1916 – Studebaker Introduces the Series 18
Studebaker introduced its Series 18 automobiles on July 26, 1916, continuing the company’s transition from one of America’s greatest wagon builders into a major automobile manufacturer. The Series 18 lineup included four- and six-cylinder models, with Studebaker emphasizing refinement, durability and value for middle-class buyers. By this point, Studebaker had fully committed to motor vehicles after decades of success building horse-drawn wagons, and its South Bend operations were becoming central to the company’s identity. The Series 18 arrived during a period of rapid change, just before World War I would reshape industrial production and before Studebaker’s 1920s expansion made it one of America’s best-known independent automakers.
1926 – Ernest Kanzler Resigns From Ford
Ford executive Ernest Kanzler resigned on July 26, 1926, six months after sending Henry Ford one of the most consequential internal memos in the company’s history. In January, Kanzler had warned that the Model T was losing ground and recommended that Ford replace it with a more modern car. His advice was correct, but it was not welcome. Henry Ford remained deeply attached to the Model T and resisted abandoning the car that had made his company dominant. Kanzler, who was also Edsel Ford’s brother-in-law, soon found himself pushed out. Ford finally ended Model T production in 1927 and introduced the Model A, but Kanzler’s departure showed how difficult it could be to challenge Henry Ford, even with the company’s future at stake. Side note, Kanzler’s son, Ernie Jr., later built the Kanzler Coupe, a modified Opel GT akin to Cruella De Vil’s ride, running a V8 powertrain. Here’s one for sale.
1932 – Fred Duesenberg Dies
Automotive engineer Frederick S. Duesenberg died on July 26, 1932, following complications from injuries suffered in a road accident earlier that month. He was 55. Along with his brother August, Fred Duesenberg helped create some of the most advanced American performance and luxury cars of the early twentieth century. Duesenberg racing engines competed successfully at Indianapolis and in Europe, while the road cars that bore the family name became symbols of speed, engineering and wealth. The Model J, introduced in 1928, stood among the most powerful and prestigious automobiles in the world. Fred’s death came at the height of the company’s fame, and the Duesenberg name would remain forever tied to the golden age of American luxury motoring.
1998 – Three Fans Are Killed at Michigan Speedway
The U.S. 500 at Michigan Speedway turned tragic on July 26, 1998, when a crash during the CART race sent debris into the grandstands, killing three spectators and injuring six others. The accident occurred after Adrián Fernández crashed in Turn 4 and a wheel assembly flew over the catch fence into the crowd. The driver was not seriously injured, but the deaths of Kenneth Fox, Sheryl Laster and Michael Tautkus forced renewed attention on spectator safety at high-speed oval races. The incident remains one of the darkest moments in modern American open-wheel racing and a reminder that motorsport danger extends beyond the drivers and teams on the track. Watch the wreck.
2013 – Ford Vehicle Production Ends in the United Kingdom
Ford vehicle production in the United Kingdom ended on July 26, 2013, when the company stopped building Transit vans at its Southampton plant. The moment closed a 102-year chapter that began with Ford’s early British operations and grew into one of the most important manufacturing stories in UK motoring history. Passenger-car production had already ended at Dagenham in 2002, but Southampton remained the last UK plant producing complete Ford-branded vehicles. Ford continued to operate major engine and engineering activities in Britain, yet the end of vehicle assembly marked a significant shift for both the company and the British auto industry. For generations of UK motorists, Ford had not only sold cars and vans in Britain; it had built them there.
