1913 – Baker Electrics Advertises in The Washington Post
A bold Baker Electrics advertisement appeared in The Washington Post on October 19, 1913, promoting the quiet, battery‑powered town cars that had made the Cleveland‑based Baker Motor Vehicle Company famous. The ad art, preserved in a digitized scan, shows the upright coachwork and elegant profile Baker promoted to well‑heeled urban motorists who valued cleanliness and silence over gasoline fumes. At a time when electric cars were common in city service and for short runs, Baker’s advertising leaned into reliability and refinement rather than endurance, an approach that kept the marque visible in affluent markets even as internal‑combustion rivals expanded.
1935 – Ford Unveils the 1936 Model Line
Ford put its 1936 passenger cars on public display and sale beginning October 19, 1935, showcasing a refreshed front end with a new grille treatment while retaining the previous body shell. The revisions gave the standard V‑8 Fords a more modern face — subtly restyled headlamp surrounds, a revised hood line and trim updates — that dealers used to pitch an up‑to‑date appearance without the expense of an all‑new body. Introduced for the 1936 model year, these changes aimed to keep Ford competitive through cosmetic modernization, letting customers buy the latest looks on proven mechanicals.
1965 – MGB GT Goes on Sale
MG released the unitary construction MGB in 1962, replacing the seven year old MGA. While it didn’t feature the traditional body and frame assembly of its predecessor, the two cars did share many components. The brakes and suspension are traced to the MGA, while the four cylinder B-Series engine dates to the late 1940s. The MGB essentially wrapped company highlights of the of the past 15 years into a slim new package. MG achieved real design innovation on this day in 1965 with the release of the MGB GT for the next model year.
1971 – Alberto Pirelli Dies in Lombardy
Alberto Pirelli, who had guided the Pirelli industrial group through decades of expansion and served as its honorary president after stepping back from day‑to‑day duties, died in Lombardy on October 19, 1971. Born in 1882, he had relinquished direct control in 1965 when leadership transitioned to his son Leopoldo, but retained an emblematic role for the family firm whose name is synonymous with tires and industrial products. His death closed a chapter in the company’s generational leadership at a moment when Pirelli was firmly established as a major international industrial concern.
1997 – Cory McClenathan Breaks the 320‑mph Barrier
At the 1997 Revell Nationals, Cory McClenathan pushed his Top Fuel dragster to a recorded terminal speed of 321.77 mph at the Texas Motorplex on October 19, 1997 — the first NHRA timing slip to top 320 mph. The run, registered by NHRA timing equipment, put McClenathan into the high‑speed history books for nitro drag racing and illustrated how chassis development, powerplant tuning and track conditions had combined to lift quarter‑mile top speeds into a new decimal range. That single electronic readout confirmed a performance milestone for the sport.
2014 – Driverless Audi RS 7 Laps Hockenheim at Speed
During the DTM season finale at Hockenheim on October 19, 2014, an Audi RS 7 piloted‑driving concept completed an unmanned lap of the Grand Prix circuit at roughly 240 km/h, taking just over two minutes to circle the track. Audi’s demonstration combined production‑derived hardware with automated control systems to negotiate high‑speed corners, straights and braking zones without a driver aboard, and the company issued detailed press materials after the run. The public trial showcased how piloted‑driving software could be calibrated for racing speeds on a demanding circuit rather than only for low‑speed urban environments.
