This Month in Automotive History

December 1

1913 Ford Debuts Assembly Line
The Ford Motor Company introduced the continuous moving assembly line on this day. Ford's new assembly line could produce a complete car every two-and-a-half minutes. The efficiency and speed of Ford's production lines allowed the company to sell cars for less than any competitor.

1921 Steam-Powered Car Announced

The Detroit Steam Motors Corporation announced the Trask steam car, a favorite project of automobile distributor O.C. Trask. A steam-driven automobile had reached the world-record speed of 127.66 miles per hour in 1906, causing a steam-car craze that lasted through the 1920s. The last steam-powered cars in the U.S. were made in 1926.

1942 War Causes Fuel Shortages

The U.S. government imposed gasoline quotas to conserve fuel during the shortages of World War II. The armed forces overseas had fuel aplenty, but stateside, gasoline became costly and hard to get. People started using bicycles and their own two feet to get around.

1963 Wendell Scott Wins

Wendell Scott took first place in the Grand National race in Jacksonville, Florida, becoming the first black driver ever to win a NASCAR event.

December 2

1899 Birth of a British Speedster
John R. Cobb, a dominant British racer and three-time land speed record-holder, was born in Hackbridge, Surrey, south of London, England. During the early 1930s, Cobb dominated British racing, setting a series of lap records at the famous Brooklands racetrack in England, including an unbroken record of 143.44 mph in 1935. In 1938, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, he set a new land speed record of 350.194 mph in a Railton racer, breaking the 345.489-mph record set by George Eyston two weeks before. Eyston, driving a Thunderbolt, went on to regain the land speed title that year, however, in 1938, Cobb returned to Bonneville to wrest the title from Eyston for good, this time racing to 369.741 mph. Cobb's record speed stood until 1947, when Cobb himself returned to Utah in another Railton and set a new record of 394.196 mph, although one of his unofficial runs was in excess of 400 mph. In 1952, Cobb was killed at the age of fifty-two while trying to set a new water speed record on Loch Ness in Scotland. His impressive land speed record stood until 1963, when Craig Breedlove, driving a jet-propelled vehicle, broke a record that no other drivers of cars with internal combustion engines could touch.

1902 Finally, You Can Have a V-8

The first working V-8 engine was patented in France by French engine designer Leon-Marie-Joseph-Clement Levavasseur. The engine block was the first to arrange eight pistons in the V-formation that allowed a crankshaft with only four throws to be turned by eight pistons. Today, V-8 engines are extremely common in automobiles that need powerful motors.

December 3

1979 End of the Line for Pacer
The last Pacer is produced by the American Motor Company. The bubble-topped Pacer was a reasonably popular economy car, though its Jetson-styled body attracted flack from car critics and stand-up comedians alike. More recently, the Pacer gained attention as the mighty roadmobile piloted by Garth of Wayne's World.

1917 Longest Cantilevered Bridge

Quebec Bridge opens near Quebec, Canada. At the time, it was the world's longest cantilever truss span, (in which stiff trusses extend from the bridge piers, without additional support).

December 4

1915 Henry Ford Tries to End Great War
Automobile tycoon Henry Ford set sail for Europe on this day in 1915 from Hoboken, NJ, aboard the Ford Peace Ship. His mission: to end World War I. His slogan, "Out of the trenches and back to their homes by Christmas," won an enthusiastic response in the States, but didn't get very far overseas. Ford's diplomatic mission was not taken seriously in Europe, and he soon returned.

1971 Faulty Motors Recalled

General Motors recalled 6,700,000 vehicles that were vulnerable to motor mount failure. It was the largest voluntary safety recall in the industry's history.

1984 General Motors Swears off Diesel Motors

General Motors announced that it would stop production of diesel engines. Diesel motors get excellent mileage and produce plenty of power, but tend to be noisy and produce heavy exhaust. Tightening emissions laws drove GM to abandon diesels altogether.

