On this day in…
1898
128 years ago
The National Motor Carriage Company acquired the Duryea Motor Wagon Company Read more…
1913
113 years ago
Emil Jellinek-Mercedes, writing from his villa in Nice, France, announced that he considered the Rolls Royce to be the ‘best car at present’, a statement that caused a sensation in automotive circuits Read more…
1919
107 years ago
Karl Schopper began building the first Roots supercharger, later to be installed in a Mercedes 10/30 chassis Read more…
1921
105 years ago
The retail price of new Ford Model T automobiles dropped to $355, its all-time lowest value Read more…
1924
102 years ago
The Haynes Automobile Company of Kokomo, Indiana, suspended automobile production Read more…
1939
87 years ago
Driving tests in Great Britain were suspended for the duration of World War Two Read more…
1946
80 years ago
George Robson, winner of the 1946 Indianapolis 500, died from injuries suffered the previous day when he crashed during a race at Lakewood Park in Atlanta, Georgia, US Read more…
1950
76 years ago
Mike Hawthorn, driving a Riley Nine, won the 1,100 cc class at the Brighton Speed Trials for his first racing victory Read more…
1955
71 years ago
The Studebaker-Packard Corporation held the first meeting of its Dealer-Factory Planning Committee at the Packard Proving Grounds in Utica, Michigan, US Read more…
1956
70 years ago
Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio seemed to have lost his 1956 championship chances in the final round at Monza when his Ferrari suffered terminal engine and suspension damage in the Italian Grand Prix Read more…
1957
69 years ago
Speedy Thompson won the Southern 500 held at the Darlington Raceway, South Carolina, United States averaging 100 Read more…
1959
67 years ago
Henry Ford II introduced his company’s newest model, the 80 hp, 30 mpg Ford Falcon, in the first nationwide closed-circuit television news conference in the United States Read more…
1963
63 years ago
Donna Ma Mims, driving an Austin Haley won the Class H Production Race in Thompson, Connecticut, US to become the first woman to win a SCCA Class Championship Read more…
1969
57 years ago
Willy Mairesse, race-car driver for the Ferrari team, died in Ostend, Belgium, from an overdose of sleeping pills Read more…
1969
57 years ago
Semon ‘Bunkie’ Knudsen was fired as President of the Ford Motor Company, although the action would not be officially announced for nine days Read more…
1984
42 years ago
Harry Gant rolled from the pole position, leading 277 of 367 laps to score the first of his two Southern 500 triumphs at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina, US Read more…
1992
34 years ago
The Southern California Gas Company purchased the first motor vehicles powered by natural gas Read more…
1994
32 years ago
The National Corvette Museum opened in Bowling Green, Kentucky Read more…
2001
25 years ago
Michael Schumacher broke Alain Prost’s record of race wins to become the most successful race winner in the history of Formula One Read more…
2001
25 years ago
Ford’s first production-prototype fuel-cell vehicle, the Focus FCV, debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show Read more…
2011
15 years ago
During test sessions in Ängelholm, Sweden, the 5-litre V8 twin-turbocharged 940 PS mid-engined Koenigsegg Agera R broke six world land speed records for a production car, including 0–300 km/h in 14 Read more…
