On this day in…
1899
125 years ago
The first automobile race was held in Austria Read more…
1903
121 years ago
The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) sued the Ford Motor Company for violating the George Selden ‘automobile’ Patent Read more…
1906
118 years ago
Henry Ford was elected President of the Ford Motor Company succeeding the late John S Gray Read more…
1926
98 years ago
Middleweight boxing champ Harry Greb (30), known as The Human Windmill, died on the operating table during surgery to repair a fractured nose sustained during an automobile accident Read more…
1928
96 years ago
The Pep Auto Supply Company changed its corporate name to Pep Boys – Manny Moe & Jack Read more…
1936
88 years ago
The first test-drives of the Volkswagen vehicle began, and employees drove the VW 3-series model over 800 kilometers a day, making any necessary repairs at night Read more…
1945
79 years ago
The Lincoln-Mercury Division was established Read more…
1945
79 years ago
The first post-World War II Plymouth, a P15S Deluxe saloon, was produced Read more…
1947
77 years ago
The Renault 4CV was released at the Paris Motor Show, signalling new energy in small car design Read more…
1952
72 years ago
Dodge introduced its Red Ram V8, claimed to have more horsepower per cubic inch than any other volume-produced engine Read more…
1952
72 years ago
The Healey 100 was introduced at Earls Court, London Read more…
1952
72 years ago
Reliant exhibited their first three-wheeled car, the Regal Mark I at the London Motor Show, although an earlier prototype had been shown at the Cycle and Motor Show in 1951 Read more…
1954
70 years ago
The Studebaker-Packard Corporation acquired the Murray Body Company, a longtime independent producer of automobile bodies Read more…
1954
70 years ago
The Ford Thunderbird went on sale as a 1955 model, and sold briskly; 3,500 orders were placed in the first ten days of sale Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Daimler-Benz AG officially withdrew from racing Read more…
1955
69 years ago
After the sales of Volkswagen on the US market began increasing by leaps and bounds, “Volkswagen of America, Inc Read more…
1955
69 years ago
Richard Pape in an Austin A90 Westminster arrived in Cape Town after an epic journey of 86 days from North Cape, covering over 17,000 miles, to become the first man to transverse the world’s largest landmass (Afro-Eurasia) by car Read more…
1957
67 years ago
The 1958 Rambler and Rambler America model range’s were introduced Read more…
1957
67 years ago
Motorcycle Gang, a semi-remake of Dragstrip Girl, was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Sorority Girl Read more…
1958
66 years ago
New models of bubble cars from Germany were the hit at the opening of the British Motor Show Read more…
1961
63 years ago
Joe Weatherly surged to the front in the late stages to win the Southeastern 500, just the second race for NASCAR’s top series at Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee, US Read more…
1965
59 years ago
President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act, in an attempt to limit billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising, as well as with junkyards and other unsightly roadside messes, along America’s interstate highways Read more…
1967
57 years ago
The first British 8-second run (official record session) took place at Elvington, Yorkshire at the International Sprint Organisation Records Weekend Read more…
1969
55 years ago
The Datsun 240Z sportscar was introduced Read more…
1980
44 years ago
Production ceased of the MGB, Britain’s best-selling sports car Read more…
1983
41 years ago
Ayrton Senna won the British F3 race at Thruxton, England Read more…
1987
37 years ago
Canadian Garry Sowerby and American Tim Cahill completed the first trans-Americas automobile journey, driving from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in a total elapsed time of 23 days, 22 hours, and 43 minutes Read more…
1988
36 years ago
Jaguar XJ220 made its public debut as a concept car at the Birmingham Motor Show, England Read more…
1989
35 years ago
Alessandro Nannini’s one and only Formula 1 win at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka came in the wake of Ayrton Senna being disqualified Read more…
1991
33 years ago
General Motors announced a 9 month loss of $2 Read more…
1993
31 years ago
The 30th Tokyo Motor Show opened Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Robert MacGregor Innes Ireland died from cancer at the age of 63 Read more…
1995
29 years ago
Ward Burton scored his first NASCAR Winston Cup victory in the AC Delco 400 at Rockingham, North Carolina (US) Read more…
1998
26 years ago
The opening of the British Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham saw the launch of two critical saloons from British car manufacturers – Rover 75 and Jaguar S-Type Read more…
1999
25 years ago
The White Lightning Electric Streamliner, driven by Patrick Rummerfield (USA), at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA, recorded the highest speed achieved by an electric vehicle 395 Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Darren Manning (UK) reached a record speed of 102 Read more…
2002
22 years ago
Volkswagen unveiled the striking new £22,000 Golf R32, the fastest production Golf ever built, to a crowd of waiting journalists at the NEC Motor Show Read more…
2003
21 years ago
IRL racer Tony Renna (26) died after crashing at close to 220 mph during a test drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
2003
21 years ago
Ferrari announced the official name for its all-new 2+2 model – the 612 Scaglietti, which went on sale in the UK in the summer of 2004 Read more…
2010
14 years ago
A new World Record for any motorcycle sold at auction was set on 22 October 2010, when a 1929 Brough Superior SS100 was sold at the Haynes International Motor Museum Read more…
2022
2 years ago
Rolls-Royce Spectre Read more…
