This Day in Automotive History

[Landrover]

January 6, 1917
At the New York Automobile Show, Studebaker unveiled a Studebaker touring sedan that had been almost entirely gold-plated. The gold car became legendary.

January 6, 1973
A Mercedes-Benz 770K sedan, supposedly Adolf Hitler's parade car, was sold at auction for $153,000.00, the most money ever paid for a car at auction at that time.

January 6, 1980
Jimmy Carter signed a bill authorizing $1.2 billion in federal loans to save the failing Chrysler Corporation. It was the largest federal bailout in history until recently. The "Big Three" American car makers (Ford, GM, and Chrysler) had suffered through the 1970s, as Japanese competitors led by Honda and Toyota outperformed them in quality and price. Chrysler, which lacked the vast cash reserves of GM and Ford, was brought to the brink of bankruptcy by 1980. The federal bailout, which required Chrysler to find billions in private financing in order to receive the federal money, brought Chrysler back from the brink. Lee Iacocca, the charismatic executive largely responsible for Ford's successful Mustang, joined Chrysler in late 1979, and engineered the company's return to profitability during the 1980s. A similar scenario occured recently due to recent economic crisis.

Hitler's Mercedes

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[HoLySaTaN]

adding to the info on landrover's post on Jan 3rd,

Pontiac shut shop on November 2010 after almost 110 years of existence.

the famous GTO will be missed from here on

 

[Landrover]

January 7, 1985
GM launched the Saturn Corporation as a wholly owned but independent subsidiary. The Saturn, a sporty and affordable plastic-bodied two-door, has since met with considerable success. A new mid-sized Saturn sedan and a station wagon was released in 1999.

January 7, 1989
The Dodge Viper was introduced at the North American International Automobile Show. The Viper, a modernized tribute to the classic Shelby Cobra, won such rave reviews that the company delivered a production version in 1992, just three years later.


Saturn SL, the first Saturn

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 8, 1916
Rembrandt Bugatti, brother of race-car maker Ettore Bugatti, committed suicide on this day. The Bugatti brothers were a talented crew: Carlo Bugatti was a noted furniture designer. Ettore, a self-taught engineer, produced some of the world's most striking early race cars. Rembrandt Bugatti was a sculptor noted for his depictions of wild animals.

January 8, 1927
The Little Marmon, later known as the Marmon Eight, was introduced in New York City.

January 8, 1942
On December 8, 1942, the architect and engineer Albert Kahn--known as "the man who built Detroit"--dies at his home there. He was 73 years old. Kahn and his assistants built more than 2,000 buildings in all, mostly for Ford and General Motors. According to his obituary in The New York Times, Kahn "revolutionized the concept of what a great factory should be: his designs made possible the marvels of modern mass production, and his buildings changed the faces of a thousand cities and towns from Detroit to Novosibirsk."
Albert Kahn was born in Germany in 1869. When he was 11, his family moved to the United States and settled in Detroit, where the teenager took a job as an architect's apprentice. In 1902, after working at a number of well-known architectural firms in Detroit, Kahn started his own practice.
While building factories for Packard, the young architect found that swapping reinforced concrete for wood or masonry sped up the construction of manufacturing plants considerably. It also made them sturdier and less combustible. Moreover, reinforced-concrete buildings needed fewer load-bearing walls; this, in turn, freed up floor space for massive industrial equipment. Kahn's first concrete factory, Packard Shop No. 10, still stands today on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit.
"Architecture," Kahn liked to say, "is 90 percent business and 10 percent art." His buildings reflected this philosophy: they were sleek, flexible, and above all functional. Besides all that utilitarian concrete, they incorporated huge metal-framed windows and garage doors and acres of uninterrupted floor space for conveyor belts and other machines. Kahn's first Ford factory, the 1909 Highland Park plant, used elevators and dumbwaiters to spread the Model T assembly line over several floors, but most of his subsequent factories were huge single-story spaces: Ford's River Rouge plant (1916), the massive Goodyear Airdock in Akron (1929), the Glenn Martin aeronautics factory in Maryland (built in 1937 around an assembly floor the size of a football field) and, perhaps most famous of all, the half-mile–long Willow Run "Arsenal of Democracy," the home of Ford's B-29 bomber in Ypsilanti.
Though Kahn designed a number of non-factory buildings, including the Ford and GM office towers in downtown Detroit, he is best known for building factories that reflected the needs of the industrial age. We still celebrate his innovations today.

