This Day in Automotive History

[Landrover]

16th March

March 16, 1961
Jaguar Cars Ltd. introduced the XK-E, or E-Type, at the Geneva Auto Show. The E-Type was the successor to the C- and D-Type Jaguar that had earned the company's reputation for racing excellence. The D-Type, with a top speed of 170mph, captured first place at the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1955, 1956, and 1957. In 1956, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Sir William Lyons, Jaguar's founder, to recognize his achievement in bringing Jaguar to the heights of the international sports-car world. In 1957 a massive fire at the Jaguar factory halted the further development of Jaguar race cars. The disaster left many wondering whether Jaguar Motors had not already seen its best days in the successful 1950s. The release of the E-Type in 1961 signaled an impressive return by the British racing giant. The E-Type did everything the D-Type had done and more. With a top speed of 150mph and a 0 to 60 time of 6.5 seconds, the E-Type engine growled loudly. What's more, the E-Type averaged an unheard of 17 miles per gallon. By the mid 1960s, the E-Type had become the most famous sports car in the world; today the E-Type is cherished as a car of beautiful lines and precision engineering.

March 16, 2001
Robert "Bob" Wollek, nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", a race car driver from Strasbourg, France was killed in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle to prepare for the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was struck from behind by a van driven by an elderly driver from Okeechobee, Florida at approximately 4:30 p.m. He was 57, prior to his death, he announced he would retire from racing to serve as an ambassador for Porsche, and was due to sign this agreement upon returning home after Sebring. On race day, the organizers held a one minute silence in memory of Wollek. Wollek was due to start in the Porsche 996 GT3-RS with Johnny Mowlem and Michael Petersen, however out of respect the car was withdrawn from the race.


March 16, 2003
On this day race car driver Ricky Craven wins the Darlington 500, crossing the finish line .002 seconds ahead of Kurt Busch for the closest recorded finish in NASCAR history. In May 2009, more than 5,000 racing fans voted Craven’s victory the most memorable moment in the history of South Carolina’s challenging Darlington Raceway, nicknamed “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”

Jaguar XK-E, or simply E-Type


Robert "Bob" Wollek, a.k.a. "Brilliant Bob"

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

17th March

March 17, 1834
Gottlieb Daimler, who in 1890 founded an engine and car company bearing his name, is born in Schorndorf, Germany, on this day.

March 17, 1929
General Motors acquired 80% of German auto manufacturer Adam Opel AG for just under $26 million.

March 17, 1930
John North Willys of the Willys-Overland Corporation became the first U. S. ambassador to Poland. Willys had rescued the ailing Overland firm from its woeful production of 465 cars in 1908. By 1916, Willys-Overland produced over 140,000 cars per year. Willys subsequently left the day-to-day operations of the company, moving his personal offices to New York in order to pursue work related to World War I. During his absence, mismanagement nearly buried the company he had worked so hard to build up. Massive strikes, bloated inventories, and other troubles had cost Willys-Overland dearly. By 1920, the company was $46 million in debt. The briefly retired Walter Chrysler was called on to rework the company's daily operations, and in no time at all, he had cut the debt by nearly two-thirds to $18 million. Chrysler claimed, however, that without the release of a new model of automobile, the debt would decrease no further. Willys, who remained president of Willys-Overland, disagreed. He maintained that through the improvement of the existing models, the company could regain its original profit margins. Chrysler left. Continuing to pursue his political interests, Willys became the U.S. ambassador to Poland on this day in 1930. Eight years later Poland would be absorbed into the Third Reich. Three years after that, in 1941, Willys-Overland began mass production of the Willys Jeep, the "General Purpose" vehicle of the U.S. Army. In 1944, Willys' political and manufacturing legacies merged symbolically as Willys Jeeps carried U.S. troops across liberated Poland.

