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September 30, 1955 – James Dean dies driving Porsche 550 Spyder
30Sep By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
Features, This Day

September 30, 1955 – James Dean dies driving Porsche 550 Spyder

Actor James Dean had just finished filming the movie Giant and was ready to get back to the action on the racetrack. During production of the movie, Warner Bros. barred Dean from pursuing a new passion, racing. The fear, of course, was injury, or worse, death. Unfortunately, Dean would not make it to the track before fate had its way. On this day in 1955, at the age 0f 24, James Dean was killed behind the wheel of his new Porsche 550 Spyder, en route to the Salinas Road Race.  Dean driving a Porsche 356 Dean, who starred in such movies as East of Eden, Giant and Rebel Without a Cause, took an interest in auto racing in 1954. His first professional race would come at Palm Springs Road Races, held March 26-27, 1955. The young driver's were on full display, taking first place in t...
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5 Things You Never Knew About the History of Auto Insurance
12Sep By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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5 Things You Never Knew About the History of Auto Insurance

Auto insurance is a necessity for most drivers. But how much do you really know about it? In this blog post, we will discuss five things that you may not have known about the history of auto insurance. Did you know that the first auto insurance policy was issued in 1897? Or the rates were based on the driver's sex and marital status until the 1970s? Read on to learn more interesting facts about the history of auto insurance! 1. The first auto insurance policy was written in 1897 Prior to the late 19th century, there was no such thing as automotive liability insurance. Invented in 1886, the automobile was still a relatively new invention, and few people owned them. That changed in 1897 when Gilbert J. Loomis became the first person to purchase a policy from the Ohio Automobile...
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Did you know? 5 Cool Facts About BMW
12Sep By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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Did you know? 5 Cool Facts About BMW

Believe it or not, BMW is more than 100 years old. A lot can happen in a century, and BMW has certainly made the most of their time. Whether you’re a BMW driver, a German car enthusiast, or simply enjoy tidbits of history, these BMW history facts will be perfect for your next round of car trivia. 1917 BMW IIIa aircraft engine. By Arjun Sarup - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 BMW started out making warplane engines During World War I BMW produced motors for airplanes. Following the war, barred by terms of the Treaty of Versailles, no German company could make warplanes or warplane engines. BMW transitioned into motorcycle production to stay afloat. (How did BMW really start?) BMW 3/15PS (1928-1931). By Clayton Tang - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 BMW built its first car in 1928 After...
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September 3, 1875 – Ferdinand Porsche is born
3Sep By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
Features, This Day

September 3, 1875 – Ferdinand Porsche is born

Ferdinand Porsche, International Motorsports Hall of Fame member and Car Engineer of the 20th Century, was born on this day in 1875 in current day Czech Republic. Aside from founding Porsche, this is the man responsible for some of the world’s most beloved and distinguished automobiles. His first automotive creation, an electric-gas hybrid vehicle known as the Lohner-Porsche Mixte, debuted in 1898. It was the first mass produced hybrid vehicle to combine these two power sources and it was manufactured from 1900 to 1905. A 1902 draft saw Porsche enter military service where he served as chauffeur to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the crown prince of Austria. His assassination would ignite WWI a decade later. Above: The Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid. Top: Ferdinand Porsche with a...
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The Interesting History of Electric Cars
29Jun By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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The Interesting History of Electric Cars

In Partnership with Surge Marketing Online Electric cars are seen by many in today's society as a status symbol, a battle cry for ecological advancements and protection, and a safety net for their wallet. While the cost of electric cars has been astronomical in the past, they are coming down. With the right resources, preparation, and creativity, you can take advantage of car loans with bad credit and put the cash you save on fuel toward your car payment. (Photo Credit) A Little History The electric car as we know it today has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Steam engines powered the first cars, and it wasn't until the late 1800s that gasoline-powered internal combustion engines became popular. Electric vehicles also appeared during this time, but they failed to g...
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June 27, 1985 – Route 66 is decertified
27Jun By Brian CoreyNo Comments
Features, This Day

