Automotive History
300+ Stories
Journey through the captivating world of automotive history with "300+ Stories." This collection dives deep into the iconic cars, legendary designers, and groundbreaking innovations that have shaped the industry. From the Ford Model T to the Tesla Model S, explore the evolution of automobiles and the stories behind their creation. Discover tales of famous races, influential figures, and engineering marvels that have defined automotive history. Whether you're a casual enthusiast or a die-hard gearhead, "300+ Stories" offers a fascinating look at the past, present, and future of the automobile.
The main thing about the 1953 race at Watkins Glen was the question of whether there would be a race at all. The previous year there had been a fatality...
Synonymous with Zagato, but embraced throughout the automotive industry, double-bubble roofs are one of the most striking design cues ever to emerge from post-WWII Italy. An already established coachbuilder with...
1965 Monaco Grand Prix – Graham Hill ‘s Greatest Race By Graham Hill The 1965 Monte Carlo was a race, which I have always considered to be one of the...
The 1940 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1940 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 28, 1940 / Winner: von Hanstein – Baumer / Winning Speed: 104.20 mph / Starters: 88 /...
Of all the famous nameplates borne by Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1904, few are as celebrated, significant, evocative and enduring as the ‘Silver Ghost’. Formally launched in 1906 as the...
The Volkswagen Beetle is an icon. Over the years, it has symbolized many different things to many different people, from a classic example of German ingenuity to the calling card...
Forty years ago, in 1977 and ’78, Mario Andretti was the man to beat in Grand Prix racing aboard Colin Chapman’s JPS Lotus 78 and 79 Formula One cars. Andretti...
1903 Paris to Madrid – The Race to Death By Charles Jarrott PARIS-BORDEAUX! The very name conjures up old memories of struggles, grim and fierce, and thrilling fights amongst those...
A Rogue, an XK120 and the World Record that Took 5 Years and Stirling Moss to Break. It was a car the likes of which had not been seen before....
The 1948 Silverstone Grand Prix will be celebrated at this year’s Silverstone Classic, to be staged 20-22 July 2018 at the historic 3.6-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire, England....
Pete Lovely said it best: “We couldn’t believe they would let us race through this beautiful park, which was almost in the heart of a major city.” Not only were...
No one was exactly thrilled when word reached Maranello, Modena, Arese and points north that the automobile club of an Italian seaside town called Bari was organizing a new Grand...
Sixty years ago, an American sportsman built his own cars to tackle the world’s greatest endurance race Many in America today see road racing as more a sub-genre of motor...
In April 1964, a new Gran Turismo racer 40-inches high rolled out of the Ford Advanced Vehicles factory in Slough, England, and in an inspired moment, Ford decided to call...
In 1955 Denis Jenkinson wrote of the EMW sports racers: “By comparison, the well-known 300 SLR Mercedes-Benz sports cars have a poor air-flow over the bodywork with their numerous louvers,...
Images by: Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale and CofGâr, Carmarthenshire County Council Museums and Arts Service Away from the bright lights, and tucked away in West Wales is the village of Pendine,...
The 1930 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1930 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 16-17, 1929 / Winner: Nuvolari – Guidotti / Winning Speed: 62.78 mph / Starters: 135 / Finishers:...
His signature sky blue helmet firmly strapped to his head, Alberto Ascari poses for a Pirelli publicity picture before the 1952 Italian GP at Monza. Photo Pirelli One spring day...
Yes, girls, too. In fact, if it hadn’t been for one—Mildred Mary Bruce—the famous Blower Bentley could have stayed an idea rolling around in Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin’s head. Bruce...
Can you imagine the sheer agony if you were a Formula One fan and had to watch two dozen Grand Prix races of the sort we have been seeing over...
Without a shadow of a doubt, Carroll Shelby is the greatest American racing car constructor of the 20th century and the story of his road to 1966 Le Mans victory...
Who invented the motor car, or automobile? There have been several claimants to this title over the years; some justifiable, others hoping for a bit of glory. What is not...
In 2015, it was announced that the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur would hold a street Grand Prix for GT3 cars and a variety of sports cars. However, this was...
