1866 – Birth of Herbert Austin
Born in Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire on 8 November 1866, Herbert Austin would go on to give his name to one of Britain’s best‑known car marques. Trained as an engineer and steeped in turn‑of‑the‑century manufacturing practice, Austin eventually founded the Austin Motor Company and later served in public life as a Member of Parliament before being created Baron Austin. His early practical skills and managerial instincts shaped the firm's approach to car design and production in the years that followed, helping to establish the Austin marque as a familiar presence on British roads.
1908 – Hupp Motor Car Company Organized in Detroit
On November 8, 1908 Robert C. "Bobby" Hupp and his partners formally organized the Hupp Motor Car Company in Detroit with roughly $25,000 in capitalization. The new firm moved quickly from incorporation to prototype work that same year, building the Hupmobile prototype and preparing for production; the company's Model 20 would reach customers in early 1909. Hupp's approach aimed to combine solid engineering with competitive pricing, and the early organizational step on November 8 set in motion the development and production decisions that produced the first Hupmobiles.
1909 – Victor Hémery Drives the Blitzen Benz Past 200 km/h
In a dramatic run at Brooklands on 8 November 1909, Victor Hémery pushed the 200 hp Blitzen Benz to an average speed of about 202.7 km/h (roughly 125.95 mph) over the flying kilometre, becoming the first driver in a combustion‑engined car to exceed 200 km/h in an officially recorded attempt. The Blitzen Benz, with its massive single‑purpose powerplant, was built for these outright speed runs, and Hémery's drive demonstrated the capability of early racing engineering to challenge what had seemed an absolute limit. The achievement was a headline‑grabbing proof of velocity and a milestone in the pursuit of land‑speed records.
1918 – General Motors of Canada Is Organized
On November 8, 1918 the McLaughlin Carriage Co., McLaughlin Motor Car Co., and Chevrolet Motor Co. of Canada were merged and organized as General Motors of Canada, Limited. The consolidation placed Samuel (R.S./Sam) McLaughlin into a principal executive role within the new Canadian operation following General Motors' takeover, uniting local carriage and motor interests with Chevrolet's Canadian presence. This formal organization created a national corporate structure for producing and selling GM‑badged vehicles in Canada, aligning Canadian manufacturing and management under a single company umbrella.
1933 – Birth of Driver Peter Arundell
Peter John Arundell was born in Ilford, Essex on 8 November 1933 and later became a notable driver for Team Lotus in the mid‑1960s. Racing in Formula One from 1963 to 1966, Arundell secured two World Championship podiums and accumulated 12 championship points while piloting Lotus machinery, showcasing the close relationship between young British drivers and Team Lotus' competitive small‑team operations. Though his top‑flight career was relatively brief, those podium finishes with Lotus underlined his skill in a highly competitive era of Grand Prix racing.