June 27, 1985 – Route 66 is decertified

The “Main Street of America,” U.S. Route 66, was officially decertified on this day in 1985 when the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials voted to remove all of its highway signs. The road, which gained a highway designation in 1926, stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, over the course of roughly 2,200 miles.  The road follows a path originally forged in 1857 by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Edward Beale and his pack of camels. Before Route 66 became a highway the path had become a popular passageway for people heading west. Over the years, horses and wagons gave way to cars and trucks. By the 1950s, new multi-lane highways became the norm around the country due to government expansion programs. Many of these freshly paved roadways...
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Cool Car Shirts for the 4th of July
20Jun By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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Cool Car Shirts for the 4th of July

What's more American than muscle cars and the stars and bars? We're created a line of cool car shirts that represent American made cars and our love for the classics. If you are looking for a new shirt for the 4th of July, you've got to check out this collection. Use code CARS at checkout for 15% off! Made in America Muscle cars are only Made in America. Get this automotive history tee right here. Stars, bars and muscle and cars Stripes of the flag or burnt rubber? Get it here. Classic trucks are an American tradition Keep the tradition alive. Get your classic truck tee right here. Drive History Every Day Muscle cars changed American history. Keep driving it with this shirt. Cool truck shirt! This 4x4 truck shirt says 'merica like nothing else. Get it here. ...
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Highlights of the Lucky Collector Car Auction being held June 4th & 5th
31May By Brian CoreyNo Comments
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Highlights of the Lucky Collector Car Auction being held June 4th & 5th

The Lucky Collector Car Auction Spring Classic is taking place June 4th and 5th, 2022 at the LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington. After acquiring the former military academy, the late and great Harold LeMay amassed one of the largest private collections of vehicles at the site during his lifetime. Today, the location still houses a vast selection of unique cars and trucks, spanning more than a century of automotive history. It's here, or online or over the phone for that matter, that one can find their next collector car during the spring Lucky collector car auction. Held there bi-annually in the spring and fall, Lucky classic car auctions have become some of the most celebrated vintage vehicle events in the nation. This spring's auction is no different and is...
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Father’s Day Gifts for your Gearhead Dad
25May By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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Father’s Day Gifts for your Gearhead Dad

Does your dad love classic cars? Is he into old trucks and muscle cars? Could your dad's closet use a tune up? What about a new mug for his morning coffee in the garage? This Day in Automotive History has a host of gifts for your car crazy pops. Check out these great Father's Day gifts below! Best Trucking Dad Ever - Father's Day truck gifts Is you dad into trucks? Perhaps he is the best trucking dad ever then! If so, this is the Dad's day gifts you need. Check out the sweet Father's day shirt and sweatshirt, but don't miss the stainless tumbler or for the every stylish Pops, get the hat. Check out this line up here: https://bit.ly/3wU4E8q. Old or classic Father's Day shirt - muscle car ...
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I found a Tucker 48 on Google Street View
2Apr By Brian CoreyNo Comments
Features

I found a Tucker 48 on Google Street View

Screenshot (Google) If you're unfamiliar with the Tucker story, start here. If you're aware, you probably know that just fifty complete Tuckers left the Chicago assembly plant, plus the original prototype, before operations seized on March 3, 1949. Incredibly, 49 of those 51 cars have survived to date. Of the two that didn't make it, one is accounted for, burned and buried in someone's yard. The only unaccounted Tucker, #1042, supposedly ended up in poor condition along a Tennessee river, only to have a cop tow it to his house. Soon after, the cop got into a motorcycle wreck and ended up in the hospital for quite some time. During his stay, his landlord apparently towed the car off, perhaps to the crusher, but there is no official record. So to this day, #1042 is the only missing Tucke...
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This Day in Automotive History is a transportation history, car history and general automotive history website dedicated to providing informative and entertaining content. Our goal is to enlighten our readers by producing and publishing automotive content on a wide range of topics, including famous cars, important automotive inventors and engineers and other historic automobile related events, places and people. We encourage you to share our page and connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter at the top of this page. If you have any questions about the content we publish, including our car videos and car history pictures and text and the use of them, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the below email address. On occasion we post classic cars for sale from Craigslist, Facebook and other online marketplaces. We utilize imagery from those ads in a fair use fashion. This includes barn finds for sale, muscle cars for sale, vans for sale, station wagons for sale, trucks for sale and other affordable old cars for sale. If you’d like your car featured, reach out to us!

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