The Tasman Cup is long remembered as a time when Australians and New Zealanders flocked to racing circuits to watch overseas names compete with the local stars. While the Cup...
Howden Ganley stopped by our vendor booth at the recent Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where one of the old photos we showed him started a discussion so interesting that I’m...
The Greatest Supercars And Sports Cars Of The 2000s At the turn of the millennium, the supercar was in a good spot. The internet bubble was making instant millionaires and...
1899 Columbia Elec Brougham. Today the name Town Car is almost exclusively associated with Lincoln, but that was by no means the case for most of the 20th Century. From...
Georges Lemaître actually finished 2nd in the 1894 Paris-Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition in this Peugeot 3hp, but was awarded victory and the posted 5000-franc prize because his ride looked more...
Achille Varzi, in the Alfa Romeo 158 “Alfetta”, set the 2nd fastest time for Heat 1 behind the Alfa 158 of Carlo Trossi. Photo: Ed McDonough Collection No Subscription? You’re...
Maserati recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of Luigi “Gigi” Villoresi’s impressive win at the 1939 Targa Florio at the wheel of the Maserati Tipo 6CM. The Milan-born driver achieved victory...
Maserati is celebrating 50 years of the Bora, their first mid-mounted rear engine road car with four-wheel independent suspension, which was built between 1971 to 1978. No Subscription? You’re missing...
Pete Kreis The son of a wealthy Tennessee family, Pete Kreis had grown up during the time that European manufacturers dominated automobile racing at the Indianapolis 500. When he broke...
A shortish, miserable-looking man with a square moustache strutted into the room, his face non-committal, his uniform vaguely operatic. He had come to see what he had got for his...
Today we think of Fiat’s role in Grand Prix racing as the owner of Ferrari, but the Turin company was once a successful pacesetter in the sport in its own...
1968: A Year Like No Other 1968 can be considered as the great year of the 60s: the uprisings in Czechoslovakia against the socialist rules, the increase in intensity and...
The start of the first official race on the ice of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Left to right: the Stanguellini of Crivellari (#30), the Volpini of Zanarotti (#26) and another Stanguellini, this...
The MINI brand turned 50 years old on August 26, 2009. Fifty years ago to the day, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) unveiled the result of its quest to design...
A Brief History and Genesis of One of the World’s Most Famous Races. Italy was still firmly entrenched in the 19th Century in 1926, when four men from Brescia put...
The Petersen Automotive Museum has just debuted its newest exhibit, “Eyes on the Road: Art of the Automotive Landscape.” The display, which explores the intersection of art, the motoring environment...
The 1936 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1936 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 5-6, 1936 / Winner: Brivio – Ongaro / Winning Speed: 76.01 mph / Starters: 69 / Finishers:...
The 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans did not look as though it would be a walkover for Phil Hill, the number one driver of the Ferrari works team and...
Since the very beginning of motorsports competition, a common thread has run through the sport: It takes money to go fast. An old joke goes something like, “You know how...
The 1935 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1935 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 14-15, 1935 / Winner: Pintacuda – Della Stufa / Winning Speed: 71.72 mph / Starters: 86 /...
In 2022, Lamborghini is paying tribute to the V12, the legendary 12-cylinder engine that has been the heart of their most iconic models for almost 60 years. The Lamborghini Diablo...
When last we left Formula 5000 (VR April 2014) Jody Scheckter had just overcome challenger Brian Redman for the 1973 crown, and despite the exit of title sponsor L&M cigarettes...
1937 Donington Grand Prix – When The Germans Came to Donington by Rodney Walkerley The Donington Grand Prix of 1937 was the race and the year in which the already...
Robert Newman examines the history and scandals that defined Africa’s first Grand Prix. The Italians are nuts about motor racing and have been for 100 years. So in 1925 it...
Photo: Pirelli Eugenio Castellotti was deeply concerned about his best friend and mentor. Four days earlier, Alberto Ascari plunged his Lancia D50 headlong into Monte Carlo harbor at more than...
The Silver Arrows Story The history of Grand Prix Motor Racing through the lives of its greatest drivers, people and events with a special focus on the history of Formula...
