Godmother of Automotive Design: Helene Rother
It’s a story that sounds as though it were ripped from the pages of fiction or the basis for a harrowing World War II drama directed by Steven Spielberg. The remarkable story of Helene Rother is far from fictional, however, despite bordering on the fantastic.
By the Numbers: Best-Selling Automobiles of All Time
In honor of the 15-Millionth Ford being on display from April 3-9 on the National Mall as part of this year’s Cars at the Capital, we take a look at a few other heavy-hitters and break it down by the numbers.
Minivans Before Minivans
At the time of its release in November 1983, much was made of the Plymouth Voyager. It was seen as a revolutionary new vehicle that would change the American consumer market and help save a flagging corporation. And while much of this was true, it was not the first “mini” van. It was, however, the first most commercially successful, arriving in the right place at the right time to truly take off. In honor of those that came before it, we take a look back at some of the precursors to the latest addition to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
A Race to Defy Race
In 1910, world champion boxer Jack Johnson issued a challenge to any race car driver willing to face off against him. Barney Oldfield took him up on it. Here’s the story of the unlikely race between the boxer and the racer.
2018 New York to Paris Celebrating the 110th Anniversary
February 12, 2018 marks an important anniversary in automotive history. It was 110 years ago a race began which changed the perception of the “horseless carriage” from a novelty for the rich, to a viable means of transportation for everyone.
Proving the Bullitt Mustang’s authenticity
By late October in 1966 Steve McQueen had Hollywood on a string. His company, Solar Productions, inked a six-film deal with Warner Bros., and McQueen was now in the driver’s seat, hired to produce and star in his own films. He and director Peter Yates were intent on bringing real, almost documentary-like action to the screen, and they succeeded with Solar’s first film, Bullitt.
“Horseless Carriage” added to the National Historic Vehicle Register!
The pages of history are lined with failed attempts to create an automobile in the 19th century. One such “orphan” that remains with us today is the Benton Harbor Motor Carriage.
The Day Mr. Streamline Died
HVA President Mark Gessler relates the story of Amos Northup, the Graham Blue Streak and the integral role both played in the next phase of the Historic Vehicle Association’s move to preserve automotive history and heritage.
Grahamtastic Timing
Everybody knows that success is often the result of being in the right place at the right time with the right idea. The Graham brothers of Evansville, Indiana, are a perfect example. Read on to learn more about how their ingenuity at the dawn of the automotive revolution led to the creation of icon and the latest vehicle to be documented and added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
Recent Articles
- DriveHistory Profile: 1969 Corwin Getaway February 25, 2021
- A Tribute to Bruce Meyers – Father of the Fiberglass Dune Buggy February 23, 2021
- Jenkins VW featured in special episode of Cars That Matter Podcast December 29, 2020
Categories
- Articles (521)
- Canada News (13)
- Cars at the Capital (64)
- Did You Know? (12)
- Drive History Profiles (7)
- Events & Awards (118)
- Facebook Question of the Month (4)
- History (72)
- How the Automobile Shaped America (3)
- Interviews (1)
- Latest News (8)
- Legislative Watch (18)
- Lists (18)
- Media Coverage (121)
- Museum Corner (2)
- National Historic Vehicle Register (181)
- On the Tube (11)
- Photography (27)
- Press Releases (30)
- Research Resource (8)
- Road Trip Century Celebration (9)
- Stars & Their Cars (5)
- The Concierge’s Corner (4)
- The Roundup (27)
- This Car Matters (59)
- Uncategorized (39)
- Web Talk (5)
- What's In A Name? (7)
- Whatever Happened To… (7)
- Women in the Automotive World (1)