1872 – Britain Passes an Early Drunk Driving Law
The British government passed the Licensing Act 1872 on August 10, 1872, creating an early legal penalty for being drunk while in charge of carriages, horses, cattle or steam engines. Long before automobiles became common, lawmakers were already dealing with the dangers of impaired control over vehicles, animals and machinery in public places. The penalty could include a fine or imprisonment, making the law an important predecessor to later drunk driving rules. While it was not written for motorcars, the act shows that road safety concerns existed before the automobile age. As transportation evolved from horse-drawn carriages and steam engines to gasoline-powered cars, the same basic idea remained: public roads required sober control.
1907 – The Peking to Paris Motor Race Is Completed
Prince Scipione Borghese and journalist Luigi Barzini completed the Peking to Paris motor race on August 10, 1907, arriving in Paris in their Itala after one of the most daring automotive adventures of the early 20th century. The race had begun in Peking, now Beijing, on June 10, with five vehicles attempting an overland journey across Asia and Europe at a time when good roads, fuel supplies and reliable maps were far from guaranteed. Borghese’s Itala proved the strongest of the field, reaching Paris weeks ahead of the other finishers. The event captured the imagination of the public because it showed that the automobile was more than a novelty. It could cross continents, survive terrible roads and point toward a new era of long-distance travel.
1938 – Škoda Co-Founder Václav Klement Dies
Václav Klement, co-founder of Laurin & Klement, the company that later became part of Škoda Auto, is listed by some historical calendars as having died on August 10, 1938, though Škoda’s own materials give the date as August 13. The uncertainty is worth noting because Klement’s importance is not in question. In 1895, he and mechanic Václav Laurin founded Laurin & Klement in Mladá Boleslav after first building bicycles, then motorcycles, and eventually automobiles. Their company became one of the foundations of the Czech auto industry before joining with Škoda Works in the 1920s. Whether marked on August 10 or August 13, Klement’s death closed the life of one of Central Europe’s most important early automotive pioneers.
1978 – Three Teenagers Die in a Fiery Ford Pinto Crash
On August 10, 1978, three teenage girls were killed after their 1973 Ford Pinto was struck from behind by a van on an Indiana highway and burst into flames. The victims, sisters Lyn and Judy Ulrich and their cousin Donna Ulrich, became central to one of the most infamous automotive safety controversies in American history. The Pinto had already been criticized for the placement and protection of its fuel tank, and the Indiana crash intensified public outrage over whether Ford had acted responsibly. The case later led to criminal charges against Ford, an extraordinary moment in product liability history. Although Ford was ultimately acquitted, the Pinto crash remains a landmark example of how engineering decisions, corporate risk calculations and vehicle safety can become matters of public trust.
2004 – Alpine Founder Jean Rédélé Dies
Jean Rédélé, the founder of Alpine, died on August 10, 2004, leaving behind one of France’s most beloved performance-car legacies. Rédélé founded Alpine in 1955, building lightweight sports and racing cars that often used Renault mechanical components. His philosophy was simple but effective: make the car light, agile and competitive. That approach produced the legendary Alpine A110, a compact, rear-engine rally car that became a giant killer on European stages and helped Alpine win the first World Rally Championship for manufacturers in 1973. Rédélé’s influence survived long after the original Alpine era, especially when Renault revived the brand and the A110 name decades later.