December 5

1932 Ford Model C and V-8 Introduced
The first Ford Model C automobile was introduced on this day in 1932. It boasted the first four-cylinder engine made by Ford with a counter-balanced crankshaft. The Model C was largely eclipsed, however, by Ford's other 1932 offering: the Ford V-8. The V-8 was the first eight-cylinder Ford automobile, and boasted the first V-8 engine block ever cast in a single piece. The V-8 sold well, but Ford's fortunes had fallen from their peak. The one-time industry giant was trailing GM and Chrysler in sales.

1977 Front-Wheel Drive for the Common Citizen

The Plymouth Horizon was introduced on this day. It was the first American-made small car with front-wheel drive. Technical advances in drive technology had reduced the size and cost of front-wheel drive systems.

December 6

1955 National Standard for License Plates
On this day in 1955, the Federal government standardized the size of license plates throughout the U.S. Previously, individual states had designed their own license plates, resulting in wide variations.

1976 O'Neil Sets Record

Lady speedster Kitty O'Neil set a new women's land speed record on this day in 1976. Driving the rocket-car Moticator SM1, O'Neil reached a top speed of 524.0 miles per hour in the Alvard Desert. Her average round trip for the course was 512.7 miles per hour--the official women's record.

December 7

1931 Model-A Ford Discontinued
The last Ford Model A was produced on this day. The Ford motor works were then shut down for six months for retooling. On April 1, 1932, Ford introduced its new offering: the high-performance Ford V-8, the first Ford with an 8-cylinder engine.

1965 A Fleet of Chevys

Chevrolet produced its three-millionth car for the year. It was the first time Chevrolet had produced an annual total surpassing three million vehicles.

December 8

1945 Japanese Auto Industry Starts Up Again
After World War II ended with Japan's surrender on September 3, 1945, Japan remained under Allied occupation ruled by an occupation government. Its war industries were shut down completely. On this day in 1945, the Toyota Motor Company received permission from the occupation government to start production of buses and trucks--vehicles necessary to keep Japan running. It was the first rumble of the postwar auto industry in Japan.

1964 England's Worst Crash

Great Britain's worst auto accident ever killed three people and injured 120 in a pileup of more than 100 vehicles near Wigan, England.

1981 Mitsubishi Comes to America

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the automotive division of the huge Mitsubishi conglomerate of Japan, began selling cars in the U.S. under its own name. Previously, Mitsubishi had done business in the States only in partnerships with American automakers.

December 9

1963 Studebaker Winds Down
The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, started during the Civil War, was the world's largest manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. When automobiles came along, Studebaker converted its business, becoming a well-known auto maker. But the brand couldn't keep up with its competitors, despite a 1954 merger with the Packard Motor Car Company. On this day in 1963, the last American-made Studebaker was produced, and the factory in South Bend, Indiana, closed forever. Three years later Studebaker's Canadian factories shut down, and the Studebaker passed into history.

1941 Auto Racing Drivers Club Closed for the War

The Automobile Racing Drivers Club of America closed its doors due to World War II, which created shortages of fuel, tires, and other automotive necessities--including men to drive the cars. After the war, the ARDCA never got started again.

December 10

1970 Lee Iacocca President of Ford
Lee Iacocca became president of Ford Motor Company on this day. Iacocca joined Ford as an engineer in the 1940s, but quickly moved into marketing, where he gained influence quickly as a supporter of the Ford Mustang. Iacocca was eventually ousted from Ford on October 15, 1978. He went on to become president of the struggling Chrysler Corporation, which was saddled with an inventory of gas-guzzling road-yachts, just as the fuel shortage began. Iacocca made history by talking the government into offering Chrysler $1.5 billion in loans. The bailout worked, with the help of Iacocca's streamlining measures. Chrysler recorded record profits in 1984.

1845 Carriages Ride on Air

English inventor R.W. Thompson received a British patent for his new carriage wheels, which had inflated tubes of heavy rubber stretched around their rims--the world's first pneumatic tires. They became popular on horse-drawn carriages, and later prevented the first motorcar passengers from being shaken to pieces.

