This Day In Automotive History

[SirAlec]

August 20th 1946
World War II civilian truck restrictions were lifted in the U.S. Truck restrictions were only the beginning of special regulations during the war. Civilian auto production virtually ceased after the attack on Pearl Harbor as the U.S. automotive industry turned to war production, and gas rationing began in 1942.

August 20th 1991
The Mazda Motor Corporation of Japan announced on this day that it planned to enter the luxury car market in 1994 with the Amati. Several other high-end brands from Japan had already been introduced: Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura. But the plan never took off.

Mazda millenia

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 21st 1903
America's first transcontinental auto race, stretching from New York City to San Francisco, was completed on this day. The race was finished by Tom Fetch and M.C. Karrup in two Model F Packards, travelling an average of 80 miles per day for 51 days. They arrived covered in mud and exhausted. Along the way, the two travelers and their motorcars generated quite a bit of interest as they drove through many rural areas where automobiles were a rare sight. In one instance, a couple of Nebraska farmers, suspicious of the vehicles, threatened Fetch and Karrup with shotguns.

August 21st 1909
Barney Oldfield broke five world records on this day, pushing his Benz to new speeds on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the record-breaking feat was marred by tragedy. Three other drivers died on the same track as 20,000 spectators watched in disbelief, and the three-day meet was ended early.


August 21st 1947
Ettore Bugatti, the French car manufacturer, died on this day. Born on September 15, 1881, in Brescia, Italy, Bugatti specialized in racing and luxury automobiles, and his factory in Alsace turned out some of the most expensive cars ever produced. The best-known Bugatti car was Type 41, known as the "Golden Bugatti" or "La Royale." It was produced in the 1920s, meticulously constructed and inordinately expensive--only a few were ever built. After Bugatti's death, the firm failed to survive, at least in part because Ettore's eldest son and chosen successor died before Bugatti himself.

Barney Oldfield



Ettore Bugatti

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 22nd 1647
Denis Papin, inventor of the piston steam engine (Steam digester), was born in Blois, France. This British physicist, who also invented the pressure cooker, got the first seedlings of an idea when he noticed the enclosed steam in the cooker raising the lid. Why couldn't one use steam to drive a piston? Though he never actually constructed an engine, nor had a practical design, his sketches were improved on by others and led to the development of the steam engine.

August 22nd 1901
The Cadillac Company, named after eighteenth century French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, founder of the city of Detroit, was established on this day. Henry Leland, a former mechanic and precision machinist, founded the company that would come to be known as the maker of America's luxury car. The Cadillac reached its height of popularity during the 1950s. The Cadillac Debutante, which debuted at the Waldorf-Astoria, was based on the play The Solid Gold Cadillac. Cadillac sales decreased during the 1970s as the American car market experienced an influx of smaller imports, but luxury car sales, Cadillac included, have rebounded in recent years.


August 22nd 1902
On this day, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. chief executive to ride in an automobile. His first drive took place in Hartford, Connecticut, adding yet another first to Roosevelt's presidential accomplishments. He was also the first president to entertain an African-American in the White House. With a reputation for aggressiveness, righteousness, and pride, Roosevelt was not the kind of man to fear uncharted waters; he also wrote almost 40 books, cleared the building of the Panama Canal, and won a Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions toward the resolution of the Russo-Japanese War.

Denis Papin

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 23rd 1913
Automobiles were legally allowed to enter Yosemite National Park, California, for the first time; marked huge change in national park system.

August 23rd 1922
A 23-litre car named "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" won the first Southsea Speed Carnival in 1922, driven by Count Louis Zborowski at 73.1mph. It is to be noted that the name "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" reappeared much later in Ian Fleming's book about a magical car, and again in the 1968 movie of the same name starring Dick Van Dyke.

August 23rd 1967
Georges Berger, a Belgian racing driver was killed racing a Porsche 911 in the 1967 Marathon de la Route at Nürburgring.
He raced a Gordini Type 15/16 in his two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix.

August 23rd 1987
Didier Pironi, a racing driver from France who decided to take powerboat racing crashed his powerboat near the Isle of Wight. The accident also took the life of his two crew members, journalist Bernard Giroux and his old friend Jean-Claude Guenard.
During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, mostly driving for Tyrrell and Ferrari, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 driving a Renault Alpine A442B.

