1904 – Louis Rigolly Breaks the 100 Mph Barrier
French driver Louis Rigolly became the first person credited with driving an automobile faster than 100 mph on July 21, 1904. Driving a Gobron-Brillié racing car at Ostend, Belgium, Rigolly reached approximately 103.56 mph, a remarkable achievement only a few years after automobiles were still widely viewed as fragile mechanical novelties. His record demonstrated the rapid development of engine power, chassis design and high-speed competition during the earliest years of motorsport. The run also helped establish speed records as a powerful form of automotive publicity, giving manufacturers a dramatic way to prove engineering progress and capture public attention.
1932 – Hudson Launches the Terraplane
Hudson Motor Car Company officially launched the Terraplane on July 21, 1932, introducing it as a lower-priced companion line during the difficult years of the Great Depression. The new car was initially marketed as the Essex-Terraplane, connecting it to Hudson’s established Essex brand while giving the company a fresh identity built around aviation-inspired imagery. Amelia Earhart participated in the promotional christening, reinforcing the Terraplane’s association with speed, modernity and flight. Hudson positioned the car as affordable but lively, and the Terraplane quickly earned attention for its strong performance and value. The nameplate remained in production through the late 1930s before being folded back into Hudson’s main lineup.
1943 – Austrian Racing Driver Fritz Glatz Is Born
Austrian racing driver Friedrich “Fritz” Glatz was born in Vienna on July 21, 1943. Glatz competed for decades under several names, including Pierre Chauvet and Frederico Careca, and became known for racing a wide variety of single-seat and sports-racing machinery. His career included appearances in Formula Two, Formula 3000, sports cars and later historic and EuroBOSS competition. Although he never became a household name, Glatz represented the determined privateer spirit that has long been part of European motorsport. He died in 2002 after a crash during a EuroBOSS race at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic.
1974 – The Final Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Is Built
The final Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was completed at Karmann’s factory in Osnabrück, West Germany, on July 21, 1974, bringing an end to one of Volkswagen’s most stylish and beloved models. Introduced in 1955, the Karmann Ghia combined familiar Volkswagen Beetle mechanical components with elegant bodywork styled by Italy’s Carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built by German coachbuilder Karmann. Though it was never a high-performance sports car, the Karmann Ghia offered graceful design, reliable engineering and approachable ownership in a package that looked far more exotic than its modest underpinnings suggested. Over nearly two decades, the coupe and convertible became icons of accessible European style, and the model remains one of the most collectible air-cooled Volkswagens.
1987 – Ferrari Unveils the F40
Ferrari officially unveiled the F40 at Maranello’s Centro Civico on July 21, 1987, presenting a raw, lightweight supercar created to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary. Developed with technical direction from Nicola Materazzi and bodywork by Pininfarina, the F40 used a twin-turbocharged V-8, composite materials and dramatic aerodynamic styling that made no attempt to hide its racing influence. It was also the last Ferrari personally commissioned and approved by Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988, which gave the car immediate historical weight beyond its performance figures. With a top speed of more than 200 mph, the F40 became one of the defining poster cars of the late 1980s and remains one of Ferrari’s most celebrated road cars.
