1917 – Barney Oldfield Sets Records in the Golden Submarine
Barney Oldfield set multiple dirt-track speed records on August 9, 1917, driving the radical Golden Submarine. Built by Harry Miller and Fred Offenhauser, the streamlined racer was created after the death of Oldfield’s friend and rival Bob Burman, who was killed in an open-cockpit race car crash in 1916. The Golden Submarine was designed not only for speed, but also for safety, with an enclosed body and protective structure around the driver. On this day, Oldfield reportedly set records for one, five, 25 and 50 miles, showing that the strange-looking machine was more than a publicity stunt. Its combination of streamlining, engineering and driver protection made it one of the most important early American race cars.
1965 – The First Ford Transit Leaves the Line
The first Ford Transit rolled off the production line at Ford’s Langley commercial vehicle plant in Berkshire, England, on August 9, 1965. Designed under the code name Project Redcap, the Transit replaced older Ford commercial vans with a more modern, versatile platform that could serve builders, delivery companies, tradespeople and fleet operators across Europe. Its front-engine layout, broad range of body styles and practical load space helped make it one of the most successful commercial vehicles ever built. Over the next six decades, the Transit became a familiar sight around the world, proving that work vehicles can become cultural landmarks through sheer usefulness.
1990 – The Nissan Gobi Wins an International Design Award
Nissan’s Gobi concept earned international recognition on August 9, 1990, highlighting the company’s growing confidence in creative truck and utility design. The Gobi was a small, rounded pickup concept that looked very different from the boxier compact trucks of its era. With its smooth surfaces, playful proportions and integrated bed design, it anticipated some of the lifestyle-truck ideas that would become more common decades later. Although the Gobi never reached production, it showed that pickups did not have to be purely utilitarian or traditionally rugged. They could also be experimental, approachable and design-led.
1996 – Jet Engine Pioneer Frank Whittle Dies
Sir Frank Whittle, one of the key inventors of the jet engine, died on August 9, 1996. Although he is remembered primarily in aviation history, Whittle’s work belongs to the larger story of transportation because it helped transform the speed, range and scale of modern travel. As a young Royal Air Force officer, Whittle developed the idea of using a gas turbine for jet propulsion and patented his concept in 1930. His work eventually helped lead to Britain’s first jet-powered aircraft and reshaped military and commercial aviation. The jet age changed not only airplanes, but the way people and goods moved around the world.
2000 – Firestone Announces a Major Tire Recall
Bridgestone/Firestone announced a major tire recall on August 9, 2000, after a series of crashes and rollovers involving Ford Explorer SUVs and certain Firestone tires. The recall covered millions of ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires, many of which had been installed as original equipment on Ford vehicles. The controversy became one of the most significant automotive safety stories of the early 2000s, raising questions about tire construction, vehicle stability, corporate responsibility and how quickly manufacturers should respond to defect reports. For Ford and Firestone, the fallout damaged a long-running business relationship. For consumers, it became a stark reminder that even ordinary components can have life-or-death consequences.
