The Carnut's History of the World...of Cars
2/1/2008
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History according to a Carnut!!!

Special thanks to the History Channel
and other websites dedicated to the history of different forgotten parts of the history of the automobile
My own comments in Italics...not the views of the History Channel

 Time for a little fun.Everyone should subscribe to the History channels amazing daily e-mail of what happened on this day in History. Subscribe here

I will take the most pertinent info from their amazing archive and add my own insitefull comments....and other info I find from other sources and try to entertain and inform.
February 21

1948 NASCAR, Inc.(That's right it's an INC. not a SPORT)

Six days after its first race was held, NASCAR was officially incorporated as the National Association for Stock Car Racing, with race promoter Bill France as president. From the beginning, stock car racing had a widespread appeal with its fan base. As the legend goes, the sport evolved from Southern liquor smugglers who souped up their pre-war Fords to outrun the police. NASCAR brought the sport organization and legitimacy. It was Bill France who realized that product identification would increase enthusiasm for the sport. He wanted the fans to see the cars they drove to the track win the races on the track. By 1949, all the postwar car modelshad been released, so NASCAR held a 150-mile race at the Charlotte Speedway to introduce its Grand National Division. The race was restricted to late-model strictly stock automobiles.

I have said it before and I will say it again...where is the NASVAN race and NASSUV race being held???

1954 Victory With No Brakes(racing without brakes seems like half of a sport)

Petty Seniors' New Yorkers' brakes failed. Driving the rest of the race with no brakes, Petty downshifted his way into a competitive position. A late stop for fuel, though, sealed his fate, as he overshot his pit and lost precious seconds. Petty crossed the finish line second to the favored Olds 88 car driven by Tim Flock. The next morning Petty, eating breakfast with his family in a hotel restaurant, learned that Flock's Olds had been disqualified. Petty had won Daytona with no brakes.

It seems to me that any race that can be won without brakes could also be won by a driver that can only half drive!!! This may not be a popular sentinent but I feel that ovals are for bedpans and toilet seats!
February 20

1993 From Frustration to Supercar(How do you maks a small fortune in the auto industry???...start with a large fortune and wait a few years)

Ferrucio Lamborghini died on this day in 1993, leaving behind a remarkable life story of a farm boy with bigdreams. Lamborghini grew up tinkering with tractors. He enrolled in an industrial college near Bologna, where he studied machinery.After the war he returned to his family's farm and began assembling tractors from leftover war vehicles. Lamborghini built such high-quality tractors that by the mid-1950s, the Lamborghini Tractor Company had become one of Italy's largest farm equipment manufacturers. But Ferrucio dreamt of cars. In 1963, he bought land, built an ultra-modern factory, and hired distinguished Alfa Romeo designer Giotti Bizzarini. Together they set out to create the ultimate automobile. In 1964, Lamborghini produced the 300 GT, a large and graceful sports car.

Lamborghini sold off his interest as the Countach was starting. It is interesting to note that Lambo went to Enzo with a few Ideas on improving the Ferrari models of the 50's and was snubbed by the "old Man". He went on to make his own cars. Just Like Enzo got his feelings hurt by Alfa romeo and went on to make his own cars.

Never Underestimate how sensitive the Italian Mens feelings are.


 1937 Birth Of An Indy 500 Legend(Not to mention Rental cars and trucks)

Legendary driver and designer Roger Penske was born on this day. While he drove and designed a variety of
race-car models, Penske is most famous for his achievements in Indy car design, a field that he dominated for many years. Penske cars won three consecutive Indy 500s from 1987 to 1989 and 11 Indy 500s in 23 years.
Overseeing the development of his team cars, Penske created an empire that would redefine Indy car racing.
Asked why the Penske car was so successful, champion driver Emerson Fitipaldi explained, "The Penske is consistent and easy to adjust. That's why it wins."
Penske was also a big winner at Trans AM racing and I was watching Speed channel and they got a kick how Ol Penske had 2 cars and one was much lighter than allowed. Numbers were switched constantly so that the heavy one went through tech twice and the lightweight went on to win. That blows that whole Cheaters never Prosper
theory!!!
February 19
1954 T-Bird Hatches

The Ford Thunderbird was born in prototype form on this day. It wouldn't be released to the market on a wide
scale until the fall of 1954, the beginning of the 1955 model year. The T-Bird was a scaled-down Ford built for
two. It came with a removable fiberglass hard top and a convertible canvas roof for sunny days. Armed with a
V-8 and sporty looks, the T-Bird was an image car. For $2,944 a driver could drop the top, turn the radio dial,
and enter a more promising world.

