Updated: April 1, 2024
The month of April is a very interesting subject for lovers of automotive history. Many milestone events in auto history have occurred in April. Many groundbreaking products have been introduced in the month of April since the birth of the automobile as well. Here are some of the most important and interesting:
April 1, 1967 – The United States Department of Transportation is created. The DOT is responsible for overseeing all interstate travel and commerce. Lyndon B. Johnson is the first American President to oversee DOT operations.
April 3, 1987 – NASCAR driver Bill Elliott sets a qualifying run speed record at Talladega Motor Speedway. His top speed of 212.809 mph still stands to this day.
April 5, 1923 – Firestone introduces inflatable tires. These tires reduced the amount of rubber required per tire when compared to solid rubber tires. This reduced manufacturing costs and prices for Firestone tires.
April 8, 1910 – The Los Angeles Motordome opens. This track was constructed entirely of wood 2×4’s and utilized steeply banked corners. This one-mile track was known for speeds at or in excess of 100 mph. Expensive costs for upkeep on the wooden track and the Great Depression ended this racing spectacle.
April 17, 1964 – Ford unveils the Mustang at the New York World’s Fair. This iconic automobile has been produced by the millions and remains very popular to this day.
April 19, 1955 – German automaker Volkswagen founds Volkswagen of America in New Jersey.
April 21, 1976 – General Motors reaches a milestone of 100 million cars produced in the United States.
April 24, 1908 – Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Murdock cross the United States from L.A. to New York in a Packard. This is the first confirmed cross-country car trip.
April 25, 1901 – The state of New York is the first to require a license plate on cars for a one dollar fee.
April 27, 2009 – General Motors closes the doors on its 80-year-old Pontiac brand.
From the birth of the DOT to the death of Pontiac, April is an interesting month for automotive history.
I hope you enjoyed learning these nuggets of automotive trivia as much as I did in researching them. It’s always fun to look back at the past of our rich American love affair with the automobile. And who knows, maybe someday someone will build another one-mile race track out of wood for a unique and historic auto race.
