1923 – BMW R32 Makes Its Public Debut
Displayed at the Berlin Motor Show, the BMW R32 introduced the boxer-twin and shaft-drive layout that would become synonymous with BMW motorcycles. Designed by Max Friz and presented to the public on 28 September 1923, the R32 combined a flat-twin engine mounted longitudinally in the frame with an enclosed shaft drive to the rear wheel — a rugged, low-maintenance pairing that contrasted with chain-driven contemporaries. Its rigid tubular frame, recirculating oil system and horizontally opposed cylinders gave the R32 smoothness and stability at touring speeds of the era. That combination of engine packaging and final drive defined BMW’s motorcycle identity for decades and directly informed their later sporting and touring models.
1938 – Charles Duryea Dies in Philadelphia
Charles Edgar Duryea, co‑founder of the Duryea Motor Wagon Company and an early American automobile pioneer, died in Philadelphia of a heart attack on September 28, 1938. Duryea had been central to the nascent American car industry in the 1890s, building one of the first gasoline-powered vehicles produced and driven on U.S. roads; the firm he helped establish is remembered for running some of the earliest manufacturing experiments and road trials. Buried at Ivy Hill Cemetery, Duryea’s name remained linked to the first stirrings of U.S. automobile manufacture and to the practical demonstration that horseless carriages could be reliably built and driven.
1949 – Jowett Shows Jupiter Chassis at Earls Court
At the Earls Court Motor Show that opened on 28 September 1949, Jowett presented the Jupiter not as a finished saloon but as a prototype rolling chassis, letting visitors see the suspension, engine placement and coachwork mounting points. The bare chassis photograph that appeared in the Daily Graphic that day emphasized the car’s technical intent: a lightweight sporting layout derived from Jowett’s know-how in flat-four engines and independent suspension. Jowett would later complete the Jupiter for full public display, but the 1949 chassis outing signaled the company’s shift toward postwar sports cars and attracted coachbuilders and prospective export customers to the concept.
1954 – Austin Cambridge Range Announced
Austin launched the Cambridge family with a press announcement on 28 September 1954, unveiling the A40 and the larger A50 Cambridge as its new mid‑range offering. The range paired a 1.2‑litre engine in the A40 with a 1.5‑litre option in the A50, replacing earlier A40 derivatives and standardizing a conventional three‑box saloon look for postwar buyers. Built to slot between the Minor and the larger models, the Cambridges featured simple, serviceable mechanicals and an emphasis on interior space for families. The September release set the lineup into production and sales channels, where the A40/A50 naming would be used to differentiate engines and trim across the Cambridge range.
2000 – Modern Mini Cooper Debuts in Paris
BMW reimagined the compact British classic for the modern market and unveiled the production MINI — including the MINI Cooper variant — to the world at the Paris Motor Show on 28 September 2000. The new car kept the original Mini’s small footprint and front‑wheel‑drive packaging but introduced a transverse-engine layout with contemporary safety, handling and drivetrain engineering under a deliberately retro-styled body. BMW’s Paris presentation positioned the MINI Cooper as the sporting trim of the revived line, pairing spirited chassis tuning with tunable engine outputs; the model would soon become a global nameplate for premium small cars.