I can't imagine the guy that pulled the cloth off the prototype to show the world would imagine that in just a
few years the svelte sexy chick would turn into a bloated ageing Drag queen(Pun Intended)
February 18 Big Big Day in Race History
 February 17
1898 Birth Of A Legend

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari was born in Modena, Italy, on this day. After fighting in World War I, Ferrari became a professional driver with the Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazional (CMN.) The following year, Ferrari moved to Alpha Romeo, establishing a relationship that would span two decades and take Ferrari from test driver to the director post of the Alpha Racing Division. Ferrari left Alpha Romeo in 1940, transforming the Scuderia into an independent manufacturing company, the Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari. Construction of the first Ferrari vehicle was delayed until the end of World War II. Like Ferdinand Porsche, Enzo Ferrari suffered during the war, as his factory was bombed on numerous occasions. Still, Ferrari persisted with his work. In 1949, Ferrari's 166 won the 24 Hours at Le Mans, Europe's most famous car race. Ferrari would not look back. His passion for racing drove his company to become one of the world's premier race car builders. Ferrari cars would win 25 world titles and over 5,000 individual races during Enzo's 41-year reign. Off the track the company fared just as well. Responding to Ferrari's personal demand that his engineers create the finest sports car in the world, the company produced the F40 in 1987. With a top speed of 201mph and a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds, the F40 may have been Ferrari's crowning achievement. Enzo Anselmo Ferrari died on August 14, 1988.

Ferrari manufactured milling equipment while waiting out WWII. Alfa Romeo were not keen for him to produce cars that would compete against him.

1973 The King And His Subjects

Richard Petty, the "King of Stock Car Racing," won the Daytona 500 before a crowd of over 103,000 spectators, marking the first time a stock car race had drawn over 100,000 spectators. No longer would there be questions about NASCAR's mainstream popularity. On this day in 1979, Petty became the first man to win six Daytona 500s. Winning the most prestigious event in any sport six times is enough to earn the nickname "The King," but Petty is perhaps most famous for his 1967 season in which he won 27 of 48 races, including a record 10 straight victories. In a sport where mechanical failure is commonplace, Petty's total domination was seen as superhuman.
"The King" came from royal stock. His father, Lee Petty, was the first man to win the Daytona 500. Here is a fellow that just defies you not to like him. I still doubt that many years after his career is over

Michael Schumacher will be 1/4 as likeable as Richard Petty.

2001 The Intimidator Dies in Daytona Crash

Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, died on this day in a last-lap crash at the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was 49. Earnhardt was about half a mile from the finish line when his car, the famous black No. 3 Chevrolet, spun out of control and then crashed into a wall while
simultaneously colliding with driver Ken Schrader’s car. He died instantly of head injuries.

As an outcome of this event many drivers wear a "HANS" device to protect the neck from injury
February 17
 February 17

1972 VW Bug Sets Record

The 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle rolled out of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, surpassing the Ford Model T's previous production record to become the most heavily produced car in history. The Beetle was the brainchild of Ferdinand Porsche. He developed the Volkswagen on orders from the German government to produce an affordable car for the people. Developed before World War II, the Beetle did not go into full-scale production until after the war. In 1998, Volkswagen released the "New Beetle" to rave reviews. The "Old Beetle," however, hasn't completely disappeared, as it is still being produced in Mexico.
Apparently even the Mexicans have had enough of the foul smelling beetle. It is soon to be phased out and when I was last in Mexico there were a lot of Hyundai cars with Dodge Badges on them being driven around.

