January 20, 1945 – Kaiser Frazer debutes
Following WWII, many entrepreneurs foresaw the need for new commodities, such as houses and automobiles. Successful shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser was one of those businessmen, and set his sights on the auto industry. To build vehicles, Kaiser partnered with Graham-Paige Motors, leading to the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation being founded in
January 19, 1978 – The last German VW Beetle
Introduced in Germany during the Nazi regime as the The People’s Car, the Volkswagen Type 1, commonly referred to as the Beetle, became one of the best selling vehicles of all time. It was on this day in 1978 that the last VW Type 1 rolled off a German
January 18, 1919 – Bentley is founded
While touring the DFP automobile factory Walter Owens Bentley noticed an aluminum paperweight and had the idea of using aluminum to produce lighter cylinders. W.O., as he was known, took the idea home to North London and began producing aluminum cylinders for the Sopwith Camel airplane during the Great
January 17, 1953 – Introducing, Corvette!
America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, made its public debut at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City during GM’s Motorama on this day in 1953. With design by Harley Earl and his special projects team, the Corvette was the first all fiberglass bodied sports car mass produced in
January 16, 1853 – Co-founder of Michelin Tire Company is born
Andre Michelin, founder of Michelin Tire Company, was born on this day in 1853 in Paris, France. At the age of 33 he took over his grandfather’s farm and agricultural equipment business, that also dealt in rubber products. It was there that he encountered a cyclist that needed assistance
January 15, 1939 – Jean Bugatti is killed during test drive
Gianroberto Bugatti was born in Germany in 1909, the same year that his father Ettore founded Automobiles E. Bugatti. By his early 20s, Jean was making quite the impact at his father’s company. At 23, Jean led the design of the Bugatti Type 41 Royale. He would later go
January 14, 1954 – Nash & Hudson Merge to create AMC
In what was the largest corporate merger US history at the time, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation began to combine with Hudson Motor Car Company to form American Motors Corporation (AMC) on this day in 1954. The merger was led by Nash-Kelvinator CEO George Mason in order to build a company strong
January 13, 1906 – AMCMA holds first auto show
Founded just weeks prior, the American Motor Car Manufacturers’ Association held its first auto show on this day in 1906 to build public interest in the new type of transportation. When the doors of the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City opened, people were given a peek at