1938 Hungarian Grand Prix – Nuvolari Gets His Revenge By Dennis David In 1936 other cars known as die Silberpfeile or Silver Arrows raced in Hungary, that time on a...
Huffaker Engineering has been more successful, over a longer period of time, and in more forms of motorsport, than any other American racecar manufacturer. Who else has built winning sports...
Choosing a name for a new Rolls-Royce motor car is a crucial, highly considered and painstaking process, in which the marque’s unique heritage plays a central part. Of the current...
Going into the new season, they looked to be in a strong position. Their car was the fastest in the field, they had two front-line drivers – one the reigning...
Jack Johnson behind the wheel. Black participation in American motorsports dates back to 1909, when then heavyweight champion Jack Johnson won several races in a Southern California race carnival. In...
Daytona is a name that has long been part of the speed racing history as early American-based land speed record attempts were undertaken on the beaches within a 20-minute drive...
In March, 2019, the Hispano Suiza brand was revived when a new luxury hypercar, the Carmen, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. The Carmen is the new flag bearer...
Die Silberpfeile – The Silver Arrows Teams The Fuhrer has spoken. The 1934 Grand Prix formula shall and must be a measuring stick for German knowledge and German ability. So...
The Design Concepts of Jean Bugatti As a freethinking engineer and designer, his automobile creations were exceptional, daring to break norms and conventions. Today, his work continues to inspire the...
The CSI struck again in 1965, this time putting out a much more comprehensive 17 pages of regulations called Appendix J to better govern the sport. And that was the...
The 1937 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1937 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 4-5, 1937 / Winner: Pintacuda – Mambelli / Winning Speed: 71.71 mph / Starters: 124 / Finishers:...
In a story spanning 40 years, motorsports photographer Hal Crocker compares and contrasts Mark Donohue’s experiences at the 24 Hours of Daytona, including his unlikely victory in 1969, with David’s...
500 Miglia di Monza – The Race of Two Worlds By Dennis David In 1954, redevelopment of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza included rebuilding the oval portion of the track which...
THE STORY OF MALAYA’S RACING SPECIALS The Malayan-built Special has always been an integral part of the racing movement in that part of the world, yet it is an aspect...
The Greatest Supercars And Sports Cars Of The 1970s The seventies was a sharper era after the radical experimentation of the sixties. Shapes were becoming more angular and harder-edged, while...
Lancia. Ever heard of them? If not, it’s not surprising. Their cars are not exactly sold all over the world. Yet the Italian manufacturer has won no fewer than 19...
Motor Racing History – The Big 12 Cylinders & The Arrival of Sponsorships, Advanced Safety and Aerodynamics Checkbook Racing The 1968 season had barely begun before it was rocked to...
Motor Racing History – The Monsters F1 Turbo Engines The Turbo Years The war between FISA and FOCA continued into 1981 causing the postponement of the Argentine Grand Prix. Bernie...
1935 German Grand Prix – The Maestro and the Pechvogel By Douglas S. Brown The proud aristocratic German felt that he had the race in his pocket. There was just...
1990s Supercars: The Golden Era – Homologation, The Big Mac and the Rise of the Everyday Supercar. Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Supercars from the 1990s Best 90s Supercars...
In early April, I made my way to Las Vegas for the inaugural Champ car Vegas Grand Prix. This new event featured just three races through the streets of downtown...
By Louis Galanos Over the past 60-plus years the legendary Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance has been surrounded by numerous myths, fairy tales, legends and folklore. No Subscription?...
Museum Spotlight The 500 K Special Roadster is a superstar at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. What makes it so fascinating? It is an extraordinary automotive sculpture whose elegance radiates effortlessly from...
Only three of the world’s oldest motor races still take place. The most senior of them is the 500 Miles of Indianapolis, which was first run in 1911 and is...
The storied history of then-named Laguna Seca Raceway officially began November 9, 1957 with the inaugural race called the Eighth Annual Pebble Beach Road Races. This was a continuation of...
The Greatest Supercars And Sports Cars Of The 1980s The seventies brought us futuristic visions of wedge-shaped supercars with pop-up headlamps. The eighties took things to the next level, with...