1911 A Real Self-Starter

The first self-starter, based on patented inventions created by General Motors (GM) engineers Clyde Coleman and Charles Kettering, was installed in a Cadillac. In the early years of fierce competition with Ford, the self-starter would play a key role in helping GM to keep pace. The Ford Model T's crank starter caused its share of broken jaws and ribs. Charles Kettering, the founder of Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company), devised countless improvements for the automobile, including lighting and ignition systems, lacquer finishes, antilock fuels, and leaded gasoline. Prior to his work with cars, Kettering also invented the electric cash register.

It still amazes me that someone took he time to put lead...a highly poisionous substance and put it where it
could be burned and realeased into the air we breathe. Is it possible he also had some device to clean the air that he was trying to sell...

February 16

February 13
1852 The Studebaker is Born

Henry and Clement Studebaker founded H & C Studebaker, a blacksmith and wagon building business, in South Bend,Indiana. The brothers made their fortune manufacturing during the Civil War, as The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company became the world's largest manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages.
With the advent of the automobile, Studebaker converted its business to car manufacturing, becoming one of the
larger independent automobile manufacturers. During World War II, Studebaker manufactured airplanes for the war
effort and emphasized its patriotic role by releasing cars called "The President," "The Champion," and "The
Commander." Like many of the independents, Studebaker fared well during the war by producing affordable family
cars.
After the war, the Big Three, bolstered by their new government-subsidized production facilities, were too much
for many of the independents. Studebaker was no exception. Post World War II competition drove Studebaker to its limits, and the company merged with the Packard Corporation in 1954.
Financial hardship continued however as they continued to lose money over the next several years. Studebaker
rebounded in 1959 with the introduction of the compact Lark but it was shortlived. The 1966 Cruiser marked the
end of the Studebaker after 114 years.

It seems Ironic that a company that made it's fortune manufacturing during the Civil War would lose out on the
cheap factories provided to the big 3 after WWII.

1958 The T-Bird Honeymoon is over

The first Ford Thunderbird with four seats was introduced. The four-passenger "square bird" converted the top-of-the-line Ford from a sports car to a luxury car. The new four-seater packed a 352-cubic-inch 300
horsepower V-8. Thirty-eight thousand cars were initially sold, making the T-Bird one of only two American cars to increase sales between 1957 and 1958. The T-Bird has become a symbol of 1950s American culture, immortalized in movies like Grease and rock songs like the Beach Boys' "I Get Around."

But hey, like a lot of princesses they put on weight and boom it suddenly means more room for the kiddies.
Although it seems weird to ruin the small T-bird they sold a whole whack of the 4 seater T-birds.

1898 U.K.'s First Auto Fatality
Henry Lindfield of Brighton, England, died on this day after being involved in an automobile accident, becoming
the first driving fatality in Great Britain.

I wonder if they were driving on the wrong side of the road back then too!!
February 15

1967 Founder Of American Auto Industry Dies

J. Frank Duryea, founder of the Duryea Motor Wagon Company with his brother Charles, died in Old Saybrook, Conneticut, at age 97. Frank Duryea drove a car of his own design in the first American Automobile race. The race was concieved and sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald and was a 54 mile race. The Duryea Motor Wagon Company, with headquarters in Springfield, Massachusetts, was officially organized in September 1895, and seems to be the first autombile venture with the sole idea of producing automobiles for sale to the public.
The new company built 13 nearly identical 1896 model Duryea Motor Wagons the following year in its Springfield shops..more>>

13 cars!!!! Is that like 1.3 seconds worth of production on any modern line?
 1902 Olds Ads

Oldsmobile ran its first national automobile advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post. Ransom Olds was no stranger to innovations in the field of publicity. A year earlier, Olds had sent one of his assistants, Roy Chapin, on a voyage from Detroit to New York in a 1901 Olds Runabout. In spite of the absence of proper roads, gas stations, or repair garages, nine days and 800 miles later, Chapin arrived at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel unscathed. Newspaper accounts of the journey boosted publicity for the Runabout. In one year, Olds' company increased its sales of Runabouts from 425 to 2,500. With the help of newspaper advertisements annual sales would jump another 100 percent to 5,000 cars by 1904.
more>>
even more>>
The car still exists

