October 7th


On this day in…

1906

117 years ago

Birmingham International Raceway, a 5/8-mile oval paved racetrack located at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in the Five Points West neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama (US), hosted its first motorcycle race, followed by an automobile race three days later Read more…

1907

116 years ago

A Walter driven by Joe Parkin Jr won the 10-mile race at the Trenton Inter-State Fairgrounds, New Jersey, US – this event hastened the evolution of the marque into Mercer Read more…

1911

112 years ago

Prince Arthur of Connaught opened the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge across the River Tees, connecting Middlesbrough to Port Clarence on the north bank Read more…

1913

110 years ago

Camille Jentazy (44) – nicknamed Le Diable Rouge (“The Red Devil”) after the colour of his beard, died from an accidental shooting while on a wild boar hunt Read more…

1913

110 years ago

When Ford’s Highland Park, Michigan, assembly plant opened in 1910, it was a wonder of the industrial age Read more…

1935

88 years ago

The Wayland Grand Prix, the first race at the Wayland track near Boston, Massachusetts (US) and the first staged by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), was won by Langdon Quimby in a Willys 77 Read more…

1935

88 years ago

The Brooklands lap record of 143 Read more…

1937

86 years ago

The Renault Juvaquatre,a small family car, was showcased at the Paris Motor Show and put on sale the following year Read more…

1945

78 years ago

The 1946 Buick model range were introduced Read more…

1945

78 years ago

The first post-war Cadillac came off the production line Read more…

1947

76 years ago

The British government proposed regular compulsory inspection of cars Read more…

1948

75 years ago

At the Paris Motor Show in October, Peugeot unveiled the 203, its first totally new postwar car Read more…

1948

75 years ago

Citroën 2CV was unveiled at the Paris Salon Read more…

1950

73 years ago

Spectators were allowed to watch racing at the former wartime airfield, Castle Combe in Wiltshire, where a crowd of 12,000 saw Peter Collins and Stirling Moss competing in F3 Read more…

1956

67 years ago

Fireball Roberts stormed from 14th starting position to lead the final 51 laps of a 200-lap main event at Newport (Tenn Read more…

1960

63 years ago

Since its conception in 1926, Route 66 has permeated every aspect of American culture, from literature to music to gas-station architecture Read more…

1962

61 years ago

The Ford Mustang I made its formal debut at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York, where test driver and contemporary Formula One race driver Dan Gurney lapped the track in a demonstration using the second “race” prototype Read more…

1962

61 years ago

Jack Brabham, in the second Formula 1 appearance with his new Brabham, finished 4th in the US Grand Prix, becoming the first driver to earn Championship points driving a car of his own design Read more…

1962

61 years ago

Racer Henri Oreiller (36), who was a member of the French Resistance in WWII and an Olympic Gold Medal downhill skier in the 1948 St Read more…

1963

60 years ago

The Ford Mustang II show concept car was unveiled in Watkins Glen, New York – unlike its predecessor, the Mustang II was more prototype than show car and closely resembled the production Mustang that would be introduced in 1964 Read more…

1964

59 years ago

Art Arfons driving the Green Monster on Bonneville Salt Flats, USA established a World Land Speed Record of 434 Read more…

1965

58 years ago

The 1966 Pontiac range were introduced Read more…

1966

57 years ago

Johnny Kidd, front man for the British rock and roll band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (1960 UK No Read more…

1972

51 years ago

Dennis Priddle driving his 6424 cc supercharged Chrysler dragster developing 1700 bhp using nitromethane and methanol achieved a world record for two runs in opposite directions over 440 yards, from a standing start of 6 Read more…

1976

47 years ago

The Citroen LN, which combined the bodyshell of the Peugeot 104 Z with the economical 602 cc two-cylinder petrol engine of the Citroën 2CV, was introduced Read more…

1981

42 years ago

The Triumph Acclaim, a badge-engineered Honda, was officially launched and produced until 1984 when the Triumph marque was discontinued Read more…

1984

39 years ago

The European Grand Prix was the first major race was run on the new 4 Read more…

1985

38 years ago

Singer Little Richard fell asleep at the wheel and ran into a telephone pole in West Hollywood, California Read more…

1986

37 years ago

Three Saab 9000 Turbo 16s, in guaranteed standard condition, began a record breaking attempt at the world’s fastest race-track, the Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, U Read more…

1988

35 years ago

Frank Sanchez set a Pro Stock elapse-time record when he covered the 1/4-mile in 7 Read more…

1990

33 years ago

Barrie James Wilson (43), drummer with Procol Harlem, died after months in a coma following a car accident Read more…

1995

28 years ago

Racer Louis Meyer (91), died in Las Vegas, Nevada, US Read more…

1997

26 years ago

A jury in South Carolina ordered Chrysler Corporation to pay $262 Read more…

2001

22 years ago

Gil de Ferran won the CART Texaco Grand Prix of Houston through the downtown streets of Houston, Texas Read more…

2002

21 years ago

Mercury introduced the all-new 2003 Monterey Minivan Read more…

2003

20 years ago

A survey revealed that in 2002 UK motorists paid £165m in parking fines largely because a lack of spaces tempted more people to park illegally Read more…

2005

18 years ago

Auto-parts maker Delphi Corp Read more…

2007

16 years ago

British driver Martin Groves secured a hat-trick of British Hill Climb Championship titles when he won the first run-off at Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire, regaining the outright hill-climb record in the process with a time of 22 Read more…

2008

15 years ago

VW passed Toyota to top spot Toyota as world’s largest carmaker by market capitalization – €94 Read more…

2009

14 years ago

The first British made Honda Jazz car has rolled off the production line after the Swindon factory had been shut down for four months Read more…

2014

9 years ago

The record for the longest-ever backwards motorcycle ride was set by Dipayan Choudhury in Jabalpur, India, lasting 125 Read more…

2016

7 years ago

Ford Motor Co Read more…

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