The sensational Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car debuted on a motorway on March 12, 1952. Commencing from 1954 until today, the highly successful competition car has greatly influenced the tradition...
FORMULA ONE & TWO AT REIMS, 1958 | It could never happen now. Ian Burgess was a works Cooper driver but he had to borrow Cyril AtkinsÕ Cooper T-43 for...
The chaotic scene just after the #88 car of Huhn/Schwarz crashed at the Nürburgring in 1970.Photo: Porsche Werk Motor racing has always involved risk for the drivers, and sometimes for...
If you were a music fan during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, you’ll remember the hit songs “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley,” “They Call the Wind Maria” and...
The 1932 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1932 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 9-10, 1932 / Winner: Borzacchini – Bignami / Winning Speed: 68.67 mph / Starters: 88 / Finishers:...
In the early 20th century, the motor car was considered a killer. The culprit was the 1903 Paris to Madrid road race that never made it to Madrid. It was stopped by...
There were no rally cars, as such, during the sport’s first 50 years or so, just the bog standard daily transport people drove to work and back each day. Many...
Touring car racing has usually been seen as the court jester to the serious stuff of single-seaters, but in a passing conversation at the Goodwood Revival someone said to me...
The Greatest Supercars And Sports Cars Of The 1960s The 1960s was a decade of great progress. The world was changing, and car design leapt forward, building upon the growth...
The 1953 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1953 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 25-26, 1953 / Winner: Marzotto G. – Crosara – Rolfo / Winning Speed: 88.96 mph / Starters:...
The finned Cunningham D-Types of Walt Hansgen and Sherwood Johnston, wait with Duncan Forlong’s AC/Bristol and Curtis Attaway’s XK-120.Photo: Bob Schroeder Over the years Texas has seen its share of...
Once upon a time it was not unusual to find American constructors on Grand Prix entry lists… With February’s announcement of a new American constructor preparing to contest the Formula...
Fascination with miniature versions of something grand, like an automobile, may seem frivolous, silly even. Items like this, arguably little more than trinkets, serve very little if any practical purpose....
Black Jack and his Brabham biplane are evidence of the aerodynamic wilderness in which the Grand Prix teams found themselves once “The Wing” worked its way into F1’s consciousness.Photo: Chris...
Alfa Romeo Logo Evolution Alfa Romeo has a long history in racing that dates back to 1910 and extends to Formula One today. Throughout its 112-year history, many Alfa Romeo...
1955 Syracuse Grand Prix – Sensation at Syracuse By Peter Lewis In October 1955, with nearly ten years of motor racing completed since the war, enthusiasts in this country were...
A short history of Racing in the Far East When you read about racing in Asia, it will invariably be about the Sepang F1 GP in Malaysia or the Shanghai...
Jochen Rindt (right) and Lotus boss Colin Chapman celebrate the Austrian’s 1970 British Grand Prix victory. Photo: Maureen Magee The poet Robert Browning wrote “how sad and bad and mad it...
More than half a century ago, Turkey’s first passenger vehicles went into mass production—Anadol. Manufactured by Istanbul-based Otosan Otomobil Sanayii (“Otosan Automotive Industry”), Anadol produced seven different models from 1966 to...
More than 80 years ago, two fabulously wealthy young American brothers, accompanied by their butler, flew a primitive plywood-based biplane many thousands of miles to take part in an obscure...
Sunoco was approached by Roger Penske, in the fall of 1965, to sponsor his newly formed racing team. After the financial details were worked out, a representative from Sunoco’s Automotive...
Horribly Beautiful The story of the Mille Miglia begins in 1921 when the Auto Club di Brescia organized the first Italian Grand Prix. Seeing the success of this race the...
Mercedes have an unparalleled motorsport history. Throughout the years, the German manufacturer has been continuously innovating, testing, and retesting. From the invention of the first modern car, the use of...
The 1957 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1957 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: May 12-13, 1957 / Winner: Taruffi / Winning Speed: 95.39 mph / Starters: 298 / Finishers: 163 The...
