On this day in…
1895
128 years ago
John Henry Knight, who built Britain’s first petrol-powered motor vehicle, a three-wheeled, two-seater contraption with a top speed of 8 mph, was fined half a crown (2s 6d) plus 10 shillings costs at Farnham Petty Sessions for using a locomotive with neither a licence nor a man walking in front with a red flag Read more…
1901
122 years ago
Packard used its famous ‘Ask the man who owns one’ slogan in their advertising for the first time Read more…
1905
118 years ago
Amedee Bollee Jr was issued with a French patent for his automatic splash lubrication system Read more…
1910
113 years ago
The Panama Canal Zone required all automobiles to be registered Read more…
1913
110 years ago
A National Day of Celebration was staged in the US to officially dedicate the Lincoln Highway Read more…
1920
103 years ago
Walter O Bentley resigned from Bentley and Bentley Ltd to devote full time to his position as Chief Engineer for Bentley Motors Ltd Read more…
1924
99 years ago
The last Marmon Model 34 was produced Read more…
1925
98 years ago
The Ford Motor Company established a one-day production record as 9,109 Ford Model T’s came off the production line Read more…
1925
98 years ago
The 1 Read more…
1935
88 years ago
The 1,000,000th Ford V-8 was produced during the calendar year, a 1935 Fordor Touring Sedan with a body by Briggs Read more…
1939
84 years ago
The 1940 Chryslers, DeSotos, Dodges and Plymouths were introduced at the Chrysler Building in New York City Read more…
1939
84 years ago
The last Ford Model 7Y was built on the same day that production commenced of its replacement, the E04A Anglia Read more…
1945
78 years ago
The last Inskip- bodied Rolls Royce Phantom III was delivered to P Fishbacher of Rye, New York Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Britain’s first zebra crossing was introduced in Slough, Berkshire in order to reduce casualties at pedestrian road crossings Read more…
1952
71 years ago
The Kaiser Dragon, an upscale version of the standard Kaiser Deluxe, was introduced in the US on Halloween Day, as a mid-year model Read more…
1954
69 years ago
A prototype 1955 Packard Patrician sedan completed a 25,000 endurance run at the Packard proving Grounds in Utica, Michigan, US at an average sped of 104 Read more…
1957
66 years ago
The 1958 Dodge four-wheel-drive trucks were introduced Read more…
1957
66 years ago
Joe Weatherly stormed to victory on Columbia (South Carolina, US) Speedway’s half-mile dirt track, but Bob Welborn’s fourth-place finish is enough to clinch the second of three championships in the NASCAR Convertible Series Read more…
1957
66 years ago
Two months after a three-man Toyota team flew to Los Angeles to survey the U Read more…
1957
66 years ago
The Chevrolet Impala was introduced as top of the line Bel Air hardtops and convertibles Read more…
1958
65 years ago
The 1959 Ford Edsel line was introduced to the public Read more…
1965
58 years ago
The Rockingham Speedway opened as a flat, one-mile oval Read more…
1967
56 years ago
The first official Baja 1000 off-road race started in Tijuana, Baja California Read more…
1971
52 years ago
Denny Hulme drove a McLaren M8F-Chevrolet to victory in the Can-Am race at Riverside, California, USA Read more…
1975
48 years ago
Toyota displayed TTC-C and TTC-V systems and also the Gas Turbine Century at the opening of the 21st Tokyo Motor Show Read more…
1985
38 years ago
Some of the conspicuous exhibits at the 26th Tokyo Motor Show included the Porsche 959, BMW M3, Benz 190E 2 Read more…
1988
35 years ago
Ford agreed to provide approximately $300 million in financing for acquisition of Budget Rent a Car by Breech Holdings Corp Read more…
1999
24 years ago
Mika Häkkinen driving a McLaren clinched the 1999 World title in Suzuka by winning the Japanese Grand Prix Read more…
1999
24 years ago
CART series driver Greg Moore, (24), of Canada, died in a crash in the final race of the 1999 season at California Speedway in Fontana, California Read more…
2002
21 years ago
A traffic warden in Cumbria was crowned Britain’s biggest booker Read more…
2006
17 years ago
Floods swept away a minibus traveling in Diyarbakir Province, Turkey, killing 14 people Read more…
2012
11 years ago
The Sierra Blue 1964 Aston Martin DB5 first owned by Sir Paul McCartney was sold at auction for £344,400 Read more…
2019
4 years ago
Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA said they plan to join forces in a 50-50 share merger to create the world’s fourth-largest automaker Read more…
