On this day in…
1904
120 years ago
The first major Italian race, the Florio Cup, was won by Vincenzo Lancia driving a Fiat at 71 Read more…
1904
120 years ago
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the first Reo Motor Car Company buildings in lansing, Michigan, US Read more…
1905
119 years ago
The first Coppo Florio race was staged on the Island of Sicily with 21 competitors including its patron Vincenzo Florio driving a Mercedes Read more…
1906
118 years ago
Terry Stafford was issued with a United States parent for his three-speed progressive transmission Read more…
1915
109 years ago
The Twin City Concrete Speedway in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, US staged its first event, a 500-mile race won by Earl Cooper in a Stutz Read more…
1916
108 years ago
The 2-mile Cincinnati (Ohio) Board Speedway opened with a 300-mile event featuring 29 cars piloted by the country’s premier racing drivers including Howdy Wilcox, Dario Resta, Tommy Milton and Louis Chevrolet driving Dusenbergs, Stutzs and Frontenecs Read more…
1921
103 years ago
The first Italian Grand Prix, held at the 10 Read more…
1922
102 years ago
The Swallow Sidecar Company, later to be renamed Jaguar, was founded by William Lyons and William Walmsley with guarantees of £500 each Read more…
1923
101 years ago
The 1919 Indianapolis 500 winner Howdy Wilcox (34) died at Altoona Speedway board track in Tyrone, Pennsylvania in a car crash Read more…
1927
97 years ago
Robert Benoist in a Delage 15-S8 won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza run to Formula Libre regulations Read more…
1935
89 years ago
The White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio introduced the world’s first streamlined truck Read more…
1947
77 years ago
The Rover Board sanctioned the production of an ‘all-purpose vehicle on the lines of the Wills-Overland Jeep’ – the Land Rover Read more…
1950
74 years ago
NASCAR’s first superspeedway race, the Southern 500 at the Darlington International Raceway, South Carolina, US, was won by Johnny Mantz in a Plymouth P19 two-door sedan Read more…
1950
74 years ago
Ab Jenkins recorded a one hour run of 195 Read more…
1957
67 years ago
The Ford Motor Company proclaimed this day ‘E-day’ to celebrate the introduction of the ‘Edsel’, 5 years after its conception Read more…
1960
64 years ago
British teams boycotted the Italian Grand Prix held on the banked Monza track on safety grounds Read more…
1960
64 years ago
William F O’Neill (75), founder of the General Tire & Rubber Company, died in Akron, Ohio, US Read more…
1962
62 years ago
Frederick J Hooven of the Ford Motor Company was issed with a US Patent for his front-wheel-drive design Read more…
1964
60 years ago
The Forth Road Bridge, 6156 feet long, and with a centre span of 3300 feet, was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Read more…
1965
59 years ago
The Who had their van stolen containing over £5000 worth of equipment outside the Battersea Dogs Home Read more…
1966
58 years ago
Jack Brabham became the first man to win the World Drivers Championship in a car he had built himself Read more…
1972
52 years ago
A 1933 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria by Fernandez & Darrin and originally owned by Greta Garbo was purchased for $90,000 by Charles Wood of Lake George, New York to establish a new auction record Read more…
1980
44 years ago
The White Motor Company filed for Chapter XI bankruptcy protection Read more…
1989
35 years ago
Bob Glidden driving a Ford Thunderbird at Indianapolis, USA, achieved the highest terminal velocity ever recorded at the end of a 440 yard run for a petrol driven piston engine – 191 Read more…
1990
34 years ago
The Czechoslovakian government authorised the privatization of Skoda Read more…
1991
33 years ago
Route 35 Theater in Hazlit, the last drive-in in New Jersey, US closed Read more…
1997
27 years ago
The very last tenth-generation Ford Thunderbird rolled off the assembly line Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Bob Keselowski used a second-half surge to win the Virginia is for Lovers 200 at Richmond International Raceway, marking his only career victory in 86 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Read more…
2000
24 years ago
On the eve of congressional hearings into the recall of 6 Read more…
2001
23 years ago
Land Rover reported selling its 200,000th vehicle in North America Read more…
2005
19 years ago
The Italian Grand Prix marked only the second time in history that every car that started the race was still running at the finish Read more…
2005
19 years ago
Kyle Busch (20), became the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR Cup Series race when he outdueled Greg Biffle in the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway (US) Read more…
2008
16 years ago
The new Dacia Logan went on sale in France Read more…
2009
15 years ago
The day Crashgate took off, with the announcement from the FIA it was going to charge renault following claims by Nelson Piquet Junior that he had deliberately crashed his Renault at the previous year’s Singapore Grand Prix under team orders Read more…
2011
13 years ago
UK racing and stunt driver Jamie Morrow performed 280 donuts non-stop at the Silverstone race circuit in Northamptonshire, behind the wheel of a Westfield Sport 1600 Read more…
2012
12 years ago
Volkswagen AG unveiled the latest version of its mainstay Golf hatchback at a Berlin museum, ahead of its premiere at the Paris Auto Show Read more…
