June 14, 1959 – The Disneyland monorail opens
On this day in 1959 the Disneyland Monorail System opened at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, during the rededication of Tomorrowland. The original trains, the Mark I Red and Blue, were each three cars long. In 1961 the Disneyland Hotel station was lengthened to connect with the monorail track.
June 13, 1996 – Mercedes 300SL designer dies
German automobile designer Friedrich Geiger, responsible for some of Mercedes’ most memorable cars, passed away on this day in 1996 at the age of 88. Geiger joined Daimler-Benz’s special vehicles manufacturing department in 1933. Within the decade he would head development of the Mercedes 500K and 540K. He would
June 12, 1971 – The last Lincoln Mark III
When Ford president Lee Iacocca told Design Vice President Gene Bordinat to “put a Rolls Royce grille on a Thunderbird” for Lincoln’s next top luxury model, the Continental Mark III was born. It would be three years before the Cadillac Eldorado competitor would hit the market, but it did
June 11, 1986 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off premiers, Ferrari steals the show
The American cult classic film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off premiered on this day in 1986, featuring a 1961 Ferrari in a starring role. Written and directed by John Hughes, the comedy follows high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) as he pretends to be sick to get out of
June 10, 1947 – The Saab prototype debuts
On this day in 1947, Swedish airplane manufacturer Saab AB introduced the press to their first prototype automobile at the company’s headquarters. It was dubbed the Ursaab, which translates to “Original Saab.” This vehicle led to the first production Saab in 1949, the Saab 92. Saab AB had been
June 9, 1898 – The oldest winning F1 driver is born
Luigi Fagioli, the oldest driver to ever win a Formula One race, was born on this day in 1898 in Osimo, Italy. It was there he developed a passion for the relatively new invention of the automobile. As a young boy he discovered a talent for driving after entering
June 8, 1948 – The first car with a Porsche badge debuts
Ferdinand Porsche, an automotive consultant, designer and engineer, debuted his first vehicle at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900. In 1936 the Nazi party recruited him to design an affordable vehicle for the German people, which evolved into Volkswagen. Following WWII, Ferdinand was arrested for war crimes and
June 7, 1992 – NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. died
America’s prohibition era surely fueled the rise of NASCAR, but it took one man to make it official. Drivers who delivered illegal alcohol needed fast cars to outrun police, so they regularly tuned their vehicles for more power and better handling. Following prohibition, these drives still possessed a need