MotorCities

#OTD in 1901, Connecticut became the first state to pass a law regulating motor vehicles, limiting their speed to 12 mph in cities and 15 mph on country roads. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

The @Ford Ranchero was introduced in 1957 as a truck version of the Ford Custom sedan. The Ranchero lived on until 1979 and through seven generations, learn more about this first of its kind integrated cab & cargo bed vehicle in this week’s #StoryoftheWeek motorcities.org/story-of-the-w…

#OTD in 1952, John W. Lambert, inventor of the first American gas-powered car, died in Anderson, IN. In 1890, he completed the first gasoline-powered single cylinder vehicle, having purchased a three-cylinder gas engine for $3,300 & converting it. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

PROGRAM ALERT – Thursday night from 5 to 8 p.m., join the @stahlsauto in Chesterfield Twp. for the next evening of their "Night at the Museum" series. See the museum in a whole different light! For more information, click stahlsauto.com/event/stahls-n… #exploremotorcities

#OTD in 2021, @Ford unveiled the F-150 Lightning, a battery electric full-size light duty truck as part of the 14th generation of F-Series trucks. Ford fulfilled a promise made at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show to produce a fully electric light duty vehicle. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1889, Thomas Midgely, a mechanical & chemical engineer involved in the creation of ethyl gasoline & the refrigerant freon, was born. At @GM in 1921, he discovered adding tetraethyllead to gasoline prevented "knocking" in internal combustion engines. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

In this @wdet interview, explore a fascinating look at how Ford’s assembly line and Chrysler’s headquarters fueled explosive growth in Highland Park. wdet.org/2026/05/07/cro… #metroDetroit #Manufacturing #History #EconomicDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment

#OTD in 1996, @GM announced its purchase of the Renaissance Center from @Ford. It then began transitioning employees from its headquarters in Detroit's New Center area downtown to the GM Ren Cen as leases started expiring. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1956, executives from @GM dedicated their 330-acre Technical Center complex in Warren, MI. It cost around $100 million (half a billion in today's dollars) to develop & was staffed by around 4,000 scientists, engineers, designers & other personnel. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1945, @GM President Charles Wilson announced plans to build a small, mass-market economy car. The @chevrolet Cadet was developed by Earle MacPherson as lead engineer & featured a forward-thinking design & advanced features, but was never produced. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1978, William P. Lear, inventor of the car radio & later the in-dash 8-track tape player, died of leukemia in Reno, NV at the age of 75. He invented the car radio in 1924. Unable to get financing to make it himself, he sold it to Motorola. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

PROGRAM ALERT – Today starting at 4 p.m., the Stahls Motors & Music Experience hosts their first cruise in of the year! This cruise in will feature live music, food trucks and more. Enter into the Car of the Month to win a $25 gas card! #ExploreMotorCities stahlsauto.com/event/rockin-r…

Richard Petty is widely regarded as one of the greatest race car drivers in racing history winning the Cup series championship seven times. Learn more about this legendary race car driver in this week’s #StoryoftheWeek! motorcities.org/story-of-the-w…

#OTD in 1980, at the @Chrysler annual meeting, stockholders elected Douglas Fraser, president of the @UAW, to one of 20 seats on their board of directors. The vote made Fraser the first union official ever to sit on the board of a major U.S. corporation. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1988, @Ford Motor Company introduced the Probe, a sport compact coupe built on partner Mazda's G platform and sharing many components with their MX-6 model. It was produced until 1997. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1947, @BFGoodrichTires of Akron, OH, announces the development of a tubeless tire, an innovation that would make automobiles safer & more efficient. After successful testing, Goodrich won patents for the tire’s various features in 1952. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1980, US Treasury Secretary G. William Miller announced the approval of nearly $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees for @Chrysler Corporation. At the time, it was the largest bailout package ever offered by the government to an American company. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1970, @UAW President Walter Reuther, his wife May and four others were killed in a plane crash in northern Michigan. Reuther was 62 and had been president since 1946. Under his leadership, membership in the UAW grew to 1.5 million members. #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

#OTD in 1899, Olds Motor Vehicle Company and Olds Gasoline Engine Works of Lansing merged to form Olds Motor Works. The new company was incorporated w/$500,000 capital. Learn the whole story & visit our partner attraction, the @REOldsTMuseum in #lovelansing #ThisDayInAutoHeritage

WEEKEND ALERT PART II – Tomorrow at 3 p.m., the R.E Olds Transportation Museum will host a panel titled, “History and Future of Michigan Racing.” This panel will talk about the rich racing history of the state and what the future holds. #ExploreMotorCities reoldsmuseum.org