Rembrandt Bugatti, with one of his creation.


The grill of the Bugatti Royale boasted a bronze sculpture designed by Rembrandt


1929 Marmon Series 8

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 9, 1911
In 1895, George Selden was awarded the first American patent for an internal-combustion automobile, although Selden hadn't yet produced a working model. Other inventors, such as Ransom Olds and the Duryea brothers, were already driving their home-built automobiles through the streets. Beginning in 1903, however, the Selden patent began to make itself felt. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (A.L.A.M.) was organized to gather royalties on the Selden patent from all auto makers. Soon, every major automobile manufacturer was paying royalties to the A.L.A.M. and George Selden, except for one major standout, a young inventor named Henry Ford. Ford refused to pay royalties. The A.L.A.M launched a series of lawsuits against Ford. On this day in 1911, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Ford Motor Company was not infringing on the Selden patent. It was the beginning of the end for the A.L.A.M. and Selden's royalties.

January 9, 1958
The Toyota and Datsun (later Nissan) brand names made their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California. Previously, these auto makers had sold in the U.S. only under American-brand names, as part of joint ventures with Ford and GM.

January 9, 1967
Construction of the Volga Automobile Works began in Togliatti in the Soviet Union. By April of 1970, Zhiguli automobiles (later known as "Lada" autos) were rolling off the assembly lines. In association with Fiat, the Volga works became (and remains) the largest producer of small European automobiles.

GAZ 21 Volga, one of very first model by Volga.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 10, 1901
In the town of Beaumont, Texas, a 100-foot drilling derrick named Spindletop produced a roaring gusher of black crude oil. The oil strike took place at 10:30 a.m. on this day in 1901, coating the landscape for hundreds of feet around in sticky oil. The first major oil discovery in the United States, the Spindletop gusher marked the beginning of the American oil industry. Soon the prices of petroleum-based fuels fell, and gasoline became an increasingly practical power source. Without Spindletop, internal combustion might never have replaced steam and battery power as the automobile power plant of choice, and the American automobile industry might not have changed the face of America with such staggering speed.

January 10, 1942
The Ford Motor Company signed on to make Jeeps, the new general-purpose military vehicles desperately needed by American forces in World War II. The original Jeep design was submitted by the American Bantam Car Company. The Willys-Overland company won the Jeep contract, however, using a design similar to Bantam's, but with certain improvements. The Jeep was in high demand during wartime, and Ford soon stepped in to lend its huge production capacity to the effort. By the end of the war, the Jeep had won a place in the hearts of Americans, and soon became a popular civilian vehicle. And that catchy name? Some say it comes from the initials G.P., for "General Purpose." Others say it was named for Jeep the moondog, the spunky and durable creature who accompanied Popeye through the comics pages.

January 10, 1979
The last convertible Volkswagen Beetle was produced on this day. The VW "Bug" was a popular car throughout the 1970s, leading to innovations such as sun roofs and convertible tops, in an otherwise unchanging design.

January 10, 1996
As of this date, Albert Klein of Pasadena, California, held the world's record for automobile mileage: his 1963 VW Beetle had accumulated 1,592,503 miles, and was still running.

1942 Ford GPW

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 11, 1913
The world's first closed production car was introduced: Hudson Motor Car Company's Model 54 sedan. Earlier automobiles had open cabs, or at most convertible roofs.

January 11, 1937
Twelve days into a general sit-down strike at the General Motors (GM) factory in Flint, Michigan, General Motors security forces and the Flint Police Department moved in to evict the strikers. A pitched battle broke out at Fisher body plant #2, as strikers held off police and GM security with fire hoses and jury-rigged slingshots, and the police responded with bullets and tear gas. The many picketers outside the plant assisted the strikers however they could, breaking windows to ventilate the factory when police filled it with tear gas, and creating barricades with their own vehicles to prevent police from driving past the plant's open doors. Finally, Governor Frank Murphy ordered the National Guard in to stem the violence. The sit-down strike lasted 44 days, and ended in GM's surrender to the demands of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW). GM was the first of the "Big Three" auto makers to make a deal with the UAW. The era of repressive labor practices in the auto industry was ending.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 12, 1900
The Detroit Automobile Company finished its first commercial vehicle, a delivery wagon. The wagon was designed by a young engineer named Henry Ford, who had produced his own first motorcar, the quadricycle, before joining the company. Ford soon quit the Detroit Automobile Company, frustrated with his employers, to start his own company.

