2-3 June: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
Discover the momentous motor sports events that took place this weekend in history ….. ~2 June~ 1934: Mannin Moar (formally known as II Mannin Moar), a Grand Prix that was held at a street circuit in Douglas, Isle of Man, United Kingdom. It was the twelfth round of the 1934 Grand Prix season, but it…
9-15 October: Motoring Milestones
Momentous motoring events that took place during this week in history ……. 120 years ago this week, the editor of Autocar, Henry Sturmey, began the first Land’s End to John o’ Groats motor journey, which took 11 days to complete [9 October 1897]. The actual running time was 93.5 hours over 929 miles, to average…
24-25 June: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~24 June ~ 1923: Opel recorded its finest racing moment when a 12-litre car built in 1913 won a beach race on Fano Island, Denmark at a speed of 128 mph. 1951: Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead in their works-entered Jaguar C-type, claimed the first Le Mans win for the marque. This year marked the…
A 49-year-old grandfather bettered the British land-speed record broken by himself earlier in the day
Wednesday 2nd June 1999 A 49-year-old grandfather bettered the British land-speed record broken by himself earlier in the day. Colin Fallows, an engineer from Northampton, beat the record at Elvington Airfield near York. He then went on to break his own record, clocking 269 mph – 5 mph faster than his first successful attempt.. This…
Less than three weeks after breaking the elusive 700mph land-speed barrier, British fighter pilot Andy Green set a new land-speed record in the Thrust SuperSonic vehicle, jet-powering through the sound barrier along a one-mile course in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert
Wednesday 15th October 1997 Less than three weeks after breaking the elusive 700mph land-speed barrier, British fighter pilot Andy Green set a new land-speed record in the Thrust SuperSonic vehicle, jet-powering through the sound barrier along a one-mile course in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Coached by previous land-speed record-holder and Thrust team leader Richard Noble,…
Lance Reventlow (36), creator of the Scarab sports car, was killed in a plane crash in the Colorado Rockies
Monday 24th July 1972 Lance Reventlow (36), creator of the Scarab sports car, was killed in a plane crash in the Colorado Rockies. Some racing drivers worked their way up through the ranks, living from hand-to-mouth before making their reputations and their fortunes but some had it easier and became Grand Prix drivers because they…
At the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, American Gary Gabelich attained a record 622
Friday 23rd October 1970 At the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, American Gary Gabelich attained a record 622.407 mph average speed in the Blue Flame, a rocket-powered four-wheeled vehicle. Momentarily achieving 650mph, Gabelich’s vehicle was powered by a liquid natural gas, hydrogen peroxide rocket engine that produced a thrust of up to 22,000 pounds. Gabelich’s…
Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien drove a Ferrari 330 TR/LM to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Sunday 24th June 1962 Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien drove a Ferrari 330 TR/LM to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Second overall and first in the GT class was the Ferrari 250 GTO of Jean Guichet and Pierre Noblet.
One of the two founders of telecommunications company Motorola and inventor of the first car stereo, Paul Voncent Galvin (64), died
Thursday 5th November 1959 One of the two founders of telecommunications company Motorola and inventor of the first car stereo, Paul Voncent Galvin (64), died. Motorola started in Chicago, Illinois, as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation (at 847 West Harrison Street) in 1928 when brothers, Paul V. and Joseph E. Galvin, purchased the bankrupt Stewart Battery Company’s…
Giovanni Lavaggi
Tuesday 18th February 1958 Born on this day, Giovanni Lavaggi, Italian nobleman who raised the money to buy ten Formula One Grand Prix drives, for Pacific and Minardi, debuting in 1995. He scored no championship points and was never close to the car’s performance limits, being described as “desperately slow” by Jonathan Palmer.