March 17, 1949
The first car to carry the Porsche family name was introduced at the 19th International Automobile Show in Geneva, Switzerland. After serving a two-year prison sentence for his participation as an engineer in Hitler's regime, Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferry went to work on a car that would carry the Porsche name. The Porsche prototype, named the 356, was a sports-car version of the Volkswagen that Porsche had designed at Hitler's request. Its rounded lines, rear engine, and open two-seater design set the standard for all Porsches to come. The classic design and the incomparable engineering of Porsche cars attracted loyal customers at a record pace. In 1950, Ferdinand Porsche celebrated his 75th birthday. He had risen to fame as an engineer for Mercedes; he had developed the Volkswagen; and he had finally put his name to his own automobile. One year later, Porsche suffered a stroke from which he would never recover. He died in January of 1952. Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand's son, built the Porsche Company into the empire it is today.

Gottlieb Daimler


John North Willys with the 100,000th Whippet


Dr. Ferdinand Porsche


Porsche 356 prototype (Porsche No.1)

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

18th March

March 18, 1933
On this day, American automaker Studebaker, then heavily in debt, goes into receivership. The company’s president, Albert Erskine, resigned and later that year committed suicide. Studebaker eventually rebounded from its financial troubles, only to close its doors for the final time in 1966.
Studebaker downfall lay in Albert Erskine failure to cut production and costs quickly in response to the slump of 1929 and 1930, which led to an insurmountable cash flow crisis. In 1930, Erskine had declared a dividend of $7,800,000 which was five times the actual net profits of that year. In 1931, he paid a dividend of $3,500,000—also out of capital—a ruinous procedure which he unsuccessfully sought to correct through a merger with White Motor Company. Working capital had fallen from $26 million in 1926 to $3.5 million in 1932 and the banks were owed $6 million, for which they demanded payment. Studebaker defaulted and went into receivership.


March 18, 1937
Mark Neary Donohue, Jr., nicknamed "Captain Nice", was born in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
He is the race car driver known for his ability to set up his own race car and drive it consistently on the absolute limit. Donohue is probably best-known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30, and as winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Donohue's racing car pedigree is a veritable laundry list of great racing cars from the 1960s and 1970s. Cars that Donohue raced include: Elva Courier, Ferrari 250LM, Shelby Mustang GT350R, Lotus 20, Shelby Cobra, Ford GT-40 MK IV, Ferrari 512, Lola T70, Porsche 911, Chevrolet Camaro, AMC Javelin, AMC Matador, Porsche 917/10, Porsche 917/30, Eagle-Offy, McLaren M16, and Lola T330.


March 18, 1938
Legendary Timo Mäkinen was born in Helsinki, Finland. He was one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is most famous for his hat-trick of wins in the RAC Rally, at the wheel of a Ford Escort, preceded only by Erik Carlsson (Saab 96) in that feat.

March 18, 1947
William C. Durant, the founder of General Motors, died in New York City at the age of 85. Economic historian Dana Thomas described Durant as a man "drunk with the gamble of America. He was obsessed with its highest article of faith--that the man who played for the steepest stakes deserved the biggest winnings." General Motors reflected Durant's ambitious attitude toward risk-taking in its breathtaking expansionist policies, becoming in its founder's words "an empire of cars for every purse and purpose." But Durant's gambling attitude had its downside. Over a span of three years, Durant purchased Oldsmobile, Oakland (later Cadillac and Pontiac), and attempted to purchase Ford. By 1910, GM was out of cash, and Durant lost his controlling interest in the company. Durant would get back into the game by starting Chevrolet, and he would eventually regain control of GM--only to lose it a second time. Later in life, Durant attempted to start a bowling center and a supermarket; however, these ventures met with little success.

March 18, 1958
Plastone Company Inc. registered "Turtle Wax 'Hard Shell Finish' Auto Polish" trademark first used January 11, 1955 (automobile polish).

