May 1st 1902
First gasoline powered Locomobile was produced.
May 1st 1925
Ettore Bugatti registered both the '
Pur Sangre Des Automobiles', and the thoroughbred racing horse profile, as French trademarks.
May 1st 1994
Three time F1 World Champion, Aryton Senna died at Imola. Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed in a practice accident the previous day. Senna and the other drivers still opted to start the Grand Prix, but the race was interrupted by a huge accident at the start line. A safety car was deployed and the drivers followed it for several laps. On the restart Senna immediately set a quick pace with the third quickest lap of the race, followed by Schumacher. As Senna entered the high-speed Tamburello corner on the next lap, the car left the track at high speed, hitting the concrete retaining wall at around 135 mph. Senna was removed from the car by Sid Watkins and his medical team and treated by the side of the car before being airlifted to Bologna hospital where Senna was later declared dead.
Source:
The History Channel
Club Hemmings
BBC on this Day
Wikipedia