1905 – Cadillac Files to Trademark Its Famous Crest
On August 18, 1905, attorney Newell S. Wright filed an application to register the Cadillac crest as a trademark, helping establish one of the most recognizable emblems in American automotive history. The elaborate early insignia was inspired by the supposed coat of arms of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the French explorer for whom the city of Detroit was named. Over the decades, Cadillac repeatedly simplified and modernized the crest, removing elements such as the crown, birds and eventually the surrounding wreath, but the shield remained central to the luxury marque’s identity.
1940 – Chrysler Founder Walter P. Chrysler Dies
Automotive industrialist Walter P. Chrysler died on August 18, 1940, at his home in Kings Point, New York, at age 65. Chrysler began his career working on locomotives and rose through the railroad industry before moving into automobiles, eventually holding prominent positions at Buick and Willys-Overland. In 1925 he founded the Chrysler Corporation, which quickly grew into one of America’s major automakers and later expanded through brands including Dodge, Plymouth and DeSoto. His transition from railroad mechanic to the namesake of one of Detroit’s largest automotive companies made Chrysler one of the defining industrial figures of the early American automobile era.
1957 – Stirling Moss Wins the Pescara Grand Prix in a Vanwall
Stirling Moss drove a British-built Vanwall to a commanding victory in the Pescara Grand Prix on August 18, 1957. Run over a spectacular 16-mile public-road circuit in Italy, Pescara remains the longest circuit ever used for a Formula One World Championship race. Moss took the lead early and ultimately defeated Juan Manuel Fangio by more than three minutes. Vanwall had already scored Britain’s first World Championship constructor victory a month earlier at Aintree, where Moss shared the winning car with Tony Brooks, but Pescara marked Moss’ first solo championship victory in a British car and the first World Championship Grand Prix won outside Britain by a British driver in a British-built machine.
1962 – The Khayami Brothers Establish Iran National
Brothers Ahmad and Mahmoud Khayami established Iran National in August 1962, laying the foundation for what would become Iran’s largest automobile manufacturer. The company initially assembled commercial vehicles before becoming famous for producing the Paykan, an Iranian-built version of the British Hillman Hunter that entered production later in the decade. Iran National grew into one of the country’s most important industrial enterprises and was renamed Iran Khodro following the Iranian Revolution. Today, Iran Khodro remains a major Middle Eastern automaker, making the Khayami brothers central figures in the development of Iran’s domestic automobile industry.
1998 – Acura Announces the Second-Generation TL
American Honda announced the redesigned 1999 Acura TL on August 18, 1998, ahead of its September launch. The second-generation TL represented a major change for Acura’s midsize luxury sedan, moving production from Japan to Honda’s Marysville, Ohio, plant and adopting a platform related to the U.S.-market Honda Accord. A new 3.2-liter V6 produced 225 horsepower and was paired with a SportShift automatic transmission, while available navigation technology helped distinguish the car in the growing entry-luxury market. More than 98 percent of its content was sourced domestically, leading Honda to emphasize the new TL as a distinctly American-developed and American-built Acura.
