February 4, 1913 – Richard Seaman, British racing great, is born
One of the greatest pre-war British Grand Prix racers, Richard Seaman, was born on this day in 1913. Coming from a wealthy family made Seaman’s entrance into racing somewhat seamless. At the age of 21 he took his MG to the European mainland to gain experience in the sport.
February 3, 1948 – The first tail fins
General Motors design chief Harley Earl was an inspired man after gazing upon a twin-tailed P-38 Lightning fighter plane of WWII. By borrowing elements of the plane’s design he ushered in the tail fin era of the automobile, starting with the 1948 Cadillac, the first of which left the
February 2, 1992 – 24 Hours at Daytona trophy goes to Japan for first time
Endurance automobile racing began at Daytona International Raceway in Florida shortly after the course opened in April of 1959, beginning with a six hour sports car race. Following a series of expansions to the race, the first 24 Hours of Daytona took place in 1966 and was won by
February 1, 1907 – The first steam powered land speed record holder dies
French inventor and industrialist Léon Serpollet is said to have done more for the steam automobile than anyone else. While experimenting with steam vehicles in the late 1880s, he and his brother Henri built a promising steam powered tricycle that helped them convince investors to fund further developments. His
January 31, 1942 – Pre war civilian auto production wraps up
COVER: Boeing bombers took the place of sedans and coupes in production facilities across America as automakers supported the war efforts. Under the Lend-Lease Act, the US auto industry was to transition from building personal and commercial cars and trucks to war vehicles, machinery and weapons by early 1942.
January 30, 1920 – Mazda is founded
Toyo Cork Kogyo, which would eventually become Mazda, was founded by Jujiro Matsuda in Hiroshima, Japan on this day in 1920. The company, which produced cork, was saved from bankruptcy by Hiroshima Savings Bank in the late 1920s. The near death experience allowed the board of the company to
January 29, 1886 – The automobile is patented
Karl Benz received German patent number 37435 when he applied to patent the Benz Patent-Motorwagen on this day in 1886. The vehicle is widely regarded as the world’s first purpose built automobile as it was the first carriage designed with the intent to be propelled by an internal combustion
January 28, 1896 – The first speeding ticket
In early 1896 the speed limit in London was a blazing 2 mph (3 km) and every motorist had to have a flag waver walk in front of them to alert people that an automobile was coming through. God forbid you scare the horses! So when Walter Arnold raced