Here are your #AutoFactoids for the week up Jan 17, 2016.
Jan 17, 1903 Cadillac introduces its first car at Madison Square Garden
1903 Cadillac
I say ‘car’, some say ‘horseless carriage’. Regardless it was a high-end run-about powered by 1.6 liter, 1 cylinder/2 value engine – producing 6.5 hp to haul around it’s 1300 plus lbs.
Jan 17, 1953 Chevy introduces the Corvette at a Motorama show in NYC
From the 1953 Motorama – Corvette Display
Jan 17, 1956 Ford becomes a public company
They offered 10.2 million shares of stock at $63.00 each – shares opened at $64.50 and closed at $69.50. Today Ford stock is running around $12.00.
Jan 20, 1942 Chevy ceases car production to help support war effort.
As United States as drawn into WWII the Federal government asked the car companies to stop production new cars. The metals and rubber were in short supply and providing the military with these items was the first priority. Most of the car manufacturers retooled to help the war effort. Chevy produced the T-17 Staghound armored scout cars in Flint, Mich. These cars were armed with 37 mm Cannon. Production began in Oct. of 1942 and 3,800 were produced through April 1944.
Jan 21, 1954 Turbo Cruiser Bus produced – the 1st gas turbine engine vehicle
http://www.turbinecar.com/mags/trueauto55/trueauto55.htm
Thanks for reading
Tim
