February 12, 2014 – Sinkhole swallows Corvettes at museum
The Chevrolet Corvette has been built in at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky since 1991. Just a quarter of a mile away from the plant is the National Corvette Museum, home to some of the most rare and iconic Corvettes ever built. It was there, on this
February 11, 1959 – NASCAR great Marshall Teague killed in speed record attempt
Marshall Teague walked unannounced into the Detroit offices of Hudson Motor Car Company and left with a sponsor for his NASCAR racing career, securing his place in history after selling himself as the best driver on four wheels. He’d make a great case for that claim during the 1951
February 10, 1966 – Ralph Nader, author of Unsafe at Any Speed, testifies before congress
Consumer activist and lawyer Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile accused automakers of failing to introduce proven safety measures, such as seat belts, because of the reluctance to spend money on safety. Nader would go before congress on this day in
February 9, 1846 – Automotive pioneer Wilhelm Maybach is born
Born on this day in 1846, Wilhelm Maybach, would earn the title “King of Constructors” in France in the 1890s for his contributions to the blossoming automotive industry. In the late 19th century, the German inventor, engineer and entrepreneur would partner with Gottlieb Daimler to build their first car,
February 8, 1993 – GM sues NBC for defamation over exploding gas tanks
On November 17, 1992 NBC’s Dateline aired a segment about the dangerous positioning of gas tanks on 1973 to 1987 GM pickup trucks. The show contained a fiery crash test, demonstrating that when hit in a certain way the tank could rupture and explode. Following an investigation by General
February 7, 1975 – Slow down and live (in Canada)!
To save fuel, Richard Nixon made a 1973 proposal that would set a maximum speed limit of 50 miles per hour in the United States following an embargo that banned 11 Arab oil producers from selling to Western countries. Nixon’s goal was not only to conserve gasoline, but to
February 6, 1954 – Mercedes 300SL goes on sale
In 1952 Mercedes-Benz built a brand new car for the sportscar racing season, which they dubbed the W194. The 3 litre straight-6 was vicious on the track, taking home the gold at 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bern-Bremgarten, Carrera Panamericana and other high profile races. Only 10 of the
February 5, 1878 – Founder of Citroën is born
The youngest of five children, André-Gustave Citroën was born in Paris on this day in 1878. He developed a passion for engineering as he watched the construction of the Eiffel Tower, leading him to study at École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France. During a visit to Warsaw in 1900 he