1928 – Birth of Alfonso de Portago
Born in London into Spanish aristocracy on October 11, 1928, Alfonso (Marquis) de Portago combined high-society glamour with a taste for speed. He made his name behind the wheel in both Grand Touring cars and as a daring bobsleigh brakeman for Spain, and later drove for Scuderia Ferrari in sports-car racing—piloting powerful Ferraris in international endurance events. Portago’s flamboyant driving style, celebrity lifestyle and cross-discipline athleticism made him one of motorsport’s most photographed figures of the 1950s. His career and tragic death in 1957 during a race drew attention to safety questions in high-speed road and sports-car competitions.
1932 – Design Patent Issued for the Mack Bulldog Radiator Cap
On October 11, 1932 the distinctive Mack ‘Bulldog’ radiator‑cap ornament was formally protected by U.S. design patent USD87931S, credited to Alfred F. Masury and assigned to International Motor Co./Mack. The small sculpted bulldog, meant to crown the radiator shell of Mack trucks, was not merely decorative: its compact, forward‑facing profile was designed to sit above heavy-duty hoods and survive rough service. Mack’s historical accounts point to that October 1932 patent as the start of a visual trademark that would become synonymous with the company’s rugged image on highways and job sites for decades to come.
1954 – Kaiser Announces the CJ-5 Civilian Jeep
Kaiser, owner of Willys in the mid‑1950s, unveiled the Jeep CJ-5 to the public on October 11, 1954, introducing a civilian model that drew directly from the military M-38A1’s rounded‑hood design. The CJ-5 featured improved on‑road manners and a compact, ladder‑frame chassis that kept the Jeep’s off‑road capability while easing daily use for farmers and outdoorsmen. That October announcement set the CJ-5 on a production run that would make it one of the longest‑lived civilian Jeeps, notable for adapting wartime utility into a durable, work‑and‑recreation vehicle for the postwar era.
1996 – Ford in Talks to Buy Naming Rights for Proposed Detroit Dome
On October 11, 1996 news outlets reported that Ford Motor Company was in negotiations to buy the naming rights for a proposed downtown domed stadium in Detroit, with reported offers in the $40–50 million range. The talks involved team and company officials as part of early planning for a major civic sports venue; public accounts from that day framed the discussions as a potential corporate sponsorship to attach Ford’s name to the new facility. Those reported negotiations were one of several high‑profile corporate‑stadium naming conversations in the 1990s that explored large multi‑year marketing deals tied to major venues.
2025 – Willow Springs Reimagined Grand Reopening
On October 11, 2025 Willow Springs International Raceway threw open its gates for the ‘Willow Springs Reimagined’ grand reopening, showcasing a renovation program that included safety upgrades, surface improvements and refreshed spectator areas. I was fortunate enough to attend. Personal highlights included watching vehicles from the Petersen Automotive Museum run the track, admiring Lia Block as she smoked the tires on Hoonitruck and checking on the Czinger.
