1843 – Birth of Émile Delahaye
Born in Tours on 16 October 1843, Émile Delahaye trained at the celebrated Arts et Métiers school and went on to build a name for himself as an early French automotive engineer and entrepreneur. Delahaye’s technical grounding and workshop experience led him to establish the business that would carry his name, the Delahaye firm, which later became known for finely engineered touring cars and racing machines. Though Delahaye himself died in 1905, the company he founded carried forward his emphasis on engineering refinement and sporting ambition, helping to shape a distinct French approach to luxury and competition cars in the decades that followed.
1951 – Austin A30 Introduced at Earls Court Motor Show
At the 1951 Earls Court Motor Show on 16 October, Austin unveiled the A30—marketed as the New Austin Seven—a compact four-door intended to bring modern unitary-body construction and economical motoring to postwar Britain. The A30’s modest 803cc A-series engine and lightweight construction allowed the little Austin to be both frugal and nimble; production began the following May of 1952 and the model stayed on the range until 1956 when the slightly revised A35 took over. Practical, easy to maintain, and competitively priced, the A30 helped define small-car expectations in the UK and set the scene for Austin’s later successes with compact family cars.
1957 – 1957 British International Motor Show Opens
London’s Earls Court doors opened to the public on 16 October 1957 for that year’s British International Motor Show, a ten-day display that ran through the 26th. The exhibition gathered manufacturers, coachbuilders and parts suppliers from across Britain and abroad, presenting the latest production models and coachbuilt specials to a motor-minded public and industry buyers alike. As one of Britain’s principal auto exhibitions, the 1957 show provided a concentrated snapshot of postwar design trends and engineering advancements, offering carmakers a high-profile stage for new models and for testing public appetite ahead of the busy sales year to come.
1958 – 1959 Chevrolet Models (Including the El Camino) Go on Sale
Chevrolet opened dealer lots to its 1959 model lineup on 16 October 1958, and among the new offerings was the El Camino—a hybrid that grafted a pickup bed onto a full-size car body and was intended to bridge passenger comfort with light-haul utility. Built on Chevrolet passenger-car platforms rather than on a truck chassis, the first El Camino combined carlike ride and styling with a rear cargo area, a formula that distinguished it from conventional pickups. Marketed as a 1959 model, the El Camino created a niche that Chevrolet would revisit across several later generations.
1995 – Skye Bridge Officially Opened
When the Skye Bridge was officially opened on 16 October 1995 by Michael Forsyth, it replaced the long-running Kyle–Kyleakin ferry link and immediately began operating under a toll regime. The new crossing provided a fixed road connection between the Isle of Skye and the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh, altering local transport patterns by offering full-time vehicular access where ferries had once dictated schedules. The ceremony on the day marked the start of a new era in Highland transport, delivering continuous road access but also introducing the controversies and debates that often accompany tolled infrastructure projects.