1915 One Million Automobiles

The 1,000,000th Model T Ford was produced on this day in 1915. It was a triumph of Henry Ford's assembly-line innovations, and the dawn of a new American era. The speed and efficiency of Ford's factories made automobiles cheaper than ever. Average families could afford their own cars. The modern motorized world was being born.

December 11

1941 Spare Tires Outlawed
On this day in 1941, Buick lowered its prices to reflect the absence of spare tires or inner tubes from its new cars. Widespread shortages caused by World War II had led to many quotas and laws designed to conserve America's resources. One of these laws prohibited spare tires on new cars. Rubber, produced overseas, had become almost impossible to get. People didn't mind the spare-tire law too much, though. They were too busy dealing with quotas for gasoline, meat, butter, shoes, and other essentials.

1894 First Automobile Exposition

The world's first auto show, the Exposition Internationale de Velocipidie et de Locomotion Automobile, opened in Paris, France. Four makes of automobile were on display.

December 12

1916 Studebaker Digs In
The Studebaker Corporation, a leading auto maker that began as the world's biggest manufacturer of horseless carriages, began construction of a new factory in South Bend, Indiana. Studebaker was a leading auto maker througout the first half of the twentieth century.

1955 Half a Billion to Charity

On this day in 1955, the Ford Foundation made the biggest donation to charity the world had ever seen: five-hundred million dollars to hospitals, medical schools, and colleges. The Ford Foundation supported many other charities, and is still active today.

December 13

1957 The Changing Thunderbird
The last two-seater T-bird was produced on this day. Through 1957, Ford's Thunderbirds were jaunty, two-seater sports cars that boasted removable hard tops and powerful V-8 engines. The 1958 Thunderbird (nicknamed the "square bird") was a four-passenger car, eighteen inches longer and half a ton heavier than the previous year's model. The new luxury Thunderbird packed a 300-hp V-8, making it one of the most muscular cars on the road. And one of the most popular. It sold more cars in 1958 than 1957, despite a nation-wide slump in auto sales.

1922 Early Convertible Top Patented

Eight years after they began offering their removable car-top on KisselKar and Kissel automobiles, William Kissel and Friedrich Werner received an American patent for their invention. Their "Convertible Automobile Body" had a removable hard top that could turn a closed car into an open touring car--one of the earliest convertibles.

1939 Lincoln Continental is Born

The first production Lincoln Continental was finished on this day (prototypes of the touring car had already been driven). The Lincoln Continentals of the 1940s are commonly considered some of the most beautiful production cars ever made. Today, the Lincoln Continental remains one of the world's most popular luxury cars.

December 14

1947 Stock Car Racing Organized
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the first formal organization for stock-car racing, a sport said to have begun with souped-up bootlegger hot-rods during Prohibition. Starting in 1953, the major auto makers invested heavily in racing teams, producing faster cars than ever before: good results on the stock-car circuit were believed to mean better sales on the showroom floor. In 1957, however, rising costs and tightened NASCAR rules forced the factories out of the sport, and the modern era of the NASCAR superspeedway began.

1909 Brick Racetrack Completed

The famous brick surface of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (the "Brickyard") was finished on this day. The Speedway had its Grand Opening three days later, when the brickwork was ceremoniously completed by Governor Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana, who cemented the last "golden" brick.

1931 Rolls-Royce Acquires Bentley

Bentley Motors was taken over by Rolls-Royce on this day. Bentley Motors, a maker of luxury automobiles founded in 1920, was, like Rolls-Royce, one of the finest names in the business. As a Rolls-Royce subsidiary, Bentley was guided by the Rolls-Royce esthetic. Gradually, Bentley automobiles acquired elements of classic Rolls-Royce design until automobiles of the two marques became virtually indistinguishable.