Georges Berger


Didier Pironi

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 24th 1832
Nicolas Carnot, a pioneer in the development of the internal combustion engine, died in Paris at age 36. The import of advanced British engines dismayed Carnot, for he saw how far behind French design had fallen. However, his own work would change that. He would go on to develop the Carnot cycle and Carnot efficiency, improving the efficiency of all types of engines.

August 24th 1945
The last Cadillac-built M-24 tank was produced on this day, ending the company's World War II effort. Civilian auto production virtually ceased after the attack on Pearl Harbor, as the U.S. automotive industry turned to war production. Between 1940 and 1945, automotive firms made almost $29 billion worth of military materials, including jeeps, trucks, machine guns, carbines, tanks, helmets, and aerial bombs.

August 24th 1967
The famous industrialist Henry J. Kaiser passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 85 on this day. Along with a construction company, a shipyard, an aircraft company, and an aluminum manufacturing plant, Kaiser owned an automobile company. Co-founded with Joseph W. Frazer in 1945, the company produced only a few models before production was ceased in 1954.

Nicolas Carnot


Cadillac-built M-24


Henry J. Kaiser

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 25th 1910
Walden W. Shaw and John D. Hertz formed the Walden W. Shaw Livery Company, which later became the Yellow Cab Company. In 1907, the Shaw Livery Company purchased a number of small taxicabs equipped with meters. The first yellow cab (the Model J) hit the streets in 1915, and its distinctive color became the company's trademark. The company was also the first to use automatic windshield wipers, ultrahigh frequency two-way radios, and passenger seat belts.

August 25th 1910
Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH forced to change company name due to legal dispute over Horch trademark. It was renamed Audi Automobilwerke GmbH. Audi in Latin translation to Horch.

August 25th 1921
Six-Cylinder Love, the first full-length play based on the motor car, opened at the Sam H. Harris Theatre in New York City. The play traces a family's purchase of an expensive car and their resulting woes. A silent film version of the play was produced in 1923, and a talkie starring Spencer Tracy followed in 1931.

August 25, 1954
The United States Postal Service began issuing a Classic Cars booklet of stamps on this day. The special edition stamps, designed by Ken Dallison, featured five different designs: a 1928 Locomobile, a 1929 Pierce-Arrow, a 1931 Cord, a 1932 Packard, and a 1935 Dusenberg.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 26th 1940
The LaSalle, manufactured by Cadillac, was discontinued after 14 years of production. Intended to boost profits during a lag in luxury car sales, the LaSalle was a moderately priced alternative to the opulence of the Cadillac. The company chose to market the car under a new name so as not to lessen the value of the Cadillac name.

August 26th 1957
The Ford Motor Company rolled out the first Edsel automobile on this day. The car was named after Henry Ford's son, Edsel Bryant Ford. 110,847 Edsels were built before the company pulled the plug after three years due to lack of sales and negative press. Ironically, market research conducted just a few years earlier had pointed to the Edsel's success; consumers had said they wanted more horsepower, tailfins, three-tone paint jobs, and wraparound windshields. However, by 1957, fickle consumers had changed their minds, and despite a relatively low price, Edsel sales lagged. Today, due to the limited number produced, the Edsel has become a collector's item.

August 26th 1985
The Yugo, manufactured in Yugoslavia, was first introduced to the U.S. market on this day. Originally marketed as a lower-cost alternative, the Yugo quickly became infamous for its poor quality of construction.

Cadillac LeSalle


Edsel


Yugo

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 27th 1904
Newport, Rhode Island, imposed the first jail sentence for a speeding violation on this day. This was a harsh sentence in 1904 because traffic laws were still relatively new--the first traffic code wasn't implemented until 1903, when New York introduced a two-page book of regulations. Early traffic regulations varied drastically from state to state, some having no speed limits at all.

August 27th 1938
Captain George Eyston established a new land speed record of 345.49mph when he sailed over the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in a Rolls-Royce-powered Thunderbolt. The land-speed trials have been held every year since 1903, serving as a test of automotive technology and proof of climbing speeds. Captain Eyston's record was especially memorable, for it was one of the few years that the record was not held by Malcolm Campbell, who dominated the trials for almost 30 years. The current record is held by Andy Green at 763.035mph.