18 March 1964
Alessandro "Alex" Caffi, an Italian F1 driver was born in Rovato (province of Brescia), in Northern Italy.

March 18, 1977
José Carlos Pace, Brazilian F1 driver was killed in a light aircraft accident in 1977, this occurred days after the 1977 South African Grand Prix, in which Tom Pryce was killed after running over Jansen Van Vuuren. The track which currently hosts the Brazilian Grand Prix annually now, as a tribute to him, bears his name, Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

18 March 2003
Karl Kling, a German F1 driver died on this day in Gaienhofen on Lake Constance, Germany due to natural causes He was 93.
Interesting thing about Kling is that, It is said, that he was born too late and too early. Too late to be in the successful Mercedes team of the '30s and too early to have a real chance in 1954 and 1955. Unusually, Kling found his way into motorsport via his first job as a reception clerk at Daimler-Benz in the mid-1930s, competing in hillclimb and trials events in production machinery in his spare time. During the Second World War he gained mechanical experience servicing Luftwaffe aircraft, and after the cessation of hostilities he resumed his motorsport involvement in a BMW 328.

Albert Erskine, under whose leadership Studebaker went from making beautiful cars to complete bust.


Mark Neary Donohue Jr., a.k.a "Captain Nice"


The Can Am Killer, Porsche 917-30


Timo Makinen and Paul Easter in the famous AJB 44B mini after winning the Monte Carlo Rally.


A scene from Ouninpohja in 1967, when Timo Mäkinen drove his Mini-Cooper to a third successive Rally of a Thousand Lakes victory, despite having to drive the final 12 kilometres of the frightening Ouninpohja special stage with a distinct visual handicap with bonnet wide open.


William C. Durant, in his office


The Famous Turtle Wax, it is to car polish like xerox is to 'photo copying.'


Alessandro "Alex" Caffi


José Carlos Pace


Bust of Pace at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace


Karl Kling, with his Mercedes Benz

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
www.hs.fi​

 

[RSM]

The Famous Turtle Wax, it is to car polish like xerox is to 'photo copying.'

I use this now a days.

 

[Landrover]

19th March

March 19, 1952
On this day in 1952, the 1,000,000th Jeep was produced. In 1939, the American Bantam Car Company submitted its original design for an all-terrain troop transport vehicle--featuring four-wheel drive, masked fender-mount headlights, and a rifle rack under the dash to the U.S. Armed Forces. The Army loved Bantam's design, but the development contract for the vehicle was ultimately awarded to the Willys-Overland Company for its superior production capabilities. Bantam wound up fulfilling a government contract for 3,000 vehicles during the war; but the Jeep, as designed by Willys-Overland, would become the primary troop transport of the U.S. Army. Mass production of the Willys Jeep began after the U.S. declaration of war in 1941. The name "Jeep" is reportedly derived from the Army's request that car manufacturers develop a "General Purpose" vehicle. "Gee Pee" turned to "Jeep" somewhere along the battle lines. Another story maintains that the name came from a character in the Popeye cartoon who, like the vehicle, was capable of incredible feats. The Willys Jeep became a cultural icon in the U.S. during World War II, as images of G.I.'s in "Gee Pees," liberating Europe, saturated newsreels in movie theaters across the country. Unlike the Hummer of recent years, the Jeep was not a symbol of technological superiority but rather of the courage of the American spirit--a symbol cartoonist Bill Mauldin captured when he drew a weeping soldier firing a bullet into his broken down Willys Jeep. By 1945, 660,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines and onto battlefields in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Many remained abroad after the war, where their parts were integrated into other vehicles or their broken bodies were mended with colorful impromptu repairs. Wherever the Jeep roamed, it lived up to its design as a vehicle for general use. During the war, Jeep hoods were used as altars for field burials. Jeeps were also used as ambulances, tractors, and scout cars. After the war, surplus Jeeps found their way into civilian life as snowplows, field plows, and mail carriers. Willys-Overland released its first civilian Jeep model, called the CJ (Civilian Jeep) in 1945.

