1899 – America’s First Speeding Ticket Goes to an Electric Taxi Driver
New York City taxicab driver Jacob German earned an unusual place in automotive history on this day in 1899 when he became theirst person in the United States cited for speeding in an automobile. German drove for the Electric Vehicle Company, which leased battery-powered cabs for use in the city’s growing taxi trade. His vehicle was an Electrobat, an early electric car first developed in 1894. About 60 Electrobats were operating as New York taxis by 1899, making the episode a reminder that electric vehicles were part of urban transportation long before the modern EV boom. German was reportedly traveling about 12 mph, fast enough to draw police attention in an era when automobiles still shared the streets with horses, pedestrians, and streetcars.
1948 – Playboy Motor Car Corporation Offers Stock
The short-lived Playboy Motor Car Corporation made a bold financial move on this day in 1948 by offering 20 million shares of stock at $1 per share. Based in Buffalo, New York, Playboy hoped to build a small, affordable postwar car at a time when Americans were eager for new automobiles after years of wartime production limits. The company’s compact convertible featured a retractable hardtop and ambitious styling, but Playboy never secured the funding or production capacity needed to compete with established automakers. Though the company failed after producing only a small number of cars, it remains one of the more fascinating independent automaker stories of the postwar era.
1952 – John Lambert Dies
John William Lambert of Anderson, Indiana, died on this day in 1952, leaving behind one of the most debated claims in early American automotive history. Lambert is often credited with building one of the first automobiles in the United States, a single-cylinder gas vehicle reportedly completed and tested in 1891. While names like the Duryea brothers and Elwood Haynes are often better remembered in the story of America’s first cars, Lambert’s work came remarkably early and helped prove that gasoline-powered vehicles could be built and operated in the United States. His later ventures included the Lambert automobile brand, but his most important legacy remains his place among the country’s earliest automotive experimenters.
1987 – AMC Approves Chrysler Acquisition
American Motors Corporation approved a deal on this day in 1987 allowing Chrysler to acquire the struggling independent automaker. AMC had long survived by building unconventional vehicles and finding niches the Big Three often ignored, including compact cars, Jeeps, and quirky models like the Gremlin, Pacer, and Eagle. By the 1980s, however, the company lacked the resources to compete at scale. Chrysler’s acquisition was driven largely by the value of Jeep, which would become one of the most important brands in its portfolio. The deal marked the end of the last major independent American automaker, but it also ensured Jeep would continue into the modern era as one of the most recognizable names in the global auto industry.
