The Journal
How the automobile, the great marques and the roads of New York and New Jersey came to be.
45 stories · page 2
Automotive History
William Durant founded General Motors in 1908, lost it twice, and Alfred Sloan turned it into the world's largest automaker. GM's rise, fall and reinvention.
2 min read
Automotive History
Hispano-Suiza built the H6, whose brakes Rolls-Royce licensed, and V8 aero engines for WWI fighters. The stork mascot and the brand's revival.
2 min read
Automotive History
GM's Hydra-Matic introduced the fully automatic transmission around 1940. How torque converters, overdrive and today's 8-, 9- and 10-speeds evolved.
2 min read
Automotive History
Packard offered the first factory car air conditioning around 1940. How Nash, Cadillac and modern refrigerants made cool, quiet cabins standard.
2 min read
Automotive History
Motorola was named for the car radio it built in 1930. How in-car audio evolved from AM radio to 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, satellite radio and CarPlay.
2 min read
Automotive History
Cruise control was invented by Ralph Teetor, an engineer blind since childhood, and debuted on the 1958 Chrysler Imperial. How it led to adaptive cruise.
2 min read
Automotive History
Electric cars were popular around 1900, including New York taxis, then faded for decades. How they returned with the EV1, Tesla and today's luxury EVs.
2 min read
Automotive History
Power steering was pioneered by engineer Francis Davis and reached production on the 1951 Chrysler Imperial. How hydraulic gave way to electric steering.
3 min read
Automotive History
The first traffic signal was a gas-lit semaphore in London in 1868. How Cleveland, Detroit and New York's Fifth Avenue towers shaped the modern traffic light.
2 min read
Automotive History
Jaguar began in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company. The SS Jaguar, Le Mans wins, the E-Type, British Leyland, Ford, Tata and the all-electric future.
2 min read
Automotive History
Ferruccio Lamborghini built tractors before founding his car company in 1963. The Ferrari legend, the Miura and Countach, and the Audi era.
2 min read
Automotive History
Land Rover began in 1948 as a stopgap utility vehicle from the Rover Company. Range Rover, Discovery, owners from BMW to Tata, and today's brands.
2 min read
Automotive History
Lincoln was founded by Cadillac's Henry Leland in 1917 to build aircraft engines, bought by Ford in 1922 and became America's presidential car maker.
2 min read
Automotive History
The Long Island Expressway (I-495) runs from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel to Riverhead. How it was built, why it's famous for traffic, and tips for JFK trips.
2 min read
Automotive History
Wilhelm Maybach designed the first Mercedes, then built Zeppelin engines and magnificent 1930s cars with his son Karl. The full Maybach story.
2 min read
Automotive History
How two rival pioneers, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, created companies that merged in 1926 as Daimler-Benz — and how Mercedes-Benz evolved since.
2 min read
Automotive History
The Mercedes three-pointed star symbolizes engines for land, sea and air. How Gottlieb Daimler's postcard inspired it and how the logo evolved.
2 min read
Automotive History
The New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1951–52 after being built in about two years. Its dual-dual lanes, famous rest areas and role in NJ–NYC travel.
2 min read
Automotive History
Packard built some of America's finest luxury cars from 1899 to 1958, plus Liberty and Merlin aircraft engines. Its rise, its famous slogan and its decline.
2 min read
Automotive History
Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, New York, built luxury cars from 1901 to 1938, carried presidents and pioneered fender-mounted headlights. Its full story.
2 min read
The Journal, delivered
Fine automobiles, travel across New York and New Jersey, and practical chauffeur advice — sent occasionally. Your address is never shared.