Captain George Eyston

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
SPEEDACE.INFO HOMEPAGE INTERNATIONAL VEHICLE AND AUTOMOTIVE INFORMATION PORTAL CAR RACING AND WORLD RECORDS

[SirAlec]

August 28th 1921
Construction of the Paragon Motor Company factory began in Cumberland, Maryland. The company's production was limited to only four prototypes, and the factory was never completed.

August 28th 1922
The famous Autodromo, an automobile-racing track, was opened in Monza, Italy, on this day. Set in a busy industrial center along the Lambro River, this track, with its elliptical shape and concrete banked curves, is said to be the fastest in the world.

August 28th 1937
The Toyota Motor Company, Ltd., originally a division of the Toyota Automatic Loom Works, became a corporation on this day. The company underwent huge expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, exporting its smaller, more fuel-efficient cars to countless foreign markets. During this period, Toyota also acquired Hino Motors, Ltd., Nippondenso Company Ltd., and Daihitsu Motor Company, Ltd. Toyota has been Japan's largest automobile manufacturer for several decades and is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 29th 1876
Charles F. Kettering, inventor of the electric starter, was born on this day in Detroit. Kettering, along with Edward A. Deeds, founded Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company). He and his company invented countless improvements for the automobile, including lighting and ignition systems, lacquer finishes, antilock fuels, and leaded gasoline. The Cadillac was the first car to use the electric starter, and Delco would later become a subsidiary of General Motors. Incidentally, Kettering also invented the first electric cash register before he started working on cars.

August 29th 1885
The world's first motorcycle, made by Gottlieb Daimler, was patented on this day. The two-wheeled vehicle gained immense popularity after 1910, when it was used heavily by all branches of the armed forces during World War I. The motorcycle's popularity lagged during the Great Depression, but came back with a vengeance after World War II and remains popular today. Often associated with a rebellious image, the vehicle is often used for high-speed touring and sport competitions.

August 29th 1898
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was incorporated in Ohio. Originally founded as a rubber company by the Seiberling brothers, the company began manufacturing tires shortly after its establishment. Today, Goodyear makes passenger and industrial tires, in addition to producing rubber, chemical, and plastic products. The company also is well-known for its marketing skill--its Goodyear blimp is one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in America.

Charles F. Kettering


World's First motorcycle

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 30th 1898
Henry Ford, of Detroit, Michigan, received a patent for a "Carbureter" especially designed for use in connection with gas or vapor engines.

August 30th 1916
Studebaker announced the release of the Heaslet Special, a semi-custom touring car. The car was named in honor of Studebaker's vice president of engineering, James G. Heaslet.


August 30th 1945
A pale green Super Six coupe rolled off the Hudson Company's assembly line, the first post-World War II car to be produced by the auto manufacturer. Like all other U.S. auto manufacturers, Hudson had halted production of civilian cars in order to produce armaments during the war. The Super Six boasted the first modern, high-compression L-head motor, though it garnered its name from the original Hudson-manufactured engine produced in 1916. The name stayed, though the engines became more sophisticated.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

August 31st 1899
A Stanley Steamer, driven by F.O. Stanley, became the first car to reach the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. F.O. Stanley was one of the Stanley twins, founders of the Stanley Motor Company, which specialized in steam-driven automobiles. The steamers not only climbed mountains, but often beat larger, gasoline-powered cars in races. In 1906, a Stanley Steamer would break the world record for the fastest mile when it reached 127mph.

August 31st 1903
Packard automobile completed a 52-day journey from San Francisco to New York, became first car to cross U.S. under its own power.

August 31st 1951
James E. Lynch, the stunt driver, died in Texarkana, Arkansas, at age 50. He was founder of the "Jimmie Lynch Daredevils" stunt drivers show.


August 31st 1955
The world's first solar-powered automobile, designed by William G. Cobb, was demonstrated at the General Motors Powerama in Chicago. Today, solar car competitions are held all over the world, pitting design teams against each other in grueling races. However, a mass-produced solar car has yet to hit the market.



