On this day in…
1895
128 years ago
The Duryea Motor Wagon Co Read more…
1898
125 years ago
Clement Ader filed for his first automobile patent Read more…
1900
123 years ago
The town of Flint, Michigan, began its central role in automotive history, when Charles Wisner introduced the first car built in Flint Read more…
1902
121 years ago
Under the headline, The Motor Problem – Two Accidents, the Daily Mail reported: “A motor-car belonging to Mr Read more…
1902
121 years ago
Open Car No Read more…
1909
114 years ago
The Krit Motor Car Company was organised in Detroit, Michigan, US by Claude S Briggs and W S Piggins to manufacture cars per designs of Kenneth Crittenden Read more…
1922
101 years ago
The first Autodromo Nazionale di Monza track was officially opened, with the maiden race, the second Italian Grand Prix, run a week later Read more…
1923
100 years ago
Jim Davis, riding an Indian, won the 100-mile main event motorcycle race at Kansas City, Missouri, US Read more…
1924
99 years ago
Dario Resta was killed at the age of 42 when his racecar crashed at the Brooklands racecourse in England while trying to establish speed records at various distances Read more…
1925
98 years ago
Chrysler Corporation purchased the American Motor Body Company of Detroit, Michigan, US to eliminate body shortages on the assembly line Read more…
1935
88 years ago
Sir Malcolm Campbell set a new land-speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah Read more…
1936
87 years ago
Packard introduced the Fifteenth Series Super Eight and Twelve, the 1937 medium-range 120, and the new low priced 6-cylinder 115C Read more…
1936
87 years ago
Reo officially departed the automobile business and turned exclusively to the manufacture of motor trucks Read more…
1939
84 years ago
The first and only Yugoslavian Grand Prix was held at Kalemagdan Park in Belgrade Read more…
1940
83 years ago
The Dearborn, Michigan plant of the Graham-Paige Motors Corporation was closed ‘temporarily’ to prepare for the manufacture of the Cord 810/812-based Graham Clipper Read more…
1946
77 years ago
Cisitalia made its racing debut at the Coppa Brezzi, the first post-World II closed circuit race in Italy – Piero Dusio won driving the D Read more…
1949
74 years ago
Auto Union GmbH was established in Ingolstadt, based on established DKW principles – front-wheel drive and two-stroke engines Read more…
1950
73 years ago
Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina won the Italian Grand Prix to become the first winner of the newly instituted drivers’ championship Read more…
1951
72 years ago
A record 82 cars started the 2nd annual Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina, US Read more…
1959
64 years ago
Production of the new Ford 105E Anglia began at Dagenham Read more…
1961
62 years ago
The A20M Maidstone (England) by-pass East (now M20) opened Read more…
1962
61 years ago
Larry Frank drove to his only victory in NASCAR’s premier series, winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Southern Carolina, US despite a scoring mixup that left his triumph in dispute Read more…
1962
61 years ago
The Trans-Canada highway, 4,800 miles from St John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia, opened to traffic, after the final stretch through Rogers Pass was finally completed Read more…
1967
56 years ago
Chaos reigned as Sweden switched from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right in keeping with the rest of continental Europe Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The Austin 1800S was launched, a year after the Morris 1800S Read more…
1969
54 years ago
The classic British heist movie The Italian Job is released in theaters in the United States Read more…
1973
50 years ago
David Pearson became the first racing driver to earn one million dollars in career earnings, after finishing second in the Southern 500 stock-car race in Darlington, South Carolina Read more…
1976
47 years ago
The Ford Fiesta was formally launched Read more…
1989
34 years ago
Teo Fabi, driving a Porsche-March 89P, won the CART Red roof Inns 200 at the Mid-Ohio Speedway for the marque’s first Indy-Car victory Read more…
1993
30 years ago
Sir David Brown (89) English entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin, died Read more…
1999
24 years ago
8 people died and 33 were injured when dense fog enveloped Highway 401 near Windsor, Ontario, reducing visibility to less than a metre (3 feet) Read more…
1999
24 years ago
The US Postal Service unveiled a 33-cent stamp featuring the 1964 Mustang Read more…
2000
23 years ago
Bobby Labonte, who failed to lead a single green-flag lap, won the rain-shortened Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina (US) Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Rudolf Leiding (88), the third postwar chairman of the Volkswagen automobile company, died Read more…
2003
20 years ago
Ralf Schumacher discharged himself from hospital against doctors’ advice after he was involved in a heavy accident in Monza, where his F1 car lost both rear and front wings at the second Lesmo corner Read more…
2004
19 years ago
A 1929 Mercedes-Benz 38/250 SSK was sold for $7 Read more…
2004
19 years ago
Michael Schumacher suffered a huge accident during testing at Monza when the left-rear tyre of his Ferrari blew out at the end of the start/finish straight Read more…
2005
18 years ago
The final version of the mid-engined Bugatti Veyron, with a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph), was presented at Château Saint Jean, France It was named Car of the Decade and best car award (2000–2009) by the BBC television programme Top Gear Read more…
2005
18 years ago
Volkswagen announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs from its workforce over the next few years as it reduced production Read more…
2006
17 years ago
The TOP 1 Ack Attack, ridden by Rocky Robinson, broke the motorcycle land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats Read more…
2007
16 years ago
A National Express coach on service 777 overturned on the southbound M1 as it turned into Newport Pagnell service areas Read more…
2009
14 years ago
The Ford Motor Co Read more…
2010
13 years ago
Mike Edwards (62), cellist with ELO was killed on the A381 road between Harbertonford and Halwell near where he lived in Totnes in Devon, when a cylindrical hay bale weighing 1,300 pounds (590 kg) rolled down a hillside and collided with the van he was driving Read more…
2012
11 years ago
A Hong Kong-owned company, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) completed the acquisition of bankrupt car maker Saab and implemented its business plan to make electric cars under the Swedish brand Read more…
2013
10 years ago
Hyundai launched its Grand i10 in petrol and diesel variants Read more…
2013
10 years ago
Jakub Przygonski of Poland set the record for the world’s fastest drift at Biala Podlaska airport near Warsaw Read more…
