Gary Gabelich
Thursday 29th August 1940 Born on this day, Gary Gabelich, Croatian-American who set the land speed record with his rocket powered automobile “Blue Flame” on October 23, 1970, achieving the average speed of 622.287 (record speed was 622.407)miles/h (1001.452863 km/h) on dry lake bed at Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah. This record was the…
Born on this day, Bob Said, the first American to win a road race in Europe after World War II – the 1953 Rouen Grand Prix
Thursday 5th May 1932 Born on this day, Bob Said, the first American to win a road race in Europe after World War II – the 1953 Rouen Grand Prix. He participated in the first Formula One United States Grand Prix at Sebring on December 12, 1959. He spun off on the first lap and…
Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton
Thursday 11th October 1928 Born on this day, Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, Carvajal y Are, the 17th Marquis de Portago and 13th Conde de la Mejorada. Better known as Marquis Alfonso de Portago, the Spanish nobleman became interested in motor racing as a young man, soon finding his way into some of…
Rolls-Royce’s “Spirit of Ecstasy” mascot was registered as a trademark
Monday 6th February 1911 Rolls-Royce’s “Spirit of Ecstasy” mascot was registered as a trademark. The very first Rolls-Royce motorcars did not feature radiator mascots; they simply carried the Rolls-Royce emblem. This was not sufficient for their customers who believed that such a prestigious vehicle as a Rolls-Royce motorcar should have its own luxurious mascot.[citation needed]…
Born on this day, Sir Frederick Henry Royce, a self-taught engineer of outstanding skills and joint founder of Rolls Royce Ltd
Friday 27th March 1863 Born on this day, Sir Frederick Henry Royce, a self-taught engineer of outstanding skills and joint founder of Rolls Royce Ltd. The first Rolls-Royce car, the Rolls-Royce 10 hp, was unveiled at the Paris Salon in December 1904. In 1906 Rolls and Royce formalised their partnership by creating Rolls-Royce Limited, with…
Driving a three-wheeled steam carriage, the Earl of Caithness, accompanied by his wife and the Reverend William Ross, set out on a 146-mile journey over the mountainous terrain from Inverness to Barrogill Castle (now the Castle of Mey), near Thurso, Scotland
Friday 3rd August 1860 Driving a three-wheeled steam carriage, the Earl of Caithness, accompanied by his wife and the Reverend William Ross, set out on a 146-mile journey over the mountainous terrain from Inverness to Barrogill Castle (now the Castle of Mey), near Thurso, Scotland. The stoker was the carriage builder Thomas Rickett. The 2-cylinder…