Automotive History

A video history of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles


1913 Harley-Davidson Model 9B

(July 5, 2024) No other nameplate exemplifies American ingenuity like Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. Harley motorcycles represent the American way, a true red, white and blue product of the United States. Only in the U.S. can you experience the rumble of a group of Harley-Davidson motorcycles approaching on a busy highway.

First ever Porsche 911 Turbo returns to limelight at Concours of Elegance

1973 Porsche 911 ‘Turbo’ concept
show car to appear at London event

(May 12, 2024) LONDON — The Concours of Elegance, Europe’s premier concours d’elegance event, is has announced that its 2024 edition will feature one of the most historically significant Porsches of all time — the original 1973 911 Turbo "Prototype." This special car represents the genesis of an icon; it was the first road-going 911 to wear the "Turbo" badge.

Bugatti Type 35 — Perfection through evolution

Launched a century ago, the Type 35
stunned rivals with its superior design

(April 29, 2024) Ettore Bugatti was a man who did not fear setting himself a hard task. It was not just Bugatti’s exceptional design skills, but also his vision and bravery to defy conventional engineering principles of the time that delivered the Bugatti Type 35 — a car significantly ahead of its rivals in so many areas. It was also “Le Patron’s” willingness to push himself and the entire Bugatti team hard in pursuit of perfection.

Lamborghini 350 GT returns to Geneva 60 years after its debut

(March 18, 2024) In March 1964, Automobili Lamborghini was still in its infancy. Established just a few months previously, it had presented its first prototype in October 1963, known as the 350 GTV and designed by Franco Scaglione and built at Carrozzeria Sargiotto in Turin. The production car, derived from that first prototype (which remained a one-off), was the 350 GT, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1964.

Bugatti Type 35 — Celebrating a century of design, engineering, racing genius

(February 16, 2024) Without equal at its launch in 1924, the epoch-defining Bugatti Type 35 secured more than 2,500 race victories during its active time, and its beauty, technical ingenuity and driving brilliance remain just as appealing a century later. To understand the Bugatti Type 35, one must first understand its creator, Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti. Without the one, there could have never been the other.

Gilmore gas stations were prevalent in western U.S. into the 1940s

(December 27, 2023) This picture of a Gilmore Blu-Green gas station in California was taken around 1920. The Gilmore Oil Company was an independent oil company in California founded by Arthur Fremont Gilmore after he struck oil on his dairy farm in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles around 1903.

Coca-Cola shows off its new fountain dispenser in 1934

(October 15, 2023) Coca-Cola introduced its first automatic fountain dispenser at the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition. Then to promote the machine Coca-Cola commissioned coachbuilders H. McFarlane & Company of Chicago to build a truck. The "sampling truck" for was built using a 1934 Dodge KH-23 truck chassis.

Rare Volkswagen Type 2 Schulwagen emerges after 43 years

(July 26, 2023) HERNDON, Va. — One of the highlight vehicles at the first International VW Bus Day and the launch of the 3-row ID. Buzz EV in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 2 was Lind Bjornsen’s 1955 Volkswagen Type 2 Schulwagen. These vehicles were built as traveling training vehicles for VW dealerships and Bjornsen’s is believed to be the sole survivor. The vehicle was also a standout at the Orange County Transporter Organization’s Type 2 event in Long Beach, Calif., the next day.

Packard and Ford assembly lines at mid-century

(July 11, 2023) Viewing vintage images of automaker’s assembly lines gives us insight into how vehicles were constructed decades ago and also serves as a valuable visual reference of details for car owners when restoring a vehicle. It was during the period when autoworkers actually operated the machines and provided the labor to assemble cars and trucks rather than banks of CNC-controlled robots and spot welders.

100th anniversary of trailblazing Bugatti Type 32 ‘Tank’ is celebrated

(July 3, 2023) MOLSHEIM, France — Bugatti is known across the world for visionary engineering and ingenious designs, and today the brand celebrates the official centenary of the racing debut of one of its most innovative cars — the Type 32 "Tank." This streamlined racing car was to lay the foundations for aerodynamic motorsport innovations, earning its nickname not only for its shape, but also for its visible rivets and bolts.

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