In spite of the absence of proper roads, gas stations, or proper verification...I think we are all familiar with that marthon runner that was at the starting line and the finish line...but maybe not all the way in between.
February 14 February 12
1948 NASCAR Runs

A week before the organization was officially incorporated, NASCAR held its first race for modified stock cars on a 3.2 mile-course at Daytona Beach. In the 150-mile race that featured almost exclusively pre-war Fords, Red Byron edged Marshall Teague to become NASCAR's first champion. Stock car racing would become a tradition at Daytona.

When NASCAR was formed in 1948, there was a definite shortage of new cars in the post-war era. The feeling was that race fans wouldn't stand for new cars being beat up on a race track while they were driving a rattletrap pre-war automobile, so "Modified" cars were the early staple of NASCAR racing. However, in 1949, NASCAR president Bill France Sr. re-visited the idea of racing the cars that people actually drove on the street -- late model family sedans. Since no other racing organization had seized the idea, France figured it might take root and create added interest.
more>>

2 points
  • Bill France Sr. re-visited the idea of racing the cars that people actually drove on the street -- late model family sedans....watch this space for more info on NASVAN and NASSUV.
  • Since no other organization had seized on the idea...I think the moonshiners and teenagers had this one in the bag long before NASCAR's time.
1900 Packard invents the gas pedal(This man is my Hero)

J.W. Packard received his first automotive patent a year after forming his company with partner George Weiss. Packard became interested in building cars after purchasing a Winton horseless carriage. The Winton proved unreliable and after nearly a year of fixing up his horseless carriage, Packard decided he would manufacture his own automobile. Among Packard's necessary automotive innovations were the "H" gear-slot pattern and the gas pedal, begging the question would anyone ever have been able to "step on it" without him?

People seem to forget that back in the old days of cars with hand throttles and no cup holders going through the Starbucks drive-through neccessitated wearing a big old long coat to keep the cappucino off the sports coat. Packard was a caffiene man and the gas pedal just seemed to be the only way to get his commuter jolt.
The other part about the deciding to build his own car because some other car was deemed unworthy reminds me of a dude named Lambourghini who thought he could out-Ferrari Ferrari.
February 12
1953 Willys-Overland's 50th Anniversary
The Willys-Overland Company, which brought America the Jeep, celebrated its golden anniversary. The original design for an all-terrain troop transport vehicle--featuring four-wheel drive, masked fender-mount headlights, and a rifle rack under the dash--was submitted to the U.S. Armed Forces by the American Bantam Car Company in 1939.By 1945, 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines and onto battlefields in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The name "Jeep" is supposedly derived from the Army's request to car manufacturers to develop a "General Purpose" vehicle. "Gee Pee" turned to "Jeep" somewhere along the battle lines. 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 the newsreels in movie theaters across the country.
I am not sure how they went from Jeeps to HumVees, but I have trouble believing we will be seeing Hummers rolling off the assembly line in 50 years!!!
February 11
1937 44 day sit down strike at GM

New Years Eve 1936 the workers at the Fisher Body plant in Flint, Michigan started a strike that would end in violence and ultimately a contract for the UAW with General Motors.


1989 Ford Sets Record

The Ford Motor Company announced a 1988 net income of $5.3 billion, a world's record for an automotive company.
OK so we had to place quality as job 2 and profits as job 1.... Not to be outdone, GM announces salary and bonuses to the head guys of unheard of levels. So high in fact it would be impossible to believe that they were not actually making money!!! ( I have to admit that I am unsure if the huge bonus thing started in 1988...but whenever it started it still was a weird waste of money)		 1951 Hudson Hornet rules Daytona

