January 14, 1920 – John Dodge dies
John Francis Dodge, born 1864, and his younger brother Horace were inseparable as children. As the two grew, so too did their bond. After moving to Detroit from southern Michigan, the pair spent their days in various machine shops, boilermaker facilities and at other manufacturing jobs. It soon became
January 13, 1942 – Ford receives Soybean Car patent
After investing millions of dollars into the development of plastics, the Ford Motor Company publicly debuted its Soybean Car on August 13, 1941 at Dearborn Days. The car earned its name due to its body panels supposedly made of agricultural plastic derived from plants including soybeans, wheat, corn and
January 12, 1822 – Lenoir, internal combustion engine inventor, born
Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir, Belgian engineer and inventor of the first commercially successful internal combustion engine, was born on this day in 1822. There had been internal combustion engines patented as early as 1807, but Lenoir’s 1858 version demonstrated the feasibility of such a power plant. Prior to building
January 11, 1923 – Carroll Shelby is born
Carroll Shelby, race car driver, team owner and car builder, was born on this day in 1923. Shelby is perhaps best known for his role in the creation of the Shelby AC Cobra and the Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s. However, his career spanned decades of racing, engineering and
January 10, 1942 – Ford earns Jeep contract
Prior to the US entering WWII, the U.S. Army contacted 135 companies and asked for prototypes of a four wheel drive reconnaissance car. Only two responded, American Bantam and Willys-Overland. After American Bantam delivered their working model for testing on September 21, 1941, the Army found it met nearly
January 9, 1958 – Toyota and Datsun come to the USA
On January 9, 1958, Nissan and Toyota showcased their cars in the USA for the first time at Imported Car Show in Los Angeles. While some Datsuns, Nissan’s vehicle trade name at the name, and some Toyotas came home with servicemen in the early 1950s, this was the first
January 8, 2016 – Maria Teresa de Filippis, first female F1 driver, passes away
Born to a wealthy Italian family in 1926, Maria Teresa de Filippis grew up an avid equestrian. The sport taught her how to handle horsepower at an early age. When she took up an interest in auto racing in her early 20s, two of her older brothers claimed she’d
January 7, 1985 – Saturn is founded
Saturn started as a codename for a new small car from General Motors in the mid 1980s, but ended up becoming a car brand all its own. In June of 1982 discussions of a new compact were heating up at GM and the idea was first publicized by Chairman