March 19, 2005
John Zachary DeLorean, an American engineer and and founder of the DeLorean Motor Company died on this day at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey from a stroke, aged 80.
At the time of his death, DeLorean was working on a business venture project known as DeLorean Time, a company that would sell high-end wristwatches. DeLorean's death caused the dissolution of the company, and no DeLorean Time products were ever offered to the public. His ashes are buried at the White Chapel Cemetery, in Troy, Michigan. At the request of his family, and in keeping with military tradition, he was interred with military honors for his service in WWII.

John DeLorean and the prototype of the DMC-12

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

20th March

March 20, 1920
Bugatti delivered its first 16-valve car to a customer in Basel, Switzerland. Bugatti, a French luxury car company, was famous for its exquisite, powerful vehicles. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Bugatti car was a symbol of wealth and status, and its cars were equipped with massive racing engines. A bizarre footnote in Bugatti history, the renowned American dancer Isadora Duncan was driving in a 16-valve Bugatti when her trademark long scarf caught in the rear wheel of the vehicle, and she was instantly strangled to death.

March 20, 1928
James Ward Packard, founder of the Ohio Automobile Company and the Packard Motor Car Company, died in Cleveland, Ohio, on this day, at the age of 64. A native of Warren, Ohio, James Packard and his brother, William, started their industrial careers manufacturing electric lamps. They entered the automobile business after James Packard purchased a Winton Motor Carriage. He was so dissatisfied with Winton's machine that he decided to build his own. Using the shops of a Packard Electric Company subsidiary, J.W. Packard completed his first automobile in 1899, driving through the streets of his hometown of Warren. Wishing to keep their automotive and electrical interests separate, the Packard brothers, along with fellow engineer George Weiss, started the Ohio Automobile Company in September 1900. That year the Packards boosted their company's profile by selling two cars to William D. Rockefeller. In 1901, an Ohio Automobile Company employee was arrested for speeding through the streets of Warren at 40mph. The nationally publicized speeding arrest also raised the company's profile. A shrewd promoter, Packard developed one of the car industry's first widely recognized slogans. Responding to a customer's inquiry about the performance of his car, Packard said, "Ask the man who owns one." Packard's deft promotion left the company with more customers than cars. A Detroit financier named Henry Joy volunteered his services to raise capital in order to raise the company's production capabilities. In 1902, the reorganized Ohio Automobile Company was incorporated as the Packard Motor Car Company. Packard cars would be the first to carry a steering wheel in the place of a tiller and the first to utilize the H-gear-shift configuration.

Bugatti 16 valve engine


James Ward Packard

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​

 

[Landrover]

21st March

21 March 1913
George Edgar Abecassis, an English racing driver, and co-founder of the HWM Formula One team was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
George Abecassis began racing in 1935 in a modified Austin Seven. However, he made a name for himself in English club racing during the 1938 and 1939 seasons with Alta and ERA machinery. In 1939 he won the Imperial Trophy Formula Libre race at Crystal Palace, his only major victory, driving his Alta, defeating Prince Bira, in the E.R.A. known as Romulus, in a wet race, "that being the only time it was beaten by a 1,500 c.c. car in the British Isles."
At one point Abecassis held the Campbell circuit lap record at Brooklands at 72.61 m.p.h. On July 3, 1938 Abecassis broke the Prescott Hill Climb record with a climb of 47.85 seconds in his supercharged 1½ litre Alta.
When World War II broke out he joined the Royal Air Force and became an experienced pilot, ultimately becoming a member of the secret "Moon Squadrons",ferrying secret agents in and out of France with Lysander aircraft. During the course of his wartime service Abecassis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