January 12, 1904
Racing driver Barney Oldfield set a new speed record in a stripped-down Ford automobile. Driving across the frozen surface of Lake St. Clair, he reached a top speed of 91.37mph. Not bad, considering that the automobile was only invented a few years earlier. Oldenfield chose the frozen lake because it was wide and flat, and there was nothing to crash into. Luckily, the ice didn't break.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 13, 1906
The first automobile show of the American Motor Car Manufacturers Association (AMCMA) opened in New York City at the 69th Regiment Armory.

January 13, 1942
On this day in 1942, Henry Ford patented a plastic-bodied automobile. The car was 30 percent lighter than ordinary cars. Plastic, a relatively new material in 1942, was revolutionizing industry after industry in the United States. Today most car bodies are still made of metal, but plastic parts are becoming more and more common.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 14, 1920
John Dodge, who with his brother Horace co-founded the Dodge Brothers Company, which was once America's third-largest automaker and later became part of Chrysler, dies at the age of 55.
John Francis Dodge was born on October 25, 1864, while his brother Horace Elgin Dodge arrived four years later, on May 17, 1868. The brothers grew up in Michigan and began their careers as machinists. In 1897, they co-founded a bicycle company; however, by 1900, they had sold the business and opened a machine shop in Detroit to make parts for the fledgling auto industry. In 1901, Ransom Olds hired the Dodges to produce engines for his new curved-dash Oldsmobile vehicles. Next, Henry Ford contracted with the brothers to build engines, transmissions and axles. Ford was unable to pay the Dodges fully in cash, so he gave them stock in his company. (In 1919, the brothers sold their Ford Motor Company stock back to Henry Ford for $25 million.)
After supplying parts to Ford for a decade, the Dodge brothers decided to start their own company. Dodge Brothers Motor Company was founded in 1913 and debuted its first automobile, a four-cylinder touring car, in 1914. The company sold almost 250 of these vehicles during its first year and 45,000 the next year, according to Chrysler.com. Three years later, Dodge added trucks to its repertoire. During World War I, the company supplied vehicles and parts to the U.S. military.
In January 1920, while in New York City to attend an auto expo, the brothers both became sick with the flu and pneumonia. John Dodge died that month, while Horace passed away later that same year, on December 10. In 1925, the brothers' widows sold the Dodge Brothers Company to an investment bank for $146 million. In 1928, Walter Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Corporation, purchased the Dodge company for $170 million. The purchase made Chrysler the world's third-largest automaker overnight.

January 14, 1954
The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator, an automaker formed in turn by the merger of the Nash automobile firm and the Kelvinator kitchen-appliance company. The new concern was called the American Motors Corporation

John and Horace Dodge

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 15, 1909
A motorized hearse was used for the first time in a Chicago funeral procession by funeral director H.D. Ludlow. It was a sharp break with tradition: stately horse-drawn hearses had been in use for centuries.

January 15, 1927
The Dumbarton Bridge opened on this day, carrying the first automotive traffic across the San Francisco Bay.

January 15, 1936
Edsel Ford established the Ford Foundation, a philanthropic organization, on this day. The foundation was set up partly to allow the Ford family to retain control of the Ford Motor Company after Henry Ford's death, avoiding new inheritance laws. But its charitable works were very real. At its height, the Ford Foundation had assets of $4 billion. The foundation works to promote population control and to prevent famine; to promote the arts and educational media; and to work for peace and the protection of the environment.

January 15, 1942
The first "blackout" Cadillacs were completed. Due to restrictions on materials necessary to the war effort, these cars had painted trim rather than chrome. They also lacked spare tires and other luxuries.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 16, 1913
The first closed car for four passengers was introduced by Frank Duryea at the Stanley Motor Show. All earlier cars had open cabs, or convertible tops. Frank Duryea and his brother, Charles, built the first American-made automobile in 1893. Duryea was one of the best-known names in automobile manufacturing into the early 1900s.

January 16, 1953
The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced as a show car at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The car became an American classic almost instantly. Its sporty fiberglass body didn't look like anything else on the road. Although some car buffs criticized the sportscar for being underpowered, that didn't stop Corvettes from speeding off the showroom floors.