In 1948, Hudson introduced the revolutionary "step-down" chassis design that is still used in most cars today. Until Hudson's innovation all car drivers had stepped up into the driver's seats. The "step-down" design gave the Hornet a lower center of gravity and, consequently, better handling. Fitted with a bigger engine in 1951, the Hudson Hornet became a dominant force on the NASCAR circuit. For the first time a car not manufactured by the Big Three was winning big. Excited by the publicity generated by their success on the track, Hudson executives began directly backing their racing teams, providing the team cars with everything they needed to make their cars faster. The Big Three, fearing that losses on the track would translate into losses on the salesroom floor, hurried to back their own cars. Thus was born the system of industry-backed racing that has become such a prominent marketing tool today. The Hudson Hornet would contend for nearly every NASCAR race between 1951 and 1955, when rule changes led to an emphasis on horsepower over handling.
With a car this good I guess you would have to stand in line to buy one of these babies...doh...I can't find the hudson dealer in my local phone book...I'll find the nearest dealer by looking on google!!
February 10
 Feb 9
1966 Ralph Nader testified before the Senate

Passionate to a fault, this tireless crusader fought hard to make cars safer.

So safe in fact that now with the kiddies strapped into the seats with seatbelts and not bouncing around the interior like rabbits on speed, we could pressure the automaker to provide us with what we really needed...cup holders...lots and lots of cup holders!!		 1909 The Starting of the Brickyard
  • first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway took place on August 19, 1909
  • Haste makes waste and the killer surface was left destroyed and was resurfaced in bricks...the cheapest surface available.
  • 1912, the total prize money available at the grueling Indy 500 was $50,000, making the race the highest paying sporting event in the world.
  • 1946, the American Automobile Association ran its first postwar Indy 500
  • Today, the Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world
    It seems like only yesterday some good ol Boy took a run at the Cart series with his own series taking over the Indy 500...I would publicly like to eat those words and laughter right here and right now as I watch the Cart series or whatever it is called now try and pull out of a tailspin.
Feb 7
1938 Firestone Founder Dies

Harvey S. Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, died in Miami Beach, Florida, at the age of 89. At the age of 31, Firestone developed a new way of manufacturing carriage tires and began production with only 12 employees. Eight years later, Henry Ford asked Harvey Firestone to provide the tires for the Ford Model T, and Firestone Tires became a household name. Firestone and Ford remained fast friends, but, unfortunately, neither man would live to see the marriage of their grandchildren and the legal union of their empires.
Not so unfortunately neither man ever heard of the Ford Explorer!!!

 1975 The Doomed Double Nickel Comes to Town!!!

Canada imposed a 55mph speed limit on this day. In 1973, reacting to the ban of oil sales to the United States and other Western countries by 11 Arab oil producers, President Richard Nixon lowered the U.S. speed limit to 55mph in hopes of conserving gasoline.
"Now that we got their attention, quick, erase some more tapes" said Mr Nixon.
1942 The War Cause
On this day, the federal government ordered passenger car production stopped and converted to wartime purposes. The production demands placed on the industry and the resources allocated to the individual automobile manufacturers during the war would revolutionize American car making and bring about the Golden Era of the 1950s.
Hmmm...the 1950s...The Golden Era...Boats and Tanks... Sort of sums up production techniques and products for a couple of decades!!!

Feb 6
1954 The Gull wing Merc takes flight!

On this day, Mercedes introduced their 300SL coupe to the public. A stylish sports car characterized by its gull-wing doors, the coupe was a consumer version of the 300SL race car. The 300SL is widely considered the most impressive sports car of the decade. Unfortunately, the 300SL race car also played an infamous role in car racing history. Careening out of control in the 1955 race at Le Mans, the SL crashed into the gallery. Eighty spectators died and Mercedes-Benz pulled its cars out of racing competition for nearly three decades.
Unfortunately, the show must go on and Jaguar got the win that year. The Mercedes pits were cleared out before the race was over. From the History Channel write up above it says that Mercedes was out of racing for 30 years. The Crash was catalyst for track safety all around Europe. So although Mercedes had a contribution to the overall safety of racing...what I remember as a kid was Mercedes 450 SL's dressed up for rally racing and careening wildly through these little villages all over the African continent with little kids and goats all over the track. I guess Mercedes was trying to set up a reason to improve safety in Rallying!!!