March 21, 1950
Preston Tucker filed suit against his former prosecutors. Tucker, made famous by the 1988 film Tucker starring Jeff Bridges in the title role, was one of the car industry's most spectacular postwar failures. Having built a reputation as an engineer during WWII, when he served as general manager of his company Ypsilanti Machine & Tool Company, Tucker looked to capitalize on the high demand that the postwar conditions offered. No new car model had been released since 1942, so the end of the war would bring four years worth of car buyers back to the market. Tucker intended to meet the new demand with a revolutionary automobile design. His 1945 plans called for an automobile that would be equipped with a rear-mounted engine as powerful as an aircraft engine, an hydraulic torque converter that would eliminate the necessity of a transmission, two revolving headlights at either side of the car's fender along with one stationary "cyclops" headlight in the middle, and a steering wheel placed in the center of the car and flanked by two passenger seats. In the end, only 51 Tuckers were produced, and none of them were equipped with the features Tucker had initially advertised. Still, loyal fans of Tucker claim that Tucker was the victim of industrial sabotage carried out by the Big Three. Tucker was indicted by the Securities and Exchange Commission before he could begin to mass-produce his automobiles. He was eventually acquitted of all charges. Emboldened by his acquittal, Tucker filed suit against his prosecutors. Historians who argue against the conspiracy theory maintain that post-war manufacturing conditions left small manufacturers little room for success. They suggest that, if anything, Tucker's acquittal was merciful. Tucker failed to meet the requirements for capital and production capability that his project demanded. After raising almost $15 million from stockholders, Tucker defaulted on federal deadlines for the production of car prototypes. When he finally did produce the cars, none of them were equipped with the technological breakthroughs he promised. Still, the Tucker was a remarkable car for its price tag. Whether as an innovator silenced by the complacent authorities or a charlatan better fit to build visions than cars, Preston Tucker made a personal impact in a post-war industry dominated by faceless goliaths.

March 21, 1960
Ayrton Senna da Silva was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Senna was first given a 1 cc car by his father when he was only four years old. He raced throughout his childhood and began to compete at the age of 13 in local Brazilian KART races. Senna rose from the anonymity of KART racing to become one of the greatest Formula-1 drivers in history. He was worshipped in Brazil to an extent nearly unimaginable in the U.S. Senna, known for his belligerent competitive spirit, won 41 Grand Prix events, and remains second all-time to Alain Prost in Formula-1 victories. He was a key player in the golden years of F-1 racing when he, Nigel Mansel, Alain Prost, and Nelson Piquet battled for the top position in car racing's most glamorous circuit. Senna died in a crash in 1994 during the Grand Prix of San Monaco. A manslaughter investigation still shrouds Senna's death in mystery. It is presumed that Senna's fatal crash may have been caused by a faulty steering column on his Williams-Renault automobile. However, the cause of Senna's death has become a point of contention among Brazilian racing fans who hold the Williams team responsible for the death of their national hero.

George Edgar Abecassis


The legendary Ayrton Senna da Silva, on the cover of one of his many Biographies, this one written by Christopher Hilton

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Christopher Hilton/Amazon.com​

 

[Landrover]