December 15

1941 Strikes Ruled Out By Labor
An AFL council adopted a no-strike policy in war industries, which included automotive plants being converted to military production (domestic automobile manufacturing stopped completely from 1941 to 1944). The U.S. was gearing up for the worst years of World War II.

1967 Rush Hour Disaster

On this day in 1967, the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River collapsed during rush hour. Dozens of cars fell into the icy water. Forty-six people lost their lives in the accident, and many others were injured. Today, better construction and safety rules make accidents like this one less common.

December 16

1949 Swedish Carmaker Debuts
A Swedish company by the name of Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget produced its first motorcar. In 1965 the concern changed its name to Saab Aktiebolag, and a few years later simply to Saab. The first Saab automobiles were engineered with the precision of fighter planes--the company's other main product. Today Saab is a huge multinational corporation, whose cars are known as safe, reliable, high-performance vehicles.

1979 1979 Oil Prices Climb Higher

Libya joined four other OPEC nations in raising the price of crude oil. Since the U.S. bought much of its oil from Libya, the price hike had an almost immediate effect on American gas prices. Gas became costly, and the cost of motoring rose. Heating-oil prices also jumped--a tough blow at the beginning of winter.

December 17

1979 Car Breaks Sound Barrier
Driver Stan Barrett became the first person in the world to travel faster than sound on land. He drove the Budweiser Rocket car at a top speed of 739.666 in a one-way run at Rogers Dry Lake, California. The ultrasonic speed set an unofficial record, but an official record requires trips in both directions, whose speeds are averaged.

1963 Clean Air Act Passes Congress

On this day in 1963, the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act, a sweeping set of laws designed to protect the environment from air pollution. It was the first legislation to place pollution controls on the automobile industry.

December 18

1898 Official Land Speed Record Set
Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat set the world's first official land speed record in Acheres Park near Paris: 39.245 miles per hour in his Jeantaud automobile, powered by an electric motor and alkaline batteries. The Jeantaud is widely believed to be the first automobile steered by a modern steering wheel rather than a tiller. The tiller was quickly replaced by the steering wheel in the early 1900s.

1984 What's New? The Nova.

The first Chevy Nova is introduced by New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. This car later met with marketing trouble in South America, where its name read as "No Go" to Spanish speakers.

December 19

1924 A Famous Ghost Vanishes
The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost manufactured in England was sold in London. The Silver Ghost, a custom touring car, was introduced in 1906, and was called by some the "Best Car in the World." The Silver Ghost was followed by the Twenty, the Phantom, the Silver Cloud, the Silver Shadow, and the Silver Wraith.

1994 German Under the Hood

Great Britain's prestigious Rolls-Royce, a luxury automobile maker, announced that its future cars would feature 12-cylinder motors manufactured by Germany's BMW. It was an ironic change; in earlier years, Rolls-Royce made a name for itself in automobile and aircraft engines.

December 20

1892 Inflatable Wheels
Alexander Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse, New York, patented an inflatable automobile tire. Before the pneumatic tire, wheels were often made of solid rubber. This made travel a bumpy experience. After all, the streets of 1892 were made of dirt or cobblestone. Some horse-drawn carriages had been made with inflatable tires, but Brown and Stillman got the first patent for pneumatic automobile tires.

1945 Tires for Everybody

Tire rationing in the U.S. ended on this day as World War II wound to a close, and widespread shortages in the States began to ease.

December 21

1979 U.S. Government Rescues Chrysler
The U.S. Congress approved $1.5 billion in loans to the financially threatened Chrysler Corporation in an effort to save the battered automotive giant. President Jimmy Carter signed the bill on January 7, 1980. Under the stewardship of Lee Iacocca, Chysler rebounded quickly. By the late 1980s the auto maker was posting record profits.

1937 Traffic Beneath the Hudson River

The Lincoln Tunnel was officially opened to traffic, allowing motorists to drive between New Jersey and Manhattan beneath the Hudson River.

