Olds Motor Vehicle Co, which would later become Oldsmobile, was founded
Saturday 21st August 1897 Olds Motor Vehicle Co, which would later become Oldsmobile, was founded. The reliable, light, and fairly powerful curved-dash Oldsmobile was the first American car to be produced using the progressive assembly-line system, and the first to become a commercial success. In its 107-year history, Oldsmobile produced over 35 million vehicles, including…
The first-ever speed hillclimb was held over a 10
Sunday 31st January 1897 The first-ever speed hillclimb was held over a 10.3 mile course from Nice to La Turbie, just outside Monte Carlo, forming the last stage of the Marseille-Nice race. It was won by Pary driving Andre Michelin’s 15 hp De Dion Bouton steam, which averaged just under 20 mph. A 18 hp…
Sir Henry R. S. “Tim” Birkin
Sunday 26th July 1896 Born on this day, Lieutenant Sir Henry R. S. “Tim” Birkin, British racing driver, one of the “Bentley Boys” of the 1920s. In 1921 he turned to motor racing, competing a few races at Brooklands. Business and family pressure then forced him to retire from the tracks until 1927 when he…
The Self Propelled Traffic Association (SPTA), the first automobile club in Great Britain, was organised in London with Sir David Salomons as president, and John Philipson, Sir Frederick Bramwell, Alexander Siemens, and the 12th Earl of Winchilsea as Vice President
Tuesday 10th December 1895 The Self Propelled Traffic Association (SPTA), the first automobile club in Great Britain, was organised in London with Sir David Salomons as president, and John Philipson, Sir Frederick Bramwell, Alexander Siemens, and the 12th Earl of Winchilsea as Vice President. After the Parisian Exposition Internationale de Velocipedie et de Locomotion Automobile…
The Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trial of June 1895, sometimes called the “first motor race” although it did not conform to modern convention whereby the fastest finisher is the winner, ended
Thursday 13th June 1895 The Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trial of June 1895, sometimes called the “first motor race” although it did not conform to modern convention whereby the fastest finisher is the winner, ended. The Comte Albert de Dion led a group of organizers for a motor race between Paris and Bordeaux before returning to Paris, a…
The first ‘real motor race’, held over three days, from Paris to Bordeaux and back, began
Tuesday 11th June 1895 The first ‘real motor race’, held over three days, from Paris to Bordeaux and back, began. The first to finish was Emile Levassor of France in a Panchard-Levassor two-seater, with a 1.2-litre Daimler engine developing 3.5 bhp. His time was 48 hours 47 minutes, at an average speed of 15.01 mph.…
Frederick Simms, founder of the RAC and Daimler wrote a letter containing the first recorded use of the term “motor car”
Sunday 8th February 1891 Frederick Simms, founder of the RAC and Daimler wrote a letter containing the first recorded use of the term “motor car”. In 1889, the 26-year-old Simms met and became firm friends with Gottlieb Daimler, from whom in 1890 he purchased the rights for the use and manufacture of Daimler’s high-speed petrol…
John Davenport Siddeley
Sunday 5th August 1866 Born on this day, John Davenport Siddeley, 1st Baron Kenilworth, captain of the automobile industry in the United Kingdom and founder the Siddeley Autocar Company in 1902 to manufacture cars to Peugeot designs. During 1905 Wolseley—which then dominated the UK car market—purchased the goodwill and patent rights of his Siddeley Autocar…
Auguste Frederic Doriot
Saturday 24th October 1863 Born on this day, Auguste Frederic Doriot, French motoring pioneer who developed, built and raced cars for Peugeot before founding his own manufacturing company D.F.P. in combination with Ludovic Flandrin and the Parant brothers. In 1891, Doriot and his Peugeot colleague Louis Rigoulot completed the longest trip by a petrol powered…