Chevy Corvette unveiling at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 17, 1899
Camille Jenatzy captured the land speed record in an electric car of his own design: 41.425mph at Acheres Park, France. On the same day, however, previous record holder Gaston Chasseloup-Laubat raised the record again, posting a speed of 43.690mph in an electric Jeantaud automobile. The feud wasn't over yet. Jenatzy took the record again 10 days later, on January 27. Chasseloup-Laubat took it back on March 4, and Jenatzy reclaimed the record on April 29, the last time an electric car held the speed record. Until 1963, all other land-speed records were set by steam or internal-combustion power. In 1963, Craig Breedlove took the land-speed record in a jet-powered car, and all record-holding cars since then have been propelled by jet or rocket engines.

January 17, 1949
The first Volkswagen Beetle in the U.S. arrived from Germany. The little Volkswagen was a sturdy vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the request of Adolf Hitler. The car was meant to be a durable workhorse car for the common German man. After the defeat of the Nazi government in Germany, the VW Beetle remained a popular car, and its reputation for affordable reliability made it a profitable export.

January 17, 1964
The first Porsche Carrera GTS, a lasting favorite in the world of luxury sports cars, was delivered to a Los Angeles customer.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

-----------Next Post-----------
January 18, 1919
Bentley Motors was established in London, England. A manufacturer of sports cars and luxury automobiles, Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce in November, 1931. From that point forward, the Bentley line acquired more and more features of the Rolls-Royce, until the two makes became nearly indistinguishable.

January 18, 1952
The Willys-Overland Company, the primary contractor that built the Jeep for the U.S. military during World War II, reentered the commercial automobile market on this day. It offered the Willys Aero, a sporty two-seater.

Bentley's winged "B" badge and hood ornament.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 19, 1954
General Motors announced a $1 billion plan to expand its automobile operation. GM, like other major auto makers, had deep pockets due to the postwar boom in car sales, though sales were slackening in 1953.

January 19, 1955
The Cadillac Park Avenue show car was displayed at the New York Motorama in Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Park Avenue served as the prototype for the lavish Eldorado Brougham, a costly car boasting every conceivable extra.

January 19, 2007
On this day in 2007, Beijing, China, the capital city of the planet's most populous nation, gets its first drive-through McDonald's restaurant. The opening ceremony for the new two-story fast-food eatery, located next to a gas station, included traditional Chinese lion dancers and a Chinese Ronald McDonald. According to a report from The Associated Press at the time of the Beijing drive-through's debut: "China's double-digit economic growth has created a burgeoning market for cars, fast food and other consumer goods. The country overtook Japan last year to become the world's second-biggest vehicle market after the U.S., with 7.2 million cars sold, a 37 percent growth."
Fast-food chains from foreign countries first came to China in 1987, with the opening of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The home of the Big Mac and Happy Meal arrived in China three years later. In 2005, McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, launched its first drive-through restaurant in China, in the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, near Hong Kong. The Beijing drive-through was McDonald's 16th Chinese drive-through. In September 2008, Chinadaily.com reported that other than America, "China is the No. 1 growth market for McDonald's, with 960 restaurants and over 60,000 employees."
McDonald's opened its first drive-through in the U.S. in 1975. Before there were drive-throughs there were drive-in restaurants, where customers would place their orders at curbside speakers. Servers known as carhops, who often wore rollerskates, then would bring food orders directly to customers' cars. Standard drive-in fare included hamburgers, hotdogs, root beer and milkshakes. Drive-ins reached the height of their popularity in the 1950s. Today, America's largest chain of drive-in restaurants is Sonic, which started as a hamburger and root beer stand known as Top Hat Drive-In in 1953 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It changed its named to Sonic in 1959 and today has more than 3,500 drive-ins.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

January 20, 1946
The first Kaiser-Frazer automobiles were introduced at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was formed after World War II by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Frazer, president of the Graham-Paige Motor Company. They produced several successful cars, most notably the 1951 Kaiser two-door. In 1953, however, the company was renamed the Kaiser Motors Corporation, and soon abandoned the passenger car business in favor of manufacturing commercial and military vehicles.

January 20, 1971
The Jaguar XJ13 prototype was displayed in Lindley, England, by British Leyland, the automotive conglomerate that included Jaguar at that time. The XJ13 was destined to become the next luxury Jaguar, but bad luck changed its destiny: the prototype car was wrecked on its first test run by test-driver Norman Dewis, ending the XJ13 development program. The ruined car was kept and later restored by the company.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​