22nd March

March 22, 1926
The Ford Motor Company renamed its massive River Rouge facility the Fordson Plant. The name River Rouge, synonymous with Ford history, would continue to be used. River Rouge was established in response to the massive demand for the Model T. In the spring of 1915, Henry Ford began buying huge tracts of land along the Rouge River, southwest of Detroit. He later announced his plans to construct a massive industrial complex which would include its own steel mills. Ford proclaimed he would no longer be "at the mercy of his suppliers." Ford Lieutenant William Knudsen disagreed with his boss's notion that bigger was better. The pugnacious Ford responded to his advice with typical urbanity, saying, "No, William, no. I want the Ford business all behind one fence so I can see it." The outbreak of war in Europe brought with it a scarcity of steel that threatened to halt production of the Model T. Ford ordered Knudsen to buy up all the steel he could. Henry Ford, a proclaimed pacifist, objected to the idea of preparing for war. He likened a war-ready nation to a man carrying a gun: bound for trouble. Nevertheless, once war was declared, Ford stood behind President Wilson and River Rouge became an "arsenal of democracy." The largest industrial complex of its day, River Rouge looked like a small city. After the war, the factory remained a primary character in the Ford drama. By 1937, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler recognized the United Auto Workers (UAW) as a labor union. But, despite the fact that the federal government, with the New Deal, guaranteed a worker's right to belong to a union, Ford refused to negotiate with the UAW. Instead, he ordered his strongman, Harry Bennett, to keep the workers in check. On May 26, 1937, union leader Walter Reuther led a group of men through the River Rouge Plant to distribute literature to the workers. Upon leaving the plant, Reuther and his companions were attacked by Bennett and his men. The event, named the "Battle of the Overpass," received national attention. Ford's reputation as a labor negotiator, already bad, grew worse. Amazingly, though, Bennett's fear tactics postponed the inevitable triumph of labor leaders for almost four years, when a massive sit-down strike finally succeeded in shutting the River Rouge plant down. The Ford River Rouge plant is also well-known for a Ford family controversy over a series of murals by artist Diego Rivera, which were commissioned by Edsel Ford on behalf of the Detroit Art Institute. Henry Ford objected strongly to the communist aesthetic of the murals and ordered their production ceased. Edsel, in a rare moment of defiance, refused his father's demands and the murals remained on display at the River Rouge Plant. Today, just as Henry Ford desired, the Fordson Plant at River Rouge really is "the Ford business all behind one fence," where we can see it.

March 22, 1958
South Carolina police pulled over Alabama boat and car racer J. Wilson Morris for exceeding the speed limit, as Morris attempted to race across the state in record time. The police held the 19-year-old Morris in jail for two days, scaring him so badly that he finished his trip on the bus.

March 22, 1974
Peter Jeffrey Revson, a racecar driver from United States who had successes in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500 lost his life during a practice run for the 1974 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami. He was just 35 years old. He was killed as a result of suspension failure on his Shadow Ford DN3. He was the second Revson to lose his life racing; his brother Douglas was killed in a crash in Denmark in 1967.

March 22, 1983
On this day in , the Pentagon awards a production contract worth more than $1 billion to AM General Corporation to develop 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). Nicknamed the Humvee and designed to transport troops and cargo, the wide, rugged vehicles entered the spotlight when they were used by the American military during the 1989 invasion of Panama and the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s. Which in turn sparked the interest in Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went directly to AM General's Office and asked one for himself and do a similar version for Civilian use.

March 22, 2006
General Motors announced one of largest employee buyout plans in U.S. corporate history, agreed to finance buyouts, early-retirement packages offered to as many as 1,31,000 employees of GM, Delphi Corp., removed whole generation of workers hired in 1960's, 1970's from assembly line.

Interior of the Ford's River Rouge Plant, 1944


Peter Revson


Fatal crash of Peter Revson, South African Grand Prix, Kyalami, March 1974. Artist: David Phipps



United States Marine Corps HMMWV in difficult terrain in Afghanistan


Arnold Schwarzenegger's with one of his Humvee converted to run on vegetable Oil

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
www.sutton-images.com/Heritage-Images​

 

[ilango[speed thirst]]

Is vegetable oil that much cheap or much costlier.

I cant get what arnold is trying to say.


Nice work as usual

 

[Landrover]

these vehicle uses fuel heater and slightly modified injectors. It uses used vegetable oil from restaurants, you know that they through after frying say for instance french fries.

 

[Landrover]

23rd March

March 23, 1909
Wilhelm and Karl Maybach formed Luftfahrzeug-Motoren GmbH in Bissingen, Germany, to produce engines for the Zeppelin airships. The Maybach Motoren-Werke, a subsidiary of the aviation company, would produce the luxurious Maybach automobile between 1921 and 1941. Wilhelm Maybach designed the internal expanding brake in 1901. The internal brake operated by pressing shoes against the interior of the wheel or drive shaft. Maybach's design remained the model for most braking systems until the disc brake emerged as an alternative in the 1970s.