 1911 A Symbol Of Sexcess

Rolls-Royce adopted the "Spirit of Ecstasy" mascot, the silver-winged hood ornament that has become the company's symbol.
Sex sells, Sex Sells, Sex sells. A bunch of Randy old buggers eh...wink wink nudge nudge!
Who needs quality?

Feb 5
1878 Birth Of Citroen

On this day, Andre Gustave Citroen was born. Of Dutch Jewish ancestry, Citroen became one of France's leading carmakers.

I still get a kick out of the similarity between the name Citroen and Citron(Lemon in French)

 1952 Don't Walk....run for your lives!!!

The first "Don't Walk" sign was installed in New York City on this day. In 1998, in hopes of minimizing gridlock, New York City began strictly enforcing its jaywalking laws during rush hour. Pedestrians are subject to a $50 fine if they walk, or run, when faced with a Don't Walk sign.

After 46 years they decide to enforce these laws.
Feb 4
1941 Seventy-Six Years Old

On this day, 76-year-old Ransom Eli Olds received his last automobile patent for an internal combustion engine design. An innovator throughout his career, Olds built the first American steam-powered vehicle in 1887 when he was only 18. In an effort to meet the production demands for the Olds Runabout, Olds contracted with the likes of the Dodge brothers for the parts to his cars, which he then assembled in his own factory space. Olds' assembly line was able to produce a higher volume of automobiles in a shorter period of time than was possible using the traditional method of building each vehicle individually. Olds Motor Works sold 425 Runabouts in its first year of business, 2,500 the next year, 5,000 in 1904, and the rest is automobile history.
Three things to say:
  1. There used to be a little car named Oldsmobile and Ransom E olds didn't own it for very long.
  2. Olds was famous for the REO Speedwagen line of trucks that he made after getting kicked out of Oldsmobile.
  3. Does Henry Ford know that Olds was using the assembly line before him??

1922 Lincoln In Ford's Theater

The Ford Motor accompany acquired the Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million on this day. Henry Ford's son, Edsel, was subsequently named president of Lincoln. The move signaled Henry Ford's first acknowledgement of diversification as a desirable marketing strategy. Throughout the 1920s, Ford Motors suffered from its unwillingness to match the diverse range of automobiles offered by General Motors. Ford regained some of its market share in 1927 when it released the new Model A, a car whose styling leaned heavily on the traditional sleek look of the Lincoln automobile.
So Like Ford thought that the only kind of car needed was the Model T...don't even try to diversify....and then come out with the Edsel???
1913 Tire Of Technology

On this day, Louis Henry Perlman of New York received a patent for the first demountable tire-carrying rim. Until Perlman's invention, changing a tire meant changing the wheel. So this is the Dude that got Bling-Bling type 22" rims started!!!
Feb 1
1898 First Auto Insurance Policy

The Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut, extended coverage to an automobile owner, making them the first company to issue an automobile insurance policy to an individual.
Interesting that this is the Day that the first auto insurance fraud happened and that collectors of wagons 25 years or older could apply for special licence plates…

 1921 Record-Setting Taxi Driver

Carmen Fasanella of Princeton, New Jersey, obtained his cab driver's license at the tender age of 17. Mr. Fasanella would go on to drive his taxi for the next 68 years and 243 days, setting an unofficial record for the longest continuous career for a cabbie.
It is interesting to note that modern Cab drivers pay respect to this great cab hero by not showering so they smell like they have been driving for 68 years.
1969 The Rise and Fall of John DeLorean (Frosty the Snowman....)
On this day in 1969, John DeLorean was named the top executive at Chevrolet. DeLorean had risen precipitously through the ranks at Pontiac, where he pioneered the successful GTO and Grand Prix models. As the general manager of Chevrolet, DeLorean sold a record 3,000,000 cars and trucks in 1973. Poised as a top candidate for the presidency of General Motors (GM), DeLorean walked away from Chevrolet in late 1973 to start his own company.
This is all you really need to know about this serious carnut. Apparently his new car company didn't go so well...so he got into imports from South America.

If you still want to know more>>
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