![ilango[speed thirst]](/forums/data/avatars/m/0/80.jpg?1543402189){kind=avatar}
Yeah of course ! rather enjoying i am observing , most picture are rare and almost many information are new , though some i have read(.0002% of your post) , here your work is accurate. This is a thread where i must keep quite and read on!
This Day in Automotive History
- Thread Starter Landrover
- Start date
Thread Starter
#77
April 18th, 1882
Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach reached an agreement to work towards the creation of a high-speed internal combustion engine. Daimler had purchased a house with 75k goldmark from his Deutz compensation. In its garden they added a brick extension to the roomy glass-fronted summerhouse which became their workshop.Working in Daimler's greenhouse, the two men finished their first gas-powered engine in 1883. Four years later the two men achieved a major breakthrough when they constructed the first water-cooled, gas-powered internal combustion engine. Their activities alarmed the neighbours who suspected they were engaged in counterfeiting and, in their absence, the police raided the property using the gardener's key, but found only engines.
18th April 1906
Sunset Automobile Company, a startup company in San Francisco was totally destroyed by fire. Production of the Sunset never resumed, and the firm was legally dissolved in 1909. Throughout the history of American automobile production no company ever succeeded on the West Coast. they developed one of the most silent engine of that time.
18th April, 1936
Tommy Ivo, also known as "TV Tommy" was born in Denver, Colorado He is an actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1950-60s racing community. In the late 1950s, Ivo raced a twin (side by side) Nailhead Buick engined dragster which was the first Gasoline Powered dragster to break the nine second barrier. The Twin Buick also was the first gas dragster to record speeds of 170, 175 and 180 mph.
18th April, 1942
Karl Jochen Rindt was born in Mainz, Germany. He was a German racing driver who represented Austria over his entire career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship (in 1970), after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix. Away from Formula One, Rindt was highly successful in other single-seater formulae, as well as sports car racing. In 1965 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, driving a Ferrari 250LM in partnership with Masten Gregory from the United States of America.
18th April, 1949
18 times Nascar winner Geoff Bodine was born.
18th April, 2009
On this day in 2009, driver Mark Martin wins the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Speedway in Avondale, Arizona, and becomes the first 50-year-old to claim victory at a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Sprint Cup race since Morgan Shepherd did so at a race in Atlanta in 1993. Besides Martin and Shepherd, only two other drivers age 50 or older have won Sprint Cup events.
Sunset Tonneau
Tommy Ivo at Amarillo, 1966
Geoff Bodine
Karl Jochen Rindt
Martin is a 50-year-old Sprint Cup driver/fitness fanatic whose four-times-a-week workout routine would bring tears and a whimper to men half his age.
Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach reached an agreement to work towards the creation of a high-speed internal combustion engine. Daimler had purchased a house with 75k goldmark from his Deutz compensation. In its garden they added a brick extension to the roomy glass-fronted summerhouse which became their workshop.Working in Daimler's greenhouse, the two men finished their first gas-powered engine in 1883. Four years later the two men achieved a major breakthrough when they constructed the first water-cooled, gas-powered internal combustion engine. Their activities alarmed the neighbours who suspected they were engaged in counterfeiting and, in their absence, the police raided the property using the gardener's key, but found only engines.
18th April 1906
Sunset Automobile Company, a startup company in San Francisco was totally destroyed by fire. Production of the Sunset never resumed, and the firm was legally dissolved in 1909. Throughout the history of American automobile production no company ever succeeded on the West Coast. they developed one of the most silent engine of that time.
18th April, 1936
Tommy Ivo, also known as "TV Tommy" was born in Denver, Colorado He is an actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1950-60s racing community. In the late 1950s, Ivo raced a twin (side by side) Nailhead Buick engined dragster which was the first Gasoline Powered dragster to break the nine second barrier. The Twin Buick also was the first gas dragster to record speeds of 170, 175 and 180 mph.
18th April, 1942
Karl Jochen Rindt was born in Mainz, Germany. He was a German racing driver who represented Austria over his entire career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship (in 1970), after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix. Away from Formula One, Rindt was highly successful in other single-seater formulae, as well as sports car racing. In 1965 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, driving a Ferrari 250LM in partnership with Masten Gregory from the United States of America.
18th April, 1949
18 times Nascar winner Geoff Bodine was born.
18th April, 2009
On this day in 2009, driver Mark Martin wins the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Speedway in Avondale, Arizona, and becomes the first 50-year-old to claim victory at a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Sprint Cup race since Morgan Shepherd did so at a race in Atlanta in 1993. Besides Martin and Shepherd, only two other drivers age 50 or older have won Sprint Cup events.
Sunset Tonneau
Tommy Ivo at Amarillo, 1966
Geoff Bodine
Karl Jochen Rindt
Martin is a 50-year-old Sprint Cup driver/fitness fanatic whose four-times-a-week workout routine would bring tears and a whimper to men half his age.
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Last edited:
Thread Starter
#78
19th April
19th April, 1955
Volkswagen of America, Inc. was established in Engelwood, New Jersey. Also 1955 was a banner year for Volkswagen as the company produced its 1 millionth car and exceeded, for the first time, the production benchmark of 1,000 cars per day on average. Less than five years after that the VW Bug had almost single-handedly ended the years of "virtual monopoly" that Detroit Big Three had previously enjoyed.
April 19, 1962
Two time Indianapoli 500 winner Alfred Unser, Jr. was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, He was famously known as "Little Al" and the Unser family has a history of Indianapolis wins. He also has video games on nintendo & PC named after him.
April 19, 1964
On this day in 1964, Mario Andretti competes in his inaugural Indy car race, in Trenton, New Jersey, finishing in 11th place. The following year, Andretti won the first of his four Indy car championships (also referred to as the U.S. National Championship) and was named Rookie of the Year at the prestigious Indianapolis 500, where he came in third. Andretti went on to become an icon in the world of motor sports. He is the only man to win the Formula One World Championship, the U.S. National Championship (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984), the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring (1967, 1970, 1972) and the Pikes Peak International Hill Club.
He also has video games on nintendo & PC named after him.
Alfred Unser, Jr.
Mario Andretti
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
19th April, 1955
Volkswagen of America, Inc. was established in Engelwood, New Jersey. Also 1955 was a banner year for Volkswagen as the company produced its 1 millionth car and exceeded, for the first time, the production benchmark of 1,000 cars per day on average. Less than five years after that the VW Bug had almost single-handedly ended the years of "virtual monopoly" that Detroit Big Three had previously enjoyed.
April 19, 1962
Two time Indianapoli 500 winner Alfred Unser, Jr. was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, He was famously known as "Little Al" and the Unser family has a history of Indianapolis wins. He also has video games on nintendo & PC named after him.
April 19, 1964
On this day in 1964, Mario Andretti competes in his inaugural Indy car race, in Trenton, New Jersey, finishing in 11th place. The following year, Andretti won the first of his four Indy car championships (also referred to as the U.S. National Championship) and was named Rookie of the Year at the prestigious Indianapolis 500, where he came in third. Andretti went on to become an icon in the world of motor sports. He is the only man to win the Formula One World Championship, the U.S. National Championship (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984), the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring (1967, 1970, 1972) and the Pikes Peak International Hill Club.
He also has video games on nintendo & PC named after him.
Alfred Unser, Jr.
Mario Andretti
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#79
20th April
April 20, 1925
Pete Depaolo, wins his first Indy 500 in cluver city, California for Dusenberg family averaging an impressive 135mph.
April 20, 1927
Phil Hill, american F1 racer was born in Miami Florida, He won the 1961 F1 championship racing for Scuderia ferari, driving the famous 'sharknose' Ferari 156
April 20, 1931
Matilda Dodge Wilson, the widow of John Dodge, was named to the board of the Graham-Paige Motors Corporation, becoming the first woman to sit on the board of a major auto-manufacturer. Graham-Paige was founded by the Graham brothers, whose initial car-making endeavor, Graham Brothers Truck Company, had been purchased by Dodge in 1926.
April 20, 1946
Gordon Smiley, another Indy 500 racer was born. Though he raced twiced in 1980,81 in Indy500 but never won. He tragically died during qualifying run in 1982 Indy500, and to date is the last driver ever to die during qualifying run.
April 20, 2003
Dajiro Kato, Japanese MotoGP racer died at Suzuka, crashing hard at 125mph to a wall at final chicane of the circuit.
April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008, 26-year-old Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Montegi in Montegi, Japan, making her the first female winner in IndyCar racing history.
Danica Patrick was born on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin. She became involved in racing as a young girl and as a teenager moved to England in pursuit of better training opportunities. In 2002, after returning to the United States, she began driving for the Rahal Letterman Racing team, owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 champ Bobby Rahal and late-night talk-show host David Letterman. In 2005, Patrick started competing in IndyCar events, which include the famed Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.
Pete Depaolo
Matilda Dodge Wilson (Matilda Rausch)
Dajiro Kato
Dajiro Kato after the mishap
April 20, 1925
Pete Depaolo, wins his first Indy 500 in cluver city, California for Dusenberg family averaging an impressive 135mph.
April 20, 1927
Phil Hill, american F1 racer was born in Miami Florida, He won the 1961 F1 championship racing for Scuderia ferari, driving the famous 'sharknose' Ferari 156
April 20, 1931
Matilda Dodge Wilson, the widow of John Dodge, was named to the board of the Graham-Paige Motors Corporation, becoming the first woman to sit on the board of a major auto-manufacturer. Graham-Paige was founded by the Graham brothers, whose initial car-making endeavor, Graham Brothers Truck Company, had been purchased by Dodge in 1926.
April 20, 1946
Gordon Smiley, another Indy 500 racer was born. Though he raced twiced in 1980,81 in Indy500 but never won. He tragically died during qualifying run in 1982 Indy500, and to date is the last driver ever to die during qualifying run.
April 20, 2003
Dajiro Kato, Japanese MotoGP racer died at Suzuka, crashing hard at 125mph to a wall at final chicane of the circuit.
April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008, 26-year-old Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Montegi in Montegi, Japan, making her the first female winner in IndyCar racing history.
Danica Patrick was born on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin. She became involved in racing as a young girl and as a teenager moved to England in pursuit of better training opportunities. In 2002, after returning to the United States, she began driving for the Rahal Letterman Racing team, owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 champ Bobby Rahal and late-night talk-show host David Letterman. In 2005, Patrick started competing in IndyCar events, which include the famed Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.
Pete Depaolo
Matilda Dodge Wilson (Matilda Rausch)
Dajiro Kato
Dajiro Kato after the mishap
Source:
History Channel
Wikipedia
Club Hemmings
History Channel
Wikipedia
Club Hemmings
Thread Starter
#81
April 21, 1967
On this day General Motors (GM) celebrates the manufacture of its 100 millionth American-made car. At the time, GM was the world’s largest automaker.
General Motors was established in 1908 in Flint, Michigan, by horse-drawn carriage mogul William Durant. In 1904, Durant invested in the Buick Motor Company, which was started in 1903 by Scottish-born inventor David Dunbar Buick. Within a few years of forming his company, Buick lost control of it and sold his stock, which would later be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. (In 1929, Buick died at age 74 in relative obscurity and modest circumstances). Durant made Buick Motors the cornerstone of his new holding company, General Motors, then acquired Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Reliance Motor Company, among other auto and truck makers.
In 1911, Durant founded Chevrolet Motor Company, which by 1918 was part of GM. By the early 1930s, GM had passed the Ford Motor Company to become the world’s biggest automaker. Although Ford sold more than 15 million Model Ts between 1908 and 1927, the company was criticized for not responding quickly enough to consumer demand for new models, as GM did. GM also offered financing options to consumers, while Henry Ford objected to credit.
GM went on to experience decades of growth. The company pursued a strategy of selling a vehicle “for every purse and purpose,” in the words of Alfred Sloan, who became GM’s president in 1923 and resigned as chairman in 1956. In 1940, the company commemorated its 25 millionth American-made car, and by its peak in 1962, GM produced 51 percent of all the cars in the U.S. Its 75 millionth U.S.-made car rolled off the assembly line that year, while the 100 millionth car followed in 1967.
However, according to The New York Times, during the 1960s the automaker “began a long and slow process of undermining itself,” as it failed to innovate fast enough in the face of competition from foreign car manufacturers. In 2008, GM, hard hit by the global economic crisis, lost its title as the world’s top-selling automaker; that year, GM sold 8.356 million cars and trucks compared with Toyota’s 8.972 million vehicles. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was a move once considered unthinkable for the company that became a giant of the U.S. economy in the 20th century.
April 21, 1985
The legendary Ayrton Senna won his first of 41 F1 Championship victories driving a Lotus-Renault at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril.
Reading Eagle Newspaper, April 16 1967 Edition(Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search)
On this day General Motors (GM) celebrates the manufacture of its 100 millionth American-made car. At the time, GM was the world’s largest automaker.
General Motors was established in 1908 in Flint, Michigan, by horse-drawn carriage mogul William Durant. In 1904, Durant invested in the Buick Motor Company, which was started in 1903 by Scottish-born inventor David Dunbar Buick. Within a few years of forming his company, Buick lost control of it and sold his stock, which would later be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. (In 1929, Buick died at age 74 in relative obscurity and modest circumstances). Durant made Buick Motors the cornerstone of his new holding company, General Motors, then acquired Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Reliance Motor Company, among other auto and truck makers.
In 1911, Durant founded Chevrolet Motor Company, which by 1918 was part of GM. By the early 1930s, GM had passed the Ford Motor Company to become the world’s biggest automaker. Although Ford sold more than 15 million Model Ts between 1908 and 1927, the company was criticized for not responding quickly enough to consumer demand for new models, as GM did. GM also offered financing options to consumers, while Henry Ford objected to credit.
GM went on to experience decades of growth. The company pursued a strategy of selling a vehicle “for every purse and purpose,” in the words of Alfred Sloan, who became GM’s president in 1923 and resigned as chairman in 1956. In 1940, the company commemorated its 25 millionth American-made car, and by its peak in 1962, GM produced 51 percent of all the cars in the U.S. Its 75 millionth U.S.-made car rolled off the assembly line that year, while the 100 millionth car followed in 1967.
However, according to The New York Times, during the 1960s the automaker “began a long and slow process of undermining itself,” as it failed to innovate fast enough in the face of competition from foreign car manufacturers. In 2008, GM, hard hit by the global economic crisis, lost its title as the world’s top-selling automaker; that year, GM sold 8.356 million cars and trucks compared with Toyota’s 8.972 million vehicles. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was a move once considered unthinkable for the company that became a giant of the U.S. economy in the 20th century.
April 21, 1985
The legendary Ayrton Senna won his first of 41 F1 Championship victories driving a Lotus-Renault at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril.
Reading Eagle Newspaper, April 16 1967 Edition(Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search)
Source:
History Channel
Wikipedia
History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#82
22nd April
April 21, 1967
Frederick Henry Royce, who with Charles Stewart Rolls founded the luxury British automaker Rolls-Royce, dies on this day in 1933 at the age of 70 in England.
Royce was born on March 27, 1863, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. He grew up in a family of modest means and worked a variety of jobs, eventually becoming an electrician. In the mid-1880s, he founded a business that made electric cranes and electrical generators. In the early 1900s, after purchasing his first car, Royce began designing cars of his own, deciding he could build something better. Royce met British automotive dealer Charles Rolls, who agreed to sell Royce’s cars; the two men later formed a company, Rolls-Royce Limited. Royce, who was known for his attention to detail and perfectionism, served as head engineer. The six-cylinder Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, which debuted in 1906, was dubbed by the British press the world’s “best car.”
In 1910, Charles Rolls died at the age of 32 while piloting his own plane. Royce continued on with their company and during World War I, designed aircraft engines for the Allied forces. Following the war, Rolls-Royce returned to making cars, launching the Phantom I , a vehicle that was “powered by an all-new, pushrod-operated overhead valve engine with detachable cylinder heads--cutting-edge technology for its time,” according to the automotive information Web site Edmunds.com. In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquired rival luxury automaker Bentley. Frederick Henry Royce died on April 22, 1933, at West Wittering, West Sus***, England.
In 1950, Rolls-Royce introduced the powerful and highly exclusive Phantom IV. Only 18 of these cars were produced, according to Edmunds.com, and they all went to royalty and other VIPs. The automaker continued to thrive during the 1950s and 1960s; however, in 1971, Rolls-Royce Ltd. declared bankruptcy after financial troubles related to the development of a jet engine. The company was restructured into two separate businesses: automotive and aircraft. In 1980, the auto company was acquired by a British defense business, Vickers. The following year, the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, a car designed to attract a new generation of buyers, launched.
In the late 1990s, when Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce, German automakers Volkswagen and BMW each made a play for the business. VW ended up acquiring the Rolls-Royce production facilities in Crewe, England, while BMW got the rights to the Rolls-Royce car brand. BMW licensed the Rolls-Royce name to VW until the end of 2002, then BMW began producing Rolls-Royce cars in 2003. VW continued to make Bentleys at the Crewe plant.
Statue of Sir Henry Royce, standing outside the company's HQ at Moor Lane, Derby.
The first Royce 15196 (on the left) and 1904 Rolls-Royce 10 hp 20154 (the oldest surviving Rolls-Royce) outside Rolls’s London ‘Lillie Hall’ works in December 1904 en route to the Paris Salon. Sadly, this site has now been cleared.
April 21, 1967
Frederick Henry Royce, who with Charles Stewart Rolls founded the luxury British automaker Rolls-Royce, dies on this day in 1933 at the age of 70 in England.
Royce was born on March 27, 1863, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. He grew up in a family of modest means and worked a variety of jobs, eventually becoming an electrician. In the mid-1880s, he founded a business that made electric cranes and electrical generators. In the early 1900s, after purchasing his first car, Royce began designing cars of his own, deciding he could build something better. Royce met British automotive dealer Charles Rolls, who agreed to sell Royce’s cars; the two men later formed a company, Rolls-Royce Limited. Royce, who was known for his attention to detail and perfectionism, served as head engineer. The six-cylinder Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, which debuted in 1906, was dubbed by the British press the world’s “best car.”
In 1910, Charles Rolls died at the age of 32 while piloting his own plane. Royce continued on with their company and during World War I, designed aircraft engines for the Allied forces. Following the war, Rolls-Royce returned to making cars, launching the Phantom I , a vehicle that was “powered by an all-new, pushrod-operated overhead valve engine with detachable cylinder heads--cutting-edge technology for its time,” according to the automotive information Web site Edmunds.com. In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquired rival luxury automaker Bentley. Frederick Henry Royce died on April 22, 1933, at West Wittering, West Sus***, England.
In 1950, Rolls-Royce introduced the powerful and highly exclusive Phantom IV. Only 18 of these cars were produced, according to Edmunds.com, and they all went to royalty and other VIPs. The automaker continued to thrive during the 1950s and 1960s; however, in 1971, Rolls-Royce Ltd. declared bankruptcy after financial troubles related to the development of a jet engine. The company was restructured into two separate businesses: automotive and aircraft. In 1980, the auto company was acquired by a British defense business, Vickers. The following year, the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, a car designed to attract a new generation of buyers, launched.
In the late 1990s, when Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce, German automakers Volkswagen and BMW each made a play for the business. VW ended up acquiring the Rolls-Royce production facilities in Crewe, England, while BMW got the rights to the Rolls-Royce car brand. BMW licensed the Rolls-Royce name to VW until the end of 2002, then BMW began producing Rolls-Royce cars in 2003. VW continued to make Bentleys at the Crewe plant.
Statue of Sir Henry Royce, standing outside the company's HQ at Moor Lane, Derby.
The first Royce 15196 (on the left) and 1904 Rolls-Royce 10 hp 20154 (the oldest surviving Rolls-Royce) outside Rolls’s London ‘Lillie Hall’ works in December 1904 en route to the Paris Salon. Sadly, this site has now been cleared.
Source:
History Channel
Wikipedia
History Channel
Wikipedia
Last edited:
Thread Starter
#83
23rd April
23rd April 1987
On this day in 1987, the Chrysler Corporation purchases Nuova Automobili F. Lamborghini, the Bologna, Italy-based maker of high-priced, high-performance cars. Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the media reported that Chrysler paid $25 million for Lamborghini, which at the time was experiencing financial difficulties.
Lamborghini was established in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916-1993), a wealthy Italian industrialist who made his fortune building tractors and air-conditioning systems, among other ventures. Lamborghini owned a variety of sports cars, including Ferraris. According to legend, after experiencing mechanical problems with his Ferraris, he tried to meet with Enzo Ferrari, the carmaker’s founder. When Enzo Ferrari turned him down, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to build cars that would be even better than Ferrari’s. Lamborghini’s first car, the 350 GTV, a two-seat coupe with a V12 engine, launched in 1963.
The company’s logo featured a bull, a reference to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s zodiac sign, Taurus the bull. Various Lamborghini models had names related to bulls or bullfighting, including the Miura, a mid-engine sports car that was released in mid-1960s and gained Lamborghini an international following among car enthusiasts and a reputation for prestige and cutting-edge design. The Miura was named for a breeder of fighting bulls, Don Eduardo Miura.
In the early 1970s, Lamborghini’s tractor business experienced problems and he eventually sold his interest in his sports car business and retired to his vineyard in the mid-1970s. Automobili Lamborghini changed hands several times and in 1987 was sold to Chrysler.
In 1994, Chrysler sold Lamborghini to a group of Indonesian investors. Four years later, German automaker Audi AG owned by Volkswagen took control of Lamborghini. The company has continued to build high-performance cars, including the Murcielago, the Gallardo LP560-4 and theSpyder.
April 23 1992
Smithsonian Museum bought one of Miller 91 Packard Cable Special Car. Harry Miller was one of very famous race car builer of his times. Cars and engines built by him won Indy500 12 times which was then dominated by Dusenberg family. This car bought was one of 12 racing cars built by Harry A. Miller. Its 1500cc supercharged V8 rated at 230 horsepower drives front wheel. Strangely it weighted only 108kgs. This particular car was driven by Ralph Hepburn in the 1929 Indianapolis 500 and set speed records of 143mph. In 1991 the car also won two of the most rigorous antique auto competitions in the world: the Pebble Beach Concours in California and the Bagatelle Concours Paris.
Lambo Ownerships and Sales History under respective owners.
Miller 91 Packard Cable Special
23rd April 1987
On this day in 1987, the Chrysler Corporation purchases Nuova Automobili F. Lamborghini, the Bologna, Italy-based maker of high-priced, high-performance cars. Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the media reported that Chrysler paid $25 million for Lamborghini, which at the time was experiencing financial difficulties.
Lamborghini was established in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916-1993), a wealthy Italian industrialist who made his fortune building tractors and air-conditioning systems, among other ventures. Lamborghini owned a variety of sports cars, including Ferraris. According to legend, after experiencing mechanical problems with his Ferraris, he tried to meet with Enzo Ferrari, the carmaker’s founder. When Enzo Ferrari turned him down, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to build cars that would be even better than Ferrari’s. Lamborghini’s first car, the 350 GTV, a two-seat coupe with a V12 engine, launched in 1963.
The company’s logo featured a bull, a reference to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s zodiac sign, Taurus the bull. Various Lamborghini models had names related to bulls or bullfighting, including the Miura, a mid-engine sports car that was released in mid-1960s and gained Lamborghini an international following among car enthusiasts and a reputation for prestige and cutting-edge design. The Miura was named for a breeder of fighting bulls, Don Eduardo Miura.
In the early 1970s, Lamborghini’s tractor business experienced problems and he eventually sold his interest in his sports car business and retired to his vineyard in the mid-1970s. Automobili Lamborghini changed hands several times and in 1987 was sold to Chrysler.
In 1994, Chrysler sold Lamborghini to a group of Indonesian investors. Four years later, German automaker Audi AG owned by Volkswagen took control of Lamborghini. The company has continued to build high-performance cars, including the Murcielago, the Gallardo LP560-4 and theSpyder.
April 23 1992
Smithsonian Museum bought one of Miller 91 Packard Cable Special Car. Harry Miller was one of very famous race car builer of his times. Cars and engines built by him won Indy500 12 times which was then dominated by Dusenberg family. This car bought was one of 12 racing cars built by Harry A. Miller. Its 1500cc supercharged V8 rated at 230 horsepower drives front wheel. Strangely it weighted only 108kgs. This particular car was driven by Ralph Hepburn in the 1929 Indianapolis 500 and set speed records of 143mph. In 1991 the car also won two of the most rigorous antique auto competitions in the world: the Pebble Beach Concours in California and the Bagatelle Concours Paris.
Lambo Ownerships and Sales History under respective owners.
Miller 91 Packard Cable Special
Source:
History Channel
Wikipedia
History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#85
24th April
April 24, 1983
Rolf Stommelen, a German race car driver fatally crashed in his porsche 935 while racing in Camel GT trophy on Riverside Raceway, California.
He was one of the best race car drivers of the '60s and '70s, He won the Daytona 4 times and the pole position for the 1969 Le Mans in a Porsche 917, during which he became the first person to reach speeds exceeding 350 km/h. In 1970, he made his Formula One debut with Brabham and raced both sportscars and F1 throughout the 1970s.
Unfortunately, he is also remembered for killing 5 spectators when he crashed his car, Embassy-Hill- Lola during the 1975 season Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
April 24, 1995
After producing about 6939 cars Lotus tuned Chevy Corvette ZR1's production was ceased. The heart of this car was lotus built LT5 V8 engine, which had a very unique intake manifold. It had 4 valves per cylinder and 4 camshaft to control them. It could shut off half of the intake valves and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, It was rated at 375bhp-405bhp in later models. In 2009 Chevy again revived ZR1.
Rolf Stommelen
Rolf Stommelen car's wreckage
Chevy Corvette ZR1.
2009 ZR1
April 24, 1983
Rolf Stommelen, a German race car driver fatally crashed in his porsche 935 while racing in Camel GT trophy on Riverside Raceway, California.
He was one of the best race car drivers of the '60s and '70s, He won the Daytona 4 times and the pole position for the 1969 Le Mans in a Porsche 917, during which he became the first person to reach speeds exceeding 350 km/h. In 1970, he made his Formula One debut with Brabham and raced both sportscars and F1 throughout the 1970s.
Unfortunately, he is also remembered for killing 5 spectators when he crashed his car, Embassy-Hill- Lola during the 1975 season Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
April 24, 1995
After producing about 6939 cars Lotus tuned Chevy Corvette ZR1's production was ceased. The heart of this car was lotus built LT5 V8 engine, which had a very unique intake manifold. It had 4 valves per cylinder and 4 camshaft to control them. It could shut off half of the intake valves and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, It was rated at 375bhp-405bhp in later models. In 2009 Chevy again revived ZR1.
Rolf Stommelen
Rolf Stommelen car's wreckage
Chevy Corvette ZR1.
2009 ZR1
Source:
History Channel
Wikipedia
History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#86
25th April
April 25, 1901
Registration of vehicle which is today mandatory for all vehicle first started on this day in the state of New York. The fee to register the vehicle was $1. Total registration fees collected amounted $954 for very first year.
However France is considered the first to introduce a license plate, in 1893, followed by Germany in 1896. The Netherlands was the first country to introduce a national license plate, called a "driving permit", in 1898. But uniform registration and charging the owner for it was first introduced in the city of New York.
April 25, 1926
Alfieri Maserati's first car, the Tipo 26, made its racing debut by winning its class at the Targa Florio. Alfieri Maserati drove the car himself.
April 25, 2001
On this day in 2001, 44-year-old Italian race car driver Michele Alboreto is killed on a track in Germany during a test drive. Alboreto collected five Grand Prix wins on the Formula One (F1) circuit, where he competed during the 1980s and early 1990s, and also claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1997.
Michele Alboreto was born in Milan, Italy, on December 23, 1956, and began his racing career in the mid-1970s. He made his F1 debut in 1981 and took home his first victory at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix Las Vegas in 1982. From 1984 to 1988, Alboreto drove for the Ferrari team, the first Italian to do so in more than a decade. In 1985, his most successful year, he won the Canadian Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix and came in second place for the F1 drivers’ championship behind the iconic French driver Alain Prost, who collected the crown again in 1986, 1989 and 1993.
One of early Vehicle Registration copy, 1925
Tipo 26 with Alfieri Maserati at the wheel, prepared for its first race the 1926 Targa Florio, April 1926
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto's crashed Audi R8
April 25, 1901
Registration of vehicle which is today mandatory for all vehicle first started on this day in the state of New York. The fee to register the vehicle was $1. Total registration fees collected amounted $954 for very first year.
However France is considered the first to introduce a license plate, in 1893, followed by Germany in 1896. The Netherlands was the first country to introduce a national license plate, called a "driving permit", in 1898. But uniform registration and charging the owner for it was first introduced in the city of New York.
April 25, 1926
Alfieri Maserati's first car, the Tipo 26, made its racing debut by winning its class at the Targa Florio. Alfieri Maserati drove the car himself.
April 25, 2001
On this day in 2001, 44-year-old Italian race car driver Michele Alboreto is killed on a track in Germany during a test drive. Alboreto collected five Grand Prix wins on the Formula One (F1) circuit, where he competed during the 1980s and early 1990s, and also claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1997.
Michele Alboreto was born in Milan, Italy, on December 23, 1956, and began his racing career in the mid-1970s. He made his F1 debut in 1981 and took home his first victory at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix Las Vegas in 1982. From 1984 to 1988, Alboreto drove for the Ferrari team, the first Italian to do so in more than a decade. In 1985, his most successful year, he won the Canadian Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix and came in second place for the F1 drivers’ championship behind the iconic French driver Alain Prost, who collected the crown again in 1986, 1989 and 1993.
One of early Vehicle Registration copy, 1925
Tipo 26 with Alfieri Maserati at the wheel, prepared for its first race the 1926 Targa Florio, April 1926
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto's crashed Audi R8
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#87
26th April
April 26, 1906
Pierce Arrow purchased 16 acre of land to create its new manufacturing unit. The factory that was constructed on it was of reinforced concrete and was absolutely fireproof. Albert Kahn, the architect of the factory, achieved a breakthrough with his single story, top-lit modular design. With its uniform lighting and physical flexibility, it rapidly became the prototype for American factory design, particularly in the emerging motor industry.
Pierce was the only luxury brand that did not created a lower price car. Its cars are collectors item world over.
April 26, 2009
On this day in 2009, Chrysler and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union reach a tentative deal that meets government requirements for the struggling auto manufacturer to receive more federal funding.
As part of the deal, the UAW agreed to let Chrysler reduce the amount of money it would pay toward health care costs of its retired workers. The month before the deal was announced, President Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to Chrysler that it must undergo a fundamental restructuring and shrink its costs in order to receive future government aid. Obama also gave Chrysler a month to complete a merger with Italian car maker Fiat or another partner. Although Chrysler reached a deal with the UAW as well as its major creditors shortly before the one-month deadline, Obama announced on April 30 that Chrysler, after failing to come to an agreement with some of its smaller creditors, would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, then form a partnership with Fiat. The move made Chrysler the first big automaker to file for bankruptcy and attempt to reorganize since Studebaker did so in 1933.
The current stake holders are in New Chrysler are: Fiat, 20 %; U.S. government, 9.85 %; Canadian government, 2.46 %; and the UAW retiree medical fund 67.69 %.
1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B Dual-Cowl Phaeton at the 2008 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, Connecticut.
April 26, 1906
Pierce Arrow purchased 16 acre of land to create its new manufacturing unit. The factory that was constructed on it was of reinforced concrete and was absolutely fireproof. Albert Kahn, the architect of the factory, achieved a breakthrough with his single story, top-lit modular design. With its uniform lighting and physical flexibility, it rapidly became the prototype for American factory design, particularly in the emerging motor industry.
Pierce was the only luxury brand that did not created a lower price car. Its cars are collectors item world over.
April 26, 2009
On this day in 2009, Chrysler and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union reach a tentative deal that meets government requirements for the struggling auto manufacturer to receive more federal funding.
As part of the deal, the UAW agreed to let Chrysler reduce the amount of money it would pay toward health care costs of its retired workers. The month before the deal was announced, President Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to Chrysler that it must undergo a fundamental restructuring and shrink its costs in order to receive future government aid. Obama also gave Chrysler a month to complete a merger with Italian car maker Fiat or another partner. Although Chrysler reached a deal with the UAW as well as its major creditors shortly before the one-month deadline, Obama announced on April 30 that Chrysler, after failing to come to an agreement with some of its smaller creditors, would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, then form a partnership with Fiat. The move made Chrysler the first big automaker to file for bankruptcy and attempt to reorganize since Studebaker did so in 1933.
The current stake holders are in New Chrysler are: Fiat, 20 %; U.S. government, 9.85 %; Canadian government, 2.46 %; and the UAW retiree medical fund 67.69 %.
1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B Dual-Cowl Phaeton at the 2008 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, Connecticut.
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#88
April 27, 1936
The United Auto Workers (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor.
April 27, 1952
Ari Vatanen, a Finnish rally driver turned politician was born in Tuupovaara. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times.
April 27, 2009
On this day in 2009, the struggling American auto giant General Motors (GM) says it plans to discontinue production of its more than 80-year-old Pontiac brand.
Pontiac’s origins date back to the Oakland Motor Car, which was founded in 1907 in Pontiac, Michigan, by Edward Murphy, a horse-drawn carriage manufacturer. In 1909, Oakland became part of General Motors, a conglomerate formed the previous year by another former buggy company executive, William Durant. The first Pontiac model made its debut as part of the Oakland line in the 1920s. The car, which featured a six-cylinder engine, proved so popular that the Oakland name was eventually dropped and Pontiac became its own GM division by the early 1930s.
Pontiac was initially known for making sedans; however, by the 1960s it had gained acclaim for its fast, sporty “muscle cars,” including the GTO, the Firebird and the Trans Am. The GTO, which was developed by auto industry maverick John DeLorean, was named after a Ferarri coupe, the Gran Turismo Omologato. Pontiacs were featured in such movies as 1977’s “Smokey and the Bandit,” in which actor Burt Reynolds drove a black Pontiac Trans Am, and the 1980s hit TV show “Knight Rider,” which starred a Pontiac Trans Am as KITT, a talking car with artificial intelligence, alongside David Hasselhoff as crime fighter Michael Knight.
By the mid-1980s, Pontiac’s sales reached their peak. Experts believe GM hurt the Pontiac brand in the 1970s and 1980s by opting for a money-saving strategy requiring Pontiacs to share platforms with cars from other divisions. In 2008, General Motors, which had been the world’s top-selling automaker since the early 1930s, lost the No. 1 position to Japan-based Toyota. That same year, GM, with sales slumping in the midst of a global recession, was forced to ask the federal government for a multi-billion-dollar loan to remain afloat. On April 27, 2009, as part of its reorganization plan, GM announced it would phase out the Pontiac brand by 2010. A little over a month later, on June 1, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the fourth-largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Pontiac became the second brand General Motors has eliminated in six years. Oldsmobile met the same fate in 2004 after being more slowly phased out over four years. Pontiac also became the ninth North American automobile brand since 1987 to be phased out, after Merkur, Passport, Asüna, Geo, Plymouth, American Motors (AMC) (renamed Eagle in 1988, only to be phased out a decade later), and Oldsmobile.
The last American Pontiac, a 2010 G6, was built on November 25, 2009 at the Orion Assembly plant. No public farewell took place, although a group of plant employees documented the event. In December 2009, the last Pontiac-branded vehicle to roll off an assembly line was in the Canadian-market Pontiac G3 Wave, manufactured in South Korea by GM Daewoo.
Ari Vatanen
Vatanen's 1981 Ford Escort RS.
American Indian headdress and silver streak in a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, In glory days.
One of the Last Pontiac.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor.
April 27, 1952
Ari Vatanen, a Finnish rally driver turned politician was born in Tuupovaara. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times.
April 27, 2009
On this day in 2009, the struggling American auto giant General Motors (GM) says it plans to discontinue production of its more than 80-year-old Pontiac brand.
Pontiac’s origins date back to the Oakland Motor Car, which was founded in 1907 in Pontiac, Michigan, by Edward Murphy, a horse-drawn carriage manufacturer. In 1909, Oakland became part of General Motors, a conglomerate formed the previous year by another former buggy company executive, William Durant. The first Pontiac model made its debut as part of the Oakland line in the 1920s. The car, which featured a six-cylinder engine, proved so popular that the Oakland name was eventually dropped and Pontiac became its own GM division by the early 1930s.
Pontiac was initially known for making sedans; however, by the 1960s it had gained acclaim for its fast, sporty “muscle cars,” including the GTO, the Firebird and the Trans Am. The GTO, which was developed by auto industry maverick John DeLorean, was named after a Ferarri coupe, the Gran Turismo Omologato. Pontiacs were featured in such movies as 1977’s “Smokey and the Bandit,” in which actor Burt Reynolds drove a black Pontiac Trans Am, and the 1980s hit TV show “Knight Rider,” which starred a Pontiac Trans Am as KITT, a talking car with artificial intelligence, alongside David Hasselhoff as crime fighter Michael Knight.
By the mid-1980s, Pontiac’s sales reached their peak. Experts believe GM hurt the Pontiac brand in the 1970s and 1980s by opting for a money-saving strategy requiring Pontiacs to share platforms with cars from other divisions. In 2008, General Motors, which had been the world’s top-selling automaker since the early 1930s, lost the No. 1 position to Japan-based Toyota. That same year, GM, with sales slumping in the midst of a global recession, was forced to ask the federal government for a multi-billion-dollar loan to remain afloat. On April 27, 2009, as part of its reorganization plan, GM announced it would phase out the Pontiac brand by 2010. A little over a month later, on June 1, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the fourth-largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Pontiac became the second brand General Motors has eliminated in six years. Oldsmobile met the same fate in 2004 after being more slowly phased out over four years. Pontiac also became the ninth North American automobile brand since 1987 to be phased out, after Merkur, Passport, Asüna, Geo, Plymouth, American Motors (AMC) (renamed Eagle in 1988, only to be phased out a decade later), and Oldsmobile.
The last American Pontiac, a 2010 G6, was built on November 25, 2009 at the Orion Assembly plant. No public farewell took place, although a group of plant employees documented the event. In December 2009, the last Pontiac-branded vehicle to roll off an assembly line was in the Canadian-market Pontiac G3 Wave, manufactured in South Korea by GM Daewoo.
Ari Vatanen
Vatanen's 1981 Ford Escort RS.
American Indian headdress and silver streak in a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, In glory days.
One of the Last Pontiac.
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#89
28th April
28th APril 1916
Legendary Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in a small Itallian village called Renazzo. His interest in automobile began early, modding and racing his souped up Fiat Topolino. His racing career ended when he crashed his fiat in Milli Migelia.
After the WWII he achieved great success manufacturing tractors and air conditioners. Race became his passion and collecting race cars became his hobby, including bunch of Ferraris.
Lamborgini jumped into making sports cars after a very ironic situation when he went to Enzo to advice on Ferarri's clutch issue. Enzo insulted him by saying that he doesn't need any advice from a tractor maker.
In order to achieve his goal, he hired ex-Ferrari engineers Gianpaolo Dallara and Bob Wallace to design and develop his own sports cars. The output was outstanding mid engined beauty like Lambo 350gt and Muira, which were way ahead of its time.
The company’s logo featured a bull, a reference to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s zodiac sign, Taurus the bull. Various Lamborghini models had names related to bulls or bullfighting, including the Miura (named for Don Eduardo Miura, a breeder of fighting bulls), a mid-engine sports car that was released in mid-1960s and gained Lamborghini an international following among car enthusiasts and a reputation for prestige and cutting-edge design.
In the early 1970s, Lamborghini’s tractor business experienced problems and he eventually sold his interest in his sports car business and retired to his vineyard. Automobili Lamborghini changed hands several times and in the late 1990s was purchased by German automaker Volkswagen. The company continued to build high-performance cars, including the Murcielago (capable of 250 mph) and the Gallardo. Ferruccio Lamborghini died on February 20, 1993, at the age of 76.
28th April 1939
Powel Crosely, an American industrilaist produces first American compact car. Initialy it was offered as a two-door convertible that weighed just 450 kg and sold for $250. It was powered by a 580cc 2 cylinder air cooled engine. It was mated with a 3speed gearbox The chassis had an 80-inch wheelbase, half elliptic springs with beam axle in front and quarter elliptics in the rear.
Later many body style were released viz., four-passenger convertibles, a convertible sedan, a station wagon, a panel truck , a pickup , and two models called "Parkway Delivery" (a mini-panel with no roof over the front seat) and "Covered Wagon" (a convertible picion wagonkup truck with a removable back seat).
Ferruccio Lamborghini
First Crosley
Crosley Super Sport 1951
28th APril 1916
Legendary Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in a small Itallian village called Renazzo. His interest in automobile began early, modding and racing his souped up Fiat Topolino. His racing career ended when he crashed his fiat in Milli Migelia.
After the WWII he achieved great success manufacturing tractors and air conditioners. Race became his passion and collecting race cars became his hobby, including bunch of Ferraris.
Lamborgini jumped into making sports cars after a very ironic situation when he went to Enzo to advice on Ferarri's clutch issue. Enzo insulted him by saying that he doesn't need any advice from a tractor maker.
In order to achieve his goal, he hired ex-Ferrari engineers Gianpaolo Dallara and Bob Wallace to design and develop his own sports cars. The output was outstanding mid engined beauty like Lambo 350gt and Muira, which were way ahead of its time.
The company’s logo featured a bull, a reference to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s zodiac sign, Taurus the bull. Various Lamborghini models had names related to bulls or bullfighting, including the Miura (named for Don Eduardo Miura, a breeder of fighting bulls), a mid-engine sports car that was released in mid-1960s and gained Lamborghini an international following among car enthusiasts and a reputation for prestige and cutting-edge design.
In the early 1970s, Lamborghini’s tractor business experienced problems and he eventually sold his interest in his sports car business and retired to his vineyard. Automobili Lamborghini changed hands several times and in the late 1990s was purchased by German automaker Volkswagen. The company continued to build high-performance cars, including the Murcielago (capable of 250 mph) and the Gallardo. Ferruccio Lamborghini died on February 20, 1993, at the age of 76.
28th April 1939
Powel Crosely, an American industrilaist produces first American compact car. Initialy it was offered as a two-door convertible that weighed just 450 kg and sold for $250. It was powered by a 580cc 2 cylinder air cooled engine. It was mated with a 3speed gearbox The chassis had an 80-inch wheelbase, half elliptic springs with beam axle in front and quarter elliptics in the rear.
Later many body style were released viz., four-passenger convertibles, a convertible sedan, a station wagon, a panel truck , a pickup , and two models called "Parkway Delivery" (a mini-panel with no roof over the front seat) and "Covered Wagon" (a convertible picion wagonkup truck with a removable back seat).
Ferruccio Lamborghini
First Crosley
Crosley Super Sport 1951
Source:
The History Channel
Wikipedia
The History Channel
Wikipedia
Thread Starter
#90
April 29, 1951
Dale Earnhardt Sr., popularly known as "The Intimidator" was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He is considered as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. He died on February 18, 2001, when he was fatally injured in a last-lap at the Daytona 500. Earnhardt, age 49, died instantly of head injuries.
April 29, 2004
On this day in 2004, the last Oldsmobile comes off the assembly line at the Lansing Car Assembly plant in Michigan, signaling the end of the 106-year-old automotive brand, America’s oldest. Factory workers signed the last Oldsmobile, an Alero sedan, before the vehicle was moved to Lansing’s R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, where it went on display. The last 500 Aleros ever manufactured featured “Final 500” emblems and were painted dark metallic cherry red.
In 1897, Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950), an Ohio-born engine maker, founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing. In 1901, the company, then known as Olds Motor Works, debuted the Curved Dash Oldsmobile, a gas-powered, open-carriage vehicle named for its curved front footboard. More than 400 of these vehicles were sold during the first year, at a price of $650 each (around $17,000 in today’s dollars). In subsequent years, sales reached into the thousands. However, by 1904, clashes between Olds and his investors caused him to sell the bulk of his stock and leave the company. He soon went on to found the REO (based on his initials) Motor Car Company, which built cars until 1936 and produced trucks until 1975.
In 1908, Oldsmobile was the second brand, after Buick, to become part of the newly established General Motors (GM). Oldsmobile became a top brand for GM and pioneered such features as chrome-plating in 1926 and, in 1940, the first fully automatic transmission for a mass-market vehicle. Oldsmobile concentrated on cars for middle-income consumers and from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was America’s best-selling auto. However, in the decades that followed, sales began to decline, prompting GM to announce in 2000 that it would discontinue the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 models. When the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobiles had been built during the brand’s lifetime. Along with Daimler and Peugeot, Oldsmobile was among the world’s oldest auto brands.
Dale Earnhardt
President of the Oldsmobile Dealer Council, George Nahas, in the passenger seat, rides along with GM employees, Rick Parr, driving, Al Cooper and Bill Schleicher, back seat, in a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero GLS sedan as it leaves the assembly line in Lansing, Michigan on Wednesday, April 29, 2004. This vehicle is the last Oldsmobile to leave the assembly line at the Lansing Car Assembly Chassis Plant.
Don Brown in the passenger seat and Doug Stott, production manager for the Oldsmobile brand, park the last made Oldsmobile, an Alero, at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, Mich., on April 29.
Dale Earnhardt Sr., popularly known as "The Intimidator" was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He is considered as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. He died on February 18, 2001, when he was fatally injured in a last-lap at the Daytona 500. Earnhardt, age 49, died instantly of head injuries.
April 29, 2004
On this day in 2004, the last Oldsmobile comes off the assembly line at the Lansing Car Assembly plant in Michigan, signaling the end of the 106-year-old automotive brand, America’s oldest. Factory workers signed the last Oldsmobile, an Alero sedan, before the vehicle was moved to Lansing’s R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, where it went on display. The last 500 Aleros ever manufactured featured “Final 500” emblems and were painted dark metallic cherry red.
In 1897, Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950), an Ohio-born engine maker, founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing. In 1901, the company, then known as Olds Motor Works, debuted the Curved Dash Oldsmobile, a gas-powered, open-carriage vehicle named for its curved front footboard. More than 400 of these vehicles were sold during the first year, at a price of $650 each (around $17,000 in today’s dollars). In subsequent years, sales reached into the thousands. However, by 1904, clashes between Olds and his investors caused him to sell the bulk of his stock and leave the company. He soon went on to found the REO (based on his initials) Motor Car Company, which built cars until 1936 and produced trucks until 1975.
In 1908, Oldsmobile was the second brand, after Buick, to become part of the newly established General Motors (GM). Oldsmobile became a top brand for GM and pioneered such features as chrome-plating in 1926 and, in 1940, the first fully automatic transmission for a mass-market vehicle. Oldsmobile concentrated on cars for middle-income consumers and from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was America’s best-selling auto. However, in the decades that followed, sales began to decline, prompting GM to announce in 2000 that it would discontinue the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 models. When the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobiles had been built during the brand’s lifetime. Along with Daimler and Peugeot, Oldsmobile was among the world’s oldest auto brands.
Dale Earnhardt
President of the Oldsmobile Dealer Council, George Nahas, in the passenger seat, rides along with GM employees, Rick Parr, driving, Al Cooper and Bill Schleicher, back seat, in a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero GLS sedan as it leaves the assembly line in Lansing, Michigan on Wednesday, April 29, 2004. This vehicle is the last Oldsmobile to leave the assembly line at the Lansing Car Assembly Chassis Plant.
Don Brown in the passenger seat and Doug Stott, production manager for the Oldsmobile brand, park the last made Oldsmobile, an Alero, at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, Mich., on April 29.
Source:
The History Channel
cartype.com
Wikipedia
The History Channel
cartype.com
Wikipedia