December 22

1973 Americans Must Drive 55
A federal speed limit of 55 miles per hour was imposed across the United States. The new limit was intended to increase safety and fuel economy, and studies show that it succeeded. It also made speed-happy drivers cranky, and led to widespread speeding.

1900 A Car Named Mercedes

A new 35-horsepower car built by Daimler from a design by Emil Jellinek was completed. The car was named for Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

December 23

1982 Gas Tax Hike
The U.S. Congress raised the federal fuel tax on gasoline and other petroleum-based fuels by five cents a gallon. This tax hike was expected to raise $5.5 billion annually. The additional money was destined for road and bridge repairs.

1923 President Wilson Sees Ghost

Former President Woodrow Wilson receives a a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall touring car for his birthday. It's a gift from friends.

1941 While the Military Strikes, Workers Won't

A conference of industry and labor officials agrees that there would be no strikes or lockouts in war industries while World War II continued.

December 24

1801 Steam Propels Carriage in Cornwall
On this day in 1801, Richard Trevithick drove a three-wheeled steam-powered vehicle up a hill in Camborne, Cornwall, England, carrying seven passengers. It was the first time the inventor had driven his steam-wagon, one of the first automobiles in history. Trevithick had invented a high-pressure steam engine which was lighter and more powerful than the low-pressure engine invented by James Watt. He adapted his improved engine to hoist loads in mines, drive locomotives and ships, and run rolling mills. Trevithick is sometimes called the "Father of the Steam Locomotive."

1893 Ford's First Engine

Henry Ford completed his first successful gasoline engine. He and his wife tested the engine in their kitchen on Christmas Eve. Ford's first automobile took its inaugural drive on June 4, 1896.

1903 First English License Plate

On Christmas Eve, 1903, England issued its first automobile license plate, number A1. The plate was issued to Earl Russel, the brother of the philosopher Bertrand Russell.

December 25

1985 Because No Extension Cord Is That Long
On Christmas Day, David Turner and Tim Pickhard arrived in John o' Groat's, Scotland, the northernmost point in Great Britain. They had set out four days earlier from Land's End, the southernmost point in Britain, in a battery-powered Freight Rover Leyland Sherpa driven by a Lucas electric motor. They traveled 875 miles on a single battery charge, completing the longest battery-powered drive in history.

1884 World's Oldest Driver

Mr. Layne Hall of Silver Creek, New York, was born on this day in 1884. At his death on November 20, 1990, he had a valid driver's license. He was 105 years old, making him the oldest legal driver ever.

December 26

1985 Ford Turns Things Around
The Ford Motor Company had trouble in the early 1980s. Its trucks were selling well, but its line of cars were unpopular and had terrible reputations. The company lost $3.3 billion from 1980 through 1982. As the losses piled up, Ford's engineers were working feverishly to redesign their line of mid-size cars. Ford turned out a redesigned Thunderbird and Tempo and managed a profitable year. And on this day in 1985, Ford introduced the Taurus, the product of years of engineering. The distinctively streamlined car became enormously popular, lifting Ford to record profits in the late 1980s. The rounded "jellybean" shape of the Taurus had a strong influence on the designs of other auto makers in the next few years.

1926 The Length of Africa by Motorcar

The first overland journey across Africa from south to north was completed when the expedition of Major C. Court Treatt arrived in Cairo, Egypt. Major Treatt had set out from Capetown, South Africa, some twenty-seven months earlier in two military-style Crossley automobiles. After the difficult trek across unmapped regions, the hero's safe arrival in Cairo was a major treat for everyone.

1933 Nissan is Born

The Nissan Motor Company was organized in Tokyo under the name Dat Jidosha Seizo Co. (It received its present name the next year). Nissan began manufacturing cars and trucks under the name Datsun. During World War II, Nissan was converted to military production, and after Japan's defeat operated in a limited capacity under the occupation government until 1955. Since then, Nissan has grown into one of the world's premier car companies.

