Giovanni Battista Pirelli (83), Italian entrepreneur, engineer and politician who founded Pirelli SpA, died Read more…
1938
86 years ago
Chris Staniland driving a Multi-Union set the all-time Brooklands (England) record for Class D (under 3000 cc) of 141 Read more…
1945
79 years ago
Packard introduced its first post-World War II cars, the Clipper Eight Standard and Clipper Eight Deluxe Read more…
1947
77 years ago
Eddie Hulse, driving Regg Schlemmer’s Mercury powered roadster, set a new Southern California Timing Association Class C speed record of 136 Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark II (1955 – 1957) was unveiled at the London Motor Show Read more…
1956
68 years ago
The driving test fee in Britain was doubled from 10 shillings to £1 Read more…
1961
63 years ago
Gustav W Carlson (77), developer of the two-speed axle, died in Cleveland, Ohio, US Read more…
1962
62 years ago
The 6,000,000th Volkswagen was produced Read more…
1965
59 years ago
The MGB GT was launched Read more…
1966
58 years ago
The London Motor Show opened with each end of the motoring spectrum exhibited Read more…
1967
57 years ago
The first Tyne Road Tunnel (1 mile in length), connecting the town of Jarrow on the south bank of the River Tyne with North Shields and Howdon (England) on the northern end, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II Read more…
1969
55 years ago
Pole-starter Bobby Isaac led all but two laps to coast to victory in the final race for NASCAR’s premier series at Augusta (Georgia, US) Speedway’s half-mile asphalt track Read more…
1970
54 years ago
BP announced the discovery of major oilfields under the North Sea in the British sector Read more…
1976
48 years ago
Eleanor Clay Ford, widow of Edsel Ford, died at the age of 80 Read more…
1982
42 years ago
After being caught on film during an FBI sting operation trying to broker a $24 million cocaine deal, John D Read more…
1986
38 years ago
General Motors cancelled its plastic car project Read more…
1987
37 years ago
Racer Hermann Lang (78), one of the great drivers of the 1930s, died of natural causes Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Cory McClenathan became the first person in NHRA history to register a 320 mph top speed at the end of a 1/4-mile run Read more…
2019
5 years ago
The Trump administration said it was revoking California’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and to require some zero-emission vehicles Read more…
