September 12, 1912 – The introduction to the first transcontinental highway
September 12, 2022
On this day in 1912 Carl Fisher and James Allison announced their vision to open a transcontinental rock (gravel) highway.
This Day
September 10, 1950 – A new diesel speed record
September 10, 2022
Jimmy Jackson drove his #61 Cummins Diesel Special to a new diesel land speed record of 165.23 mph on the
September 8, 1963 – A master engineer passes away
September 8, 2022
Maurice Wilks, fften regarded as one of the most forward thinking automotive engineers the industry had ever known, passed away
September 6, 1891 – Peugeot debuts the Type 3 Quadricycle
September 6, 2022
On this day in 1891 the Peugeot Type 3 Quadricycle debuted. The company manufactured 64 of these internal combustion powered
September 5, 1930 – A backwards trip comes to an end
September 5, 2022
The names Charles Creighton and James Hargis probably doesn’t ring any bells, but they may put a kink in your
September 4, 1891 – The Autobahn designer is born
September 4, 2022
The head designer of the German Autobahn, Fritz Todt, was born on this day in 1891. He would receive a
August 31, 1869 – The first automobile death
August 31, 2022
On this day in 1869, Mary Ward unfortunately made her way into the history books, as she is believed to
August 20, 2011 – A Ferrari breaks the record for most expensive car sold at auction
August 20, 2022
On this day in 2011 a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, the first one to be built, sold at the
August 19, 1958 – The last Packard
August 19, 2022
On this day in 1958 the last vehicle to carry the Packard name rolled off the assembly line. After a
August 18, 1957 – Stirling Moss wins an F1 race in a British car for the first time
August 18, 2022
Formula One driver Stirling Moss placed first at the Pescara Grand Prix in a Vanwall 57 on this day in
August 17, 1915 – The electric starter is patented
August 17, 2022
The name Charles Kettering may not ring any bells unless you are familiar with Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, but
August 15, 1938 – Nicola Romeo of ALFA Romeo dies
August 15, 2022
In 1911 Italian Nicola Romeo started a company that manufactured mining machines called Ing. Nicola Romeo e Co. The company
August 14, 1988 – Enzo Ferrari dies
August 14, 2022
Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the sports car company that bears his name, passed away on this day in 1988
August 11, 1965 – The Ford Bronco debuts
August 11, 2022
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the hot car to have for many WWII vets wasn’t a car at
August 9, 1917 – Barney Oldfield sets new speed records in Golden Submarine
August 9, 2022
After Bob Burman, a close friend of fellow racing great Barney Oldfield, died when his open cockpit car rolled over
August 3, 1960 – Lee Petty races sons Richard Petty & Maurice Petty for first and only time
August 3, 2022
On this day in 1960 Maurice Petty made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Dixieland Speedway in Birmingham, Alabama. At
August 1, 1964 – Don Garlits becomes first drag racer to hit 200 mph in 1/4 mile
August 1, 2022
On this day in 1964 legendary drag racer Don Garlits become the first drag racer to break 200 miles per
July 31, 1971 – The first drive on the moon
July 31, 2022
In a truly out of this world event, US astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first people to
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This Day in Automotive History - the book!
This Day In Automotive History
By Brian Corey
This book tells fascinating tales, bringing individual days to life with short stories, photographs and illustrations.
This Day in Automotive History
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