Calendar page: April 23–29.

We invite you to a brief overview of the events of automotive history, which this week celebrate the anniversary.

April 23.04.1987, XNUMX | Chrysler buys Lamborghini

In 1987, the Lamborghini brand was acquired by Chrysler. The Italian sports car manufacturer has struggled with financial difficulties since the early 1973s. That year, the original owner sold the brand, which continued to change hands over time. After it was acquired by Chrysler, it went into production. diablo new model, equipped with a V12 engine. Chrysler, however, had no idea about brand development. Back in 1994, he sold the company to the Malaysian company MegaTech for $40 million. Four years later, Lamborghini changed hands again. It is Audi that successfully copes with the development of the legendary Italian brand.

24.04.1978/50/924 April XNUMX | XNUMX thousand. Porsche cars

The Porsche 924, the so-called “Porsche for the People”, was an important milestone in the development of the brand. It was the second mass-produced Porsche at an attractive price after the 914. It was initially created in the brand's engineering studio as an external order - the company received an order from Volkswagen to create a sports car. The company was leaving, and the project was at an advanced stage of development. This is how the Porsche 924 was created. In just