October 18, 1919
On this day in 1919, Rolls-Royce America, Inc., was established, and their luxurious motor cars would prove a favorite means of transport for America's elite during the roaring 1920s.
October 18, 1939
Group of men who had dedicated their lives to the progress of the motor vehicle industry, met in New York City to create an organization that would perpetuate the memories of the early automotive pioneers as well as the contemporary leaders in the industry. From the beginning, this organization – originally called "Automobile Old Timers" -- was dedicated to honoring automotive people from all industry segments and from around the world. Now its more famously known as Automotive Hall of Fame. Over 200 individuals have been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Dedicated to: Recognizing outstanding achievement in the automotive and related industries; Preserving automotive heritage; Educating future generations of industry participants.
October 18, 1977
On September 5, Hanns Martin Schleyer, a Daimler-Benz executive and head of the West German employers' association, was kidnapped in Cologne by the Red Army Faction (RAF) during an assault in which his driver and three police were killed. The Red Army Faction was a group of ultra-left revolutionaries who terrorized Germany for three decades, assassinating at least 30 corporate, military, and government leaders in an effort to topple capitalism in their homeland. Six weeks after the kidnapping of Schleyer, Palestinian terrorists, who had close ties with the RAF, hijacked a Lufthansa airliner to Somalia, and demanded the release of 11 imprisoned RAF members. On October 17, after the pilot was killed, a German special forces team stormed the plane, releasing the captives and killing the hijackers. The RAF's imprisoned leaders responded by committing suicide in their jail cell in Stammheim, and Schleyer's murder was ordered. The next day, October 18, Hanns Martin Schleyer was found dead in Alsace, France.
Automotive Hall of Fame building, in Dearborn, Michigan
Hanns-Martin Schleyer after his kidnap
Place of kidnapping
Hanns-Martin Schleyer body was found in France in the trunk of this car.