December 27

1951 Driving Right in the Postal Service
The Crosley car was put into use by the U.S. Postal Service in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the first right-hand-drive car designed specifically for mail delivery. The Crosley put the driver on the mailbox-side of the car, and changed mail delivery forever.

1941 No Rubber For You

Rubber rationing was instituted by the U.S. government, due to shortages caused by World War II. Tires were the first items to be restricted by law.

1943 Engineer and Inventor Dies

Curtis Veeder, the engineer who invented the modern automotive tachometer and odometer, died on this day. A tachometer is a device which indicates speed of rotation, and an odometer is an instrument for measuring distance traveled.

December 28

1954 Slow Demise of the Hudson Hornet
During the early 1950s, the fastest stock car in the U.S. was the Hudson Hornet, the pride of the Hudson Motor Car Company. Drivers in Hudson Hornets took virtually every major NASCAR event, and the wins paid off in sales. That got the attention of the Big Three: Ford, Chrysler, and GM. They began supporting stock-car racers the way Hudson did, and soon began to win. In an effort to stay ahead, Hudson merged with the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, which let Hudson replace the Hornet's old flat-six engine with the big Nash V-8, providing more power. The first Hudson Hornet with a Nash engine was offered on this day in 1954. But the new Hornet didn't handle as well, and the Big Three kept improving. After 1954 the Hudson Hornet's fortunes declined quickly.

1957 Two Million Volkswagens

The two-millionth Volkswagen was finished on this day in 1957. Begun thirty years earlier by the Nazi regime, the German auto maker and its economical Beetle overcame their unpleasant pasts and began selling in the United States.

December 29

1800 Good Year for a Goodyear
Charles Goodyear was born on this day. Today he is famous for the invention of vulcanized rubber. In its natural form, rubber is sticky, and gets runny when hot and stiff when cold. Goodyear discovered (accidentally) that when rubber is mixed with sulfur and heat-treated, it loses its adhesiveness but keeps its elasticity, even at extreme temperatures. He called the process "vulcanization." The industrial use of rubber is possible only because of vulcanization. Goodyear's process made millions of dollars, but not for him. Widespread infringements on his patents, together with poor luck in business, left him deep in debt at his death in 1860.

1908 Cars Start Stopping Faster

Otto Zachow and William Besserdich of Clintonville, Wisconsin, received a patent for their four-wheel braking system, the prototype of all modern braking systems.

1983 Terminator Terminates Jeep

Arnold Schwarzenegger was cited for driving without a license after he drove his Jeep into a ditch with Maria Shriver aboard. No one was hurt.

December 30

1905 Frenchman is Fastest
French driver Victor Hemery, driving a gasoline-powered Darracq automobile, set a new land-speed record in Arles-Salon, France. He reached a speed of 109.589 miles per hour. Hemery's record stood until 1906, when American Fred Marriot set a record of 121.573 in a steam-powered Stanley.

1936 G.M. Strike Idles Thousands

Strikes closed seven General Motors factories in Flint, Michigan. The giant auto maker employed upwards of 200,000 men, and more than one in six of them stopped working during the strike. The United Automobile Workers of America, a labor union, was quarrelling with G.M. over the right to bargain collectively with manufacturers. The work stoppage was so large that it threatened to force layoffs in the steel, glass, and battery-manufacturing industries, due to reduced demand.

December 31

1909 Manhattan Bridge Opens
A graceful 1,470-foot span across the East River opened to traffic on this day. The Manhattan Bridge was the fourth bridge between Manhattan and the boroughs across the river.

1941 Chrome Goes to War

America's last automobiles with chrome-plated trim were manufactured on this day. Starting in 1942, chrome plating became illegal. It was part of an effort to conserve resources for the American war effort. The chrome wasn't missed too much. Virtually no automobiles were produced in the U.S. from 1942 through the end of World War II.

1971 Lawmakers Crack Down on Smog

President Richard Nixon signed the National Air Quality Control Act, which called for a 90 percent reduction in automobile emissions by 1975. The act also tightened air-pollution controls and fines in other industries.