On This Day

The first known motorcycle race took place when 8 riders raced the 139 miles from Paris to Nantes and back. The winner was M Chevalier on a Michelin-Dion averaging 22.61 mph.

The Metzger Motor Car Company was organised in Detroit, Michigan, US by William E Metzger and Barney Everitt to manufacture Everitt cars.

The Packard Sixteenth Series Sixes, Eights, and Super Eights are introduced.

Adrian Squire, designer of the 1934-1936 Squire sports car, was killed in Bristol, England during a German air raid.

Continental was designated as a marque separate from Lincoln by the Ford Motor Company.

Packard ended its World War II military production program with the completion of the 55,523rd and last Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

Buick registers its stylised stencil "BUICK" logo as a trademark.

Bill Schindler (43) American autoracer, died. He began racing in 1931 in a sprint car and was racing midget cars on the East Coast of the United States at their introduction in 1934. Schindler lost his left leg from above the knee while racing in a Champ car race in 1936 at Mineola, L. Continue Reading →

Bill Schindler

John Fitch drove a Jaguar XK120C to victory in the Seneca Cup race at Watkins Glen, New York, US.

Dick Rathman landed his 10th victory in NASCAR’s top series, outrunning Herb Thomas to win at Langhorne (Pennsylvania, US) Speedway. Rathman finished one lap ahead of Thomas on the circular mile dirt track in suburban Philadelphia, leading a 1-2 sweep by Hudson Hornets. Speedy Thompson took third, two laps back in an Oldsmobile.

Dick Rathman

Mickey Thompson took another shot at the world land-speed record. A few weeks earlier, Thompson had become the first American to travel faster than 400 mph on land when he'd piloted his Challenger I (a car that he designed and built himself) across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats at 406.6 mph. Continue Reading →

Challenger I - Mickey Thompson

The MGB was launched. In structure the MGB was an innovative, modern design in 1962, utilizing a monocoque structure instead of the traditional body-on-frame construction used on both the MGA and MG T-types and the MGB's rival, the Triumph TR series. Wind-up windows were standard, and a comfortable driver's compartment offered plenty of legroom. Continue Reading →

Ford launched the Cortina Mk1. The chief designer was Roy Brown Jr., the designer of the Edsel, who had been banished to Dagenham following the failure of that car. Continue Reading →

The 1964 Plymouths were introduced.

Tyrrell made its F1 debut at Mont Tremblant, Canada.

After being fired from the Ford presidency, Lee Iacocca was elected chairman of the failing Chrysler Corporation. Despite dire predictions, Iacocca succeeded in rebuilding Chrysler through layoffs, cutbacks, hard-selling advertising and a government loan guarantee. Famous for his strong work ethic and no-nonsense style, Iacocca reduced his salary during Chrysler’s crisis years to $1 per year to set an example for the rest of the company. Continue Reading →

Lee Iacocca

Twelve people were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked the US embassy complex in Beirut, Lebanon. A member of the extremist group, the Islamic Jihad - the bomber drove at high speed up the main drive of the consulate in a truck containing 500 kg (1,102 lb) of high explosive. The bomber was able to get so far into the compound by using a vehicle similar to others in the US embassy fleet, fitted with diplomatic plates. Continue Reading →

The embassy had only been open for six weeks

Raymond W Stanley, son of steam car pioneer Francis E Stanley, died in York Harbor, Maine, US having spent his later years preserving and promoting the legacy of the Stanley Steamer.

Alain Prost recorded his 28th career win - beating the record of 27 held by Jackie Stewart since 1973 - at an event-filled Portuguese Grand Prix, his relentless harrying of long-time leader Gerhard Berger paying off two laps from the end when Berger spun his Ferrari. "I wasn't altogether surprised when he spun because we were both running very hard," Prost said. The race had to be restarted after the first attempt finished after two laps following a multi-car pile-up at the first corner. Continue Reading →

Alain Prost - 1987

Richie Ginther (59), racecar driver from the United States, died. During a varied career, the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix saw Ginther take Honda’s first Grand Prix victory, a victory which would also prove to be Ginther's only win in Formula One. In total he participated in 54 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, and numerous non-Championship Formula One races.

Richie Ginther

Ricky Rudd held off Bill Elliott to win the Peak AntiFreeze 500 at Dover Downs International Speed­way, Delaware (US). Alan Kulwicki is eliminated in an early crash, leaving him 278 points behind in the title chase. Kulwicki says, "This probably finishes us off in the championship deal."

Just 11 months after the prototype 170-mph Invicta S1 sportscar made its world debut at the British Motor Show in Birmingham, the Invicta Car Company proudly handed over its very first customer car. The £106,000 Invicta S1, with ‘the world’s first one-piece carbon-fibre body to increase vehicle rigidity and minimise weight’, was powered by a 4.6-litre, 32-valve Ford Mustang V8 engine which produced more than 320 bhp.

Invicta S1

The Manchester United striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy was fined £60 by Trafford magistrates for speeding late at night in March 2005. He had been clocked driving at 39mph in a 30mph zone just after 11pm on September 20 last year. Magistrates imposed the fine and endorsed his driving licence with three penalty points.

Fiat of Italy struck a deal with Zastava of Kragujevac, Serbia, to make up to 16,000 cars a year.

TVR abandoned plans to move to a new production facility in Lancashire.

The current record holder of the British Land Speed record is Vampire, driven by Collin Fallows, who hit a speed of 300.3 mph on July 5, 2000. Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond drove the same car faster on this day at the former RAF Elvington airfield near York. Continue Reading →

Automobili Lamborghini presented the new Lamborghini Reventón, whose exterior styling was inspired by "the fastest airplanes". Its top speed was recorded in Dubai, UAE at 221 miles per hour (355.7 km/h). With just 20 produced, each costing 1 Million Euro (without taxes), the Lamborghini Reventón was a symbol of extreme exclusivity.

Lamborghini Reventón

GM and the UAW unveiled a modest 4-year pay agreement. The deal included a $5,000 lump sum payment to production line workers and $4,000 more over the next 4 years plus a slightly higher share of profits. It also allowed the hiring of new “tier-two” employees.

The UK's first commercial hydrogen filling station opened in Swindon, Wiltshire, Capable of filling fuel cell and other hydrogen fuelled vehicles with gaseous hydrogen at 5,000psi and 10,000psi pressures, the single-pump facility is located within the Honda site, but is open to members of the public who have undergone a BOC safety training course – it even gives Nectar points with hydrogen fuel purchases.