On this day in…
1906
116 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
115 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
111 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
109 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
109 years ago
When Ford’s Highland Park, Michigan, assembly plant opened in 1910, it was a wonder of the industrial age Read more…
1935
87 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
87 years ago
The Brooklands lap record of 143 Read more…
1937
85 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
77 years ago
The 1946 Buick model range were introduced Read more…
1945
77 years ago
The first post-war Cadillac came off the production line Read more…
1947
75 years ago
The British government proposed regular compulsory inspection of cars Read more…
1948
74 years ago
At the Paris Motor Show in October, Peugeot unveiled the 203, its first totally new postwar car Read more…
1948
74 years ago
Citroën 2CV was unveiled at the Paris Salon Read more…
1950
72 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
66 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
62 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
60 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
60 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
60 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
59 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
58 years ago
Art Arfons driving the Green Monster on Bonneville Salt Flats, USA established a World Land Speed Record of 434 Read more…
1965
57 years ago
The 1966 Pontiac range were introduced Read more…
1966
56 years ago
Johnny Kidd, front man for the British rock and roll band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (1960 UK No Read more…
1972
50 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
46 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
41 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
38 years ago
The European Grand Prix was the first major race was run on the new 4 Read more…
1985
37 years ago
Singer Little Richard fell asleep at the wheel and ran into a telephone pole in West Hollywood, California Read more…
1986
36 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
34 years ago
Frank Sanchez set a Pro Stock elapse-time record when he covered the 1/4-mile in 7 Read more…
1990
32 years ago
Barrie James Wilson (43), drummer with Procol Harlem, died after months in a coma following a car accident Read more…
1995
27 years ago
Racer Louis Meyer (91), died in Las Vegas, Nevada, US Read more…
1997
25 years ago
A jury in South Carolina ordered Chrysler Corporation to pay $262 Read more…
2001
21 years ago
Gil de Ferran won the CART Texaco Grand Prix of Houston through the downtown streets of Houston, Texas Read more…
2002
20 years ago
Mercury introduced the all-new 2003 Monterey Minivan Read more…
2003
19 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
17 years ago
Auto-parts maker Delphi Corp Read more…
2007
15 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
14 years ago
VW passed Toyota to top spot Toyota as world’s largest carmaker by market capitalization – €94 Read more…
2009
13 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
8 years ago
The record for the longest-ever backwards motorcycle ride was set by Dipayan Choudhury in Jabalpur, India, lasting 125 Read more…
2016
6 years ago
Ford Motor Co Read more…