August 31st 2003
Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Party held in Milwaukee's Veterans Park.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

September 1st 1950
A new chapter in Porsche history began today, with the company's return to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and the completion of the first Porsche. The first car to bear the Porsche name had actually been built two years earlier by Ferry Porsche and his design team, but this Porsche was the first car to boast a Porsche-made engine. Porsche became an independent automobile manufacturer during this year and soon sealed its success with a stunning victory at Le Mans in 1951.


September 1st 1989
The federal government passed new car safety legislation on this day, requiring all newly manufactured cars to install an air bag on the driver's side. While air bags have proven to be life-saving devices in most cases, concern over the safety of the air bags themselves arose during the 1990s. Several instances in which small children were seriously injured or killed by an air bag caused a public clamor for further investigation of the devices, which can explode out of the dashboard at up to 200mph. Air bags are still installed in all newly manufactured models.

September 1st 1989
The first Lexus was sold on this day, launching Toyota's new luxury division. However, Lexus' story had begun six years earlier in a top secret meeting of Toyota's elite. Surrounded by the company's top-level management, Chairman Eiji Toyota proposed the company's next challenge - a luxury car that could compete with the world's best. The project was given the code name "F1," with F for "flagship," and the numeral 1 recalling the high performance of Formula 1 race cars. Designed by chief engineers Shoiji Jimbo and Ichiro Suzuki, the F1 prototype was completed just two years later. The top secret project was finally unveiled after extensive testing in 1987, and officially launched in 1989.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

September 2nd 1959
The Ford Motor Company introduced its new marque, the Ford Falcon, in the first nationwide closed-circuit television news conference. Originally envisioned as a compact economy car, the Falcon name grew to include everything from sporty convertibles to the Ranchero truck, though all Falcons essentially remained small, fuel-efficient cars. When the Mustang was introduced in 1964, Ford used the Falcon's unitized chassis, as well as elements of the Falcon drive train, to "re-market" and "re-adapt" the Mustang. The Mustang was an immediate success, leaving the Falcon to exist in the shadow of its more powerful cousin. The Ford Falcon was eventually discontinued in 1971, but the success of the Volkswagen and other compacts just a few years later proved how forward-thinking the original Falcon designers were.


September 2nd 1969
Willy Mairesse, race-car driver for the Ferrari team, died in Ostend, Belgium, from an overdose of sleeping pills. His career had been a continuing disappointment, with zero wins from 12 grand prix starts and only seven points. He left the Ferrari team in 1963 and was only 40 years old at the time of his death.

September 2nd 1992
The Southern California Gas Company purchased the first motor vehicles powered by natural gas on this day. Spurred on by a new California law promoting the commercialization of alternative fuel vehicles, the company put 50 of the new vehicles into service and began promoting the natural gas vehicles (NGVs) as a viable option for the future. Compressed natural gas costs 25-30 percent less than gasoline and has an octane rating of 130 - meaning it burns much cleaner than even premium unleaded gasoline. The NGVs can also go 10,000 miles between oil changes, 40,000 miles between tune-ups, and 75,000 miles between spark plugs. However, the most compelling argument for natural gas is its environmental advantages. NGVs reduce NOX emissions and reactive hydrocarbons by as much as 95 percent. The new vehicles also reduce carbon monoxide by 85 percent and carcinogenic particulate emissions by 99 percent.

Ford Falcon


Willy Mairesse

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

[SirAlec]

September 3rd 1875
Ferdinand Porsche, engineer and patriarch of Porsche cars, was born on this day in Maffersdorf, Austria. He began his career at the Daimler Company, rising to general director, but he eventually left in 1931 to design his own sports and racing cars. Perhaps his most famous project was Hitler's "car for the people," the Volkswagen. Together with his son, Porsche was responsible for the initial Volkswagen plans, but his involvement with Hitler was to cost him dearly. He was arrested by the French after World War II and held for several years before finally being released.

September 3rd 1939
The first and only Yugoslavian Grand Prix was held today at Kalemagdan Park in Belgrade. Won by Tazio Nuvolari, this race marked yet another victory for the great Italian champion, and was the last Grand Prix event before World War II. Nuvolari's win was particularly stunning in light of the German domination of Formula 1 racing during the late 1930s, backed by massive funding from the Third Reich.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia