When the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show opened its doors to the public on this day of that year, attendees were welcomed under the theme “Vehicles: Past, Present, and Future.” For Toyota, the future was all that mattered. Within the automaker’s display of 51 vehicles sat three concept cars showcasing studies in driver control, styling and […] The post October 28, 1983 – Toyota unveils 3 concept cars appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
On October 11, 2025, Willow Springs Raceway, a historic racetrack located about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles California, had a reopening party, which organizers called Willow Springs Reimagined. It was an opportunity to show off all of the updates made to the facility following its sale last year. It includes new […]| This Day In Automotive History
The automotive industry changed forever when the first production Chevrolet Corvette rolled out of a General Motors’ assembly facility in Flint, Michigan, on this day in 1953. The Corvette, a dream vehicle designed by Harley Earl, first met the public in January 1953. The prototype fiberglass bodied sports car debuted at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel […]| This Day In Automotive History
U.S. Route 66, was officially decertified on this June 27, 1985 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.| This Day In Automotive History
Something out of this world happened on this day in 1992 when a meteorite struck a parked 1980 Chevrolet Malibu in Peekskill, New York. Thousands of people looked on that evening as a meteor, later discovered to be 4.4 billion years old, lit up the sky over the East Coast of the United States. Upon […] The post October 9, 1992 – Meteorite hits a Chevy appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
Hey automotive history folks. I’m making my way from the PNW down to the Los Angeles area this weekend for a little automotive pilgrimage. While the Willow Springs grand re-opening was the sort of catalyst for all of this, I’m planning to do a fair share of other automotive activities. Among the boxes I look […] The post Off to the Races – See You at Willow Springs appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
James Dean was killed while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on September 30, 1955. The car, believed to be cursed, has since gone missing.|James Dean was killed while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on September 30, 1955. The car, believed to be cursed, has since gone missing.| This Day In Automotive History
The Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France, the first Grand Prix event in France, started on this day in 1906 and would come to an end the following evening. Each day of the race had the drivers completing six laps of a 103.18-kilometre (64.11 mi) circuit composed of closed public roads outside the city […]| This Day In Automotive History
Should you have opened your newspaper on this day in 1963, you may have come across an ad for a brand new Chevrolet, the Chevelle. Officially introduced by Bunkie Knudsen at a press conference the next day, the Chevelle was the only all new US car for the 1964 model year. (But what about the […] The post September 25, 1963 – First ads run for Chevrolet Chevelle appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
On this day in 1970, dealerships began selling the 1971 Chevrolet Vega. The subcompact commuter, which won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award for 1971, was developed under chief engineer Ed Cole and chief stylist Bill Mitchell. In the years following its introduction, various issues with engineering, safety and reliability were discovered. The media […] The post September 10, 1970 – Chevrolet Vega goes on sale appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
Ford’s answer to the Corvette, the Thunderbird, began rolling off assembly lines on this day in 1954 for the 1955 model year. The Thunderbird, while aligned to compete with Chevrolet’s sports car, was positioned as a personal luxury vehicle. Ford emphasized its new car’s comfort and convenience, letting shoppers discover its sportiness during the test […] The post September 9, 1954 – The First Ford Thunderbird appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
Augusta and Adeline Van Buren crossed the USA on motorcycles, landing in LA on September 8, 1916, becoming the 2nd & 3rd women to do so.| This Day In Automotive History
Henry Ford II, known as “Hank” to many, was born on September 4, 1917, in Detroit, Michigan, to Edsel Ford and Eleanor Clay Ford. He was the eldest grandson of the legendary automotive pioneer Henry Ford, who had founded the Ford Motor Company. Growing up in the shadow of the company’s success, young Henry was […] The post August 29, 1987 – Henry Ford II dies appeared first on This Day In Automotive History.| This Day In Automotive History
Originally founded in 1927 as Cadillac's companion brand, the last LaSalle left the factory on August 26, 1940.| This Day In Automotive History
On August 7, 2001, Ford and Navistar joined forces to create the Blue Diamond Truck Co. The venture would last about 15 years.| This Day In Automotive History
Explore the captivating world of automotive history with This Day In Automotive History. We share daily transportation history lessons.| This Day In Automotive History
There many not have been any cars on Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway on this day in 1973, but 600,000 people still showed up. For what? One heck of a concert. Summer Jam drew the record-breaking crowd to the track to see performances by The Band, The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. The […]| This Day In Automotive History
The Cord 810 was the first production car to feature retractable headlights, which received a patent on July 19, 1934.| This Day In Automotive History
The final Renault CV4, the first French car to reach one million production units, left the assembly line on July 6, 1961.| This Day In Automotive History
The last true Packard rolled out of the Packard plant in Detroit on this day in 1956. The name lived for two more years on re-badged Studebakers built in Indiana. Packard is said to be born out of a feud that started in 1898 between James Ward Packard and Alexander Winton, the founder of Winton […]| This Day In Automotive History
Juan Manuel Fangio, born in Argentina on June 24, 1911, dominated the first decade of Formula One with five World Championships.| This Day In Automotive History
The movie Le Mans starring Steve McQueen debuted on June 23, 1971. McQueen's character Michael Delaney drives a Porsche 917K.|The movie Le Mans starring Steve McQueen debuted on June 23, 1971. McQueen's character Michael Delaney drives a Porsche 917K.| This Day In Automotive History
On this day in 2001 The Fast and the Furious debuted in theaters around the globe, launching one of the most successful film and entertainment empires to date. To date it is the tenth highest grossing film series ever, raking in $5.8 billion to date. The ninth film in the series scheduled for release in […]| This Day In Automotive History
