1847 – Steering Innovator Georg Lankensperger Dies
German carriage builder and inventor Georg Lankensperger died on this day in 1847 at age 68. In 1816, he developed a steering arrangement that allowed the inner and outer front wheels of a vehicle to turn at different angles, reducing tire scrub and helping each wheel follow the proper arc through a corner. His agent, Rudolph Ackermann, later patented the design in Britain, leading it to become widely known as Ackermann steering geometry. The basic principle remains influential in automotive steering systems more than two centuries later.
1899 – Fiat Is Founded in Turin
Fiat was founded on this day in 1899 when a group of investors established the Società Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili – Torino at Palazzo Bricherasio in Turin. Giovanni Agnelli emerged as one of the company’s most important early leaders, helping guide Fiat from a small automobile manufacturer into one of Italy’s largest industrial enterprises. The company’s name was later shortened to FIAT, and its long history would include influential models such as the 500, 600, Panda and Uno.
1936 – Howard Hughes Is Involved in a Fatal Automobile Accident
A car driven by aviator, industrialist and filmmaker Howard Hughes struck and killed pedestrian Gabriel S. Meyer on this day in 1936 at Third Street and Lorraine Boulevard in Los Angeles. Hughes was arrested following the collision and faced a manslaughter investigation, but a coroner’s jury later ruled the death accidental and cleared him of criminal responsibility. Witness accounts and questions about Hughes’ speed and possible alcohol consumption made the case controversial, adding another dramatic episode to the already complicated public life of one of America’s most famous industrialists.
1984 – The U.S. Orders Automatic Occupant Protection in New Cars
The Reagan administration announced a major automobile safety rule on this day in 1984 requiring automakers to equip new passenger cars with automatic occupant protection, using either airbags or automatic seat belts. The requirement was scheduled to phase in beginning with the 1987 model year and reach all new cars by April 1, 1989, unless enough states adopted qualifying seat-belt-use laws. The regulation helped accelerate the spread of airbags and automatic restraints and became an important step toward the modern safety systems now standard in passenger vehicles.
1998 – The Hawaiian Eagle Sets a Fire-Truck Speed Record
The jet-powered Hawaiian Eagle reached 407 mph in Ontario, Canada, on this day in 1998, earning recognition as the world’s fastest fire truck. Owned by Shannen Seydel of Navarre, Florida, the heavily modified red 1940 Ford used two Rolls-Royce Bristol Viper jet engines producing a combined 12,000 horsepower. Built more for exhibition and record-setting than firefighting, the spectacular machine transformed a vintage fire truck into one of the fastest wheeled vehicles of its kind.
