1894 – The Paris–Rouen Trial Helps Launch Motor Racing
The Paris–Rouen motor competition took place in France on July 22, 1894, and is widely remembered as one of the first organized automobile races. Sponsored by the newspaper Le Petit Journal, the event sent horseless carriages approximately 126 kilometers from Paris to Rouen, drawing entries powered by gasoline, steam and other experimental systems. Jules-Albert de Dion reached Rouen first in a steam-powered vehicle, but his machine required a stoker and did not fully meet the event’s standards for practical road use. The official victory was awarded to Albert Lemaître, who drove a Peugeot powered by a Daimler-licensed engine. More than a simple speed contest, Paris–Rouen showed that automobiles were becoming viable machines for distance travel, competition and public fascination.
1908 – Fisher Body Company Is Founded
The Fisher Body Company was incorporated in Detroit, Michigan, on July 22, 1908, by brothers Frederick and Charles Fisher. The company grew from a small coachbuilding operation into one of the most important automobile body manufacturers in the United States, supplying bodies for companies including Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Ford and Packard. Its famous “Body by Fisher” emblem later became a symbol of quality and craftsmanship inside General Motors vehicles. GM purchased a controlling interest in Fisher Body in 1919 and completed its acquisition in 1926, bringing the company fully into the corporation’s manufacturing system. Fisher Body helped define how American automobiles were designed, built and marketed during the industry’s formative decades.
1934 – John Dillinger Is Shot Outside the Biograph Theater
Bank robber John Dillinger was shot and killed by federal agents outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago on July 22, 1934. Although remembered primarily as one of the most infamous criminals of the Depression era, Dillinger also became closely associated with the automobile age. Fast cars, paved highways and expanding road networks allowed criminals to move quickly between jurisdictions, while law enforcement struggled to keep pace. Dillinger was especially linked to powerful Ford V-8s and the Essex Terraplane 8. His death marked the end of one of the most publicized manhunts of the 1930s and reflected how deeply the automobile had reshaped crime, pursuit and popular culture.
1942 – Wartime Gasoline Rationing Begins in 17 States
The United States began wartime gasoline rationing in 17 eastern states on July 22, 1942, as the federal government worked to conserve resources during World War II. Although the program limited civilian fuel use, one of its major goals was reducing wear on tires, since Japan’s advance in Southeast Asia had severely disrupted access to natural rubber. Drivers received ration stickers based on need, with ordinary motorists receiving the smallest allowances and essential services receiving larger allotments. The program later expanded nationwide in December 1942 and remained in effect until the end of the war. For American drivers, gasoline rationing was one of the clearest daily reminders that private motoring had been subordinated to military necessity.
2013 – Renault-Nissan Sells Its 100,000th Zero-Emission Vehicle
Renault-Nissan announced in July 2013 that the alliance had sold its 100,000th zero-emission vehicle, a major early milestone in the modern electric-car movement. The customer was Allison Howard, a graduate student who purchased a Nissan Leaf and drove it to Kennesaw State University near Atlanta. At the time, Nissan had sold approximately 71,000 Leafs, making it the best-selling fully electric vehicle in the world. The Leaf had launched in 2010 and helped move electric cars from experimental demonstration fleets into ordinary driveways. The milestone feels modest today, after the Tesla Model Y became the world’s best-selling car overall in 2023, but in 2013, 100,000 alliance EVs represented real proof that battery-electric vehicles were beginning to find mainstream buyers.