March 23, 1921
Donald Malcolm Campbell, a British car and motorboat racer was born in Horley, Surrey. He broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 60s. He remains the only person to set both land and water speed records in the same year (1964). His father Sir Malcolm Campbell is also the holder of 13 world speed records in the 1920s and 30s in the famous Bluebird cars and boats.

March 23, 1937
On this day in 1937, Craig Breedlove, the first person to reach land speeds of 400mph, 500 mph and 600 mph in a jet-powered vehicle, is born.
Breedlove was raised in Southern California, where as a teenager he built cars and was a drag racer. As a young man, he designed a three-wheeled, rocket-shaped vehicle powered by a surplus military J-47 plane engine and dubbed it the Spirit of America. On October 5, 1963, Breedlove became the fastest man on wheels when he recorded an average speed of more than 407 mph in the Spirit of America at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. Located approximately 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, the Bonneville Salt Flats are a hard, flat 30,000-acre expanse formed from an ancient evaporated lake. In 1914, Teddy Tezlaff set an auto speed record at Bonneville, driving 141.73 mph in a Blitzen Benz. By the late 1940s, Bonneville had become the standard place for setting and breaking world land-speed records and has since attracted drivers from around the globe who compete in a number of automotive and motorcycle divisions.

March 23, 1956
The Studebaker-Packard Corporation halted merger talks with the Ford Motor Company to pursue talks with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Studebaker-Packard itself was the result of a merger in which the large Studebaker firm merged with the small and successful Packard line. After World War II the independent car manufacturers had a difficult time keeping pace with the production capabilities of the Big Three, who were able to produce more cars at lower prices to meet the demands of a population starved for cars. Independents began to merge with one another to remain competitive. Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motors merged successfully to become American Motors (AMC). Paul Hoffman, the manager of Studebaker, realized his company would have to merge or perish. He negotiated an arduous merger between his company and Detroit-based Packard Motors. The merger took over five months to come through, as unionized labor on both sides balked at the proposal. Finally, in October of 1954, Studebaker and Packard merged to become the country's fourth largest car company. Hoffman chose Packard President James Nance to lead the new operation. Nance, spiteful of the inefficiency that Studebaker brought to his company, generally ignored the input of his colleagues, instituting his own policies in an attempt to turn around the fortune of his new company. His policies failed, and renewed labor problems brought Studebaker-Packard to its knees. In 1956, Curtiss-Wright purchased Studebaker-Packard. The failed merger between Studebaker, which had been in operation since the 1890s, and Packard was emblematic of the post-war independent manufacturers' scramble to consolidate. While Studebaker-Packard failed, AMC was able to stay alive into the 1970s, when it was bought by French giant Renault.

March 23, 1986
Andrea Dovizioso, an Italian professional motorcycle road racer was born in born in Forlì. He won the 125cc World Championship in 2004.

Wilhelm and Karl Maybach


Prof. Dr. Karl Maybach founded, together with Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin and Wilhelm Maybach, the aircraft engine.


Donald Campbell, CBE


Craig Breedlove


Andrea Dovizioso


Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia

 

[Landrover]

23rd March

March 23, 2009
Most awaited car of this planet, Tata Nano is launched to public at Parsi Gymkhana Ground, Mumbai. This dreamchild of Ratan Tata was first presented at the 9th annual Auto Expo on 10 January 2008, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India.

Ratan Tata with his dream project

 

[RSM]

Oh Yes, how could we forget this date. One of the biggest milestone in Indian auto history.


First Nano

 

[Landrover]

24th March

March 24, 1898
Winton Motor Carriage Company made first commercial sale of an American-built automobile in the U.S.


March 24, 1954
Stockholders of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company approved the proposed merger of the two firms. The companies would form the American Motors Corporation (AMC). AMC is recognized as the most successful postwar independent manufacturer of cars. The deal was the largest corporate merger up to that point - worth $197,793,366 - but was just one phase of a planned mega merger of Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Packard. The combined company would cover all segments of the market, and their size and ability to share engineering would amortize costs nicely; at least, that was the plan of Kelvinator’s George Mason, whose company owned Nash. The name “American Motors” originated with Mason, who started working on the plan just after World War II.

