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March 6, 1896 – Charles King drives the first automobile in Detroit, ushers in the Motor City
6Mar By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
This Day

March 6, 1896 – Charles King drives the first automobile in Detroit, ushers in the Motor City

Charles Brady King and his first vehicle, the first self propelled car in Detroit. Detroit Historical Society Charles King, born on February 2, 1868, was a notable figure in the early days of the automotive industry. His father, General John King, retired from the army in 1882 and moved the family to Detroit. King went on to study engineering at Cornell University until he returned to Detroit in 1888 following his father's passing. King's involvement in the automotive industry began with his display at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair of his pneumatic hammer and brake beam for railroad cars. While at the fair, King saw Gottlieb Daimler's (who died on this day in 1900) self-propelled carriage, which inspired him to design his own car. On this day in 1896, he test drove that vehicle on Wood...
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July 8, 1968 – Dodge strike rocks Detroit
8Jul By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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July 8, 1968 – Dodge strike rocks Detroit

On this day in 1968 the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM), which consisted of black auto workers, went on a wildcat strike to protest working conditions at Dodge’s Hamtramck assembly plant. A wildcat strike is one not supported or endorsed by the leadership of the Union the workers are members of. In this case, the United Auto Workers.  At the time of the strike an estimated 70 percent of the workers at the plant were black, yet it was exceedingly rare for black men or women to rise to any sort of management position or higher within the auto industry. This observation became a primary cause for concern among the striking workers. Some 4,000 workers participated in the strike that lasted two and half days. They ultimately prevented or delayed the production of 3,000 cars. I...
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November 8, 1909 – The first Hupmobile test drive
8Nov By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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November 8, 1909 – The first Hupmobile test drive

1909 Hupmobile (blue) next to a 1909 Hudson. On this day in 1908, with investors looking on, Bobby Hupp took the first successful test drive of a Hupmobile on the streets of Detroit, Michigan. After the successful run, they popped the champagne. The company was incorporated the same month and debuted their Model 20 to the public at the 1909 Detroit Auto Show.  Some years later, Henry Ford gave his thoughts on the car, "I recall looking at Bobby Hupp's roadster at the first show where it was exhibited and wondering whether we could ever build as good a small car for as little money." Once enough orders for the new automobile were received, production began. More than 500 autos left the factory by the end of fall 1909. The next year production increased to more than 5,000 cars.  A...
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November 6, 1998 – MotorCities National Heritage Area is established
6Nov By Automotive HistoryNo Comments
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November 6, 1998 – MotorCities National Heritage Area is established

Cadillac Place, Detroit, Michigan On this day in 1998 President Bill Clinton declared some 10,000 square miles of Michigan the Automobile National Heritage Area. The site commemorates the role of the automobile in U.S. history. The location received designation largely because of metro Detroit's primary role in the promotion and production of the automobile. Since renamed MotorCities National Heritage Area, it covers covers parts of 16 Michigan counties. To quote www.motorcities.org, "We tell the story of how southeast and central Michigan 'Put the World on Wheels.'” MotorCities links the world’s largest collection of cultural and labor organizations, museums, archives, factories, auto collections and events to preserve the story of how tinkerers became titans and how auto and ...
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