13-14 May: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~13 May~ 1900: Friz Held driving a Benz won the Mannheim-Pforzheim-Mannheim road race. 1950: The very first round of the Formula One World Championship was held on the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire. The event was graced by the presence of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – the first and only time a reigning monarch…
6-7 May: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~6 May~ 1906: The inaugural running of the Targa Florio, the legendary open-road endurance race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded by wealthy Sicilian wine producer Vincenzo Florio, the race was held at Madonie and run over three laps of the 92.47-mile circuit, totalling 277.41 miles. Each lap was an ordeal as…
8-13 May: Motoring Milestones
Momentous motoring events that took place during this week in history ….. 120 years ago this week, the Pope Manufacturing Company unveiled its first automobiles in what is often cited as the world’s first automotive press preview [13 May 1897]……. 110 years ago this week, Nova Scotia in Canada issued the province’s first automobile license…
1-7 May: Motoring Milestones
Momentous motoring events that took place during this week in history ….. 170 years ago this week, Robert W. Thomson of Adelphi, Middlesex, England was issued the first US patent for “Rubber Tyres” (No. 5104) [7 May 1847]. His “improvement in carriage wheels” was the application of elastic bearings around the rims of carriage wheels.…
29-30 April: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~29 April~ 1899: A car named La Jamais Contente driven by Camille Jenatzy became the first vehicle to go over 100 km/h (62 mph) at Achères, Yvelines near Paris, France. The alloy torpedo–shaped electric vehicle which set a land speed record of 65.79 mph (105.88 k/h) had two direct drive Postel-Vinay 25 kW motors, running…
24 – 30 April: Motoring Milestones
130 years ago this week, the first motor car race in history took place, the Neuilly-Versailles-Neuilly, a distance of 20 miles, organised by the journalist Fossier. Compte de Dion and his steam tricycle completed the course in 1 hour and 14 minutes – not so fast in a vehicle that could do almost 40 mph.…
22-23 April: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~22 April~ 1900: The Turin-Pinerolo-Saluzzo-Cuneo-Turin road race was won by L Gastè driving a Perfecta 6 hp tricycle, who completed the 131 km at an average speed of 64.5 km/h. 1907: The Targa Florio held at Madonie over 3 laps of the 92.473 mile circuit, totaling 277.42 miles, was won Felice Nazzaro in a Fiat.…
3-9 April: Motoring Milestones
Cars, people and events in this week’s Motoring Milestones include: Jack Kerouac, Charles Rolls, Formula 1 and Goodyear tires. 130 years ago this week, Lucius D Copeland of Phoenix, Arizona, US was issued with a United States patent for his steam-powered bicycle [5 April 1887]…….115 years ago today, Hon Charles Rolls, driving a 60 hp…
27 March – 2 April: Motoring Milestones
Cars, people and events in this week’s Motoring Milestones includes: Mille Miglia, Vauxhall, Tucker and MG cars. 110 years ago this week, Vauxhall Motors Ltd was registered in Great Britain [27 March 1907]. The first model was just five horsepower, had no reverse gear and cost £136 – a goodly sum at the time. A…
18-19 March: This Weekend in Motor Sport History
~18~ 1927: Wade Morton set a US stock car record, driving an Auburn 8-88 1,000 miles at an average speed of 68.37 mph at the Atlantic City Speedway, New Jersey, US. 1929: Bill Lowe drove a Lombard to victory in the 1100cc class of the Australian Grand Prix, held at Phillip Island. 1972: Bobby Unser…
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