Winton Motor Carriage Company, is credited to have the first ever automobile print ad.


'50 Nash Deliveryman, UV of the 50s.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
allpar.com​

 

[Landrover]

25th March

March 25, 1899
Herbert (Burt) James Munro, a New Zealand motorcycle racer, was born in Invercargill. He is famous for setting an under-1000cc world record, 183.586 mph (295.453 km/h), at Bonneville in 26 August 1967. This record still stands today. Burt Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year old machine when he set his last record.
Working from his home in Invercargill, he worked for 20 years to highly modify the 1920 Indian motorcycle which he had bought in 1920. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He traveled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today. His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed– both directed by Roger Donaldson.


March 25, 1901
The Mercedes was introduced by Gottlieb Daimler at the five-day "Week of Nice" in Nice, France. The car, driven by Willhelm Werner, dominated the events at the competition. Mercedes cars were conceived at the same venue in Nice two years earlier. After seeing a Daimler car win a race there, businessman Emile Jellinek approached Gottlieb Daimler with an offer. Jellinek suggested that if Daimler could produce a new car model with an even bigger engine then he would buy 30 of them. Jellinek also requested that the cars be named after his daughter, Mercedes. Daimler died before the Mercedes was released, but the car carried his name to the heights of the automotive industry. In 1904, a Mercedes clocked 97mph over a one-kilometer stretch, an astonishing feat in its day. Mercedes cars dominated the racing world for half a decade before Karl Benz's car company could catch up.

March 25, 1920
Walter P. Chrysler resigned as executive vice president in charge of automotive operations for General Motors. Born in the western Kansas railroad town of Wamego, Chrysler grew up around Union Pacific engineers. Early in life, he formed the idea of becoming a locomotive engineer himself. Working his way up from the position of janitor, he achieved his lifelong engineering dream by the time he was 20. Chrysler's attention gradually shifted to the automotive industry. In 1912, while employed by the American Locomotive Company, Chrysler was offered a position in Flint, Michigan by Buick President Charles Nash. The job promised only half of his current salary, but he took it anyway. As a manager at Buick, Chrysler revolutionized the company's mass production capabilities, and distinguished himself as an irreplaceable part of the GM team. However, in 1916, William C. Durant regained control of the company he had founded and Chrysler's mentor, Charles Nash, was forced out. Recognizing Chrysler's value, Durant offered him the presidency of Buick, a title worth $500,000 a year. Chrysler had previously made $25,000 a year. Heeding warnings from Nash that Durant was a micro-managing tyrant, Chrysler did not immediately accept the offer. Eventually, though, the money was too good to turn down. Among his many accomplishments as head of Buick, Chrysler's greatest achievement may have been initiating GM's purchase of the Fisher Body Plant, on which the company relied for its products. GM purchased 60 percent of Fisher's stock, and gained control over one of its most important components. Eventually, William Durant lived up to Nash's warnings. He began to meddle in Buick's affairs, infuriating Chrysler to the point of despair on numerous occasions. One day, Chrysler reached the boiling point during a board meeting and walked out. Longtime GM President Alfred Sloan later recalled, "I remember the day. He (Chrysler) banged the door on the way out, and out of that bang came eventually the Chrysler Corporation."

March 25, 1982
Danica Sue Patrick, American auto racing driver was born in Beloit, Wisconsin. She is currently competing in the IndyCar Series. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season. Patrick became the first woman to win an Indy car race.

Herbert (Burt) James Munro, the main character on whose life the move "The World Fastest Indian" is based.


Burt Munro's highly modded Indian motorcycle


Anthony Hopkins reprising the role of Burt Munro in World's Fastest Indian (2005)


Emil Jellnek with his daughter Mercedes, the namesake of one of the most popular brand today.


Danica Patrick shows off her trophy after winning the Indy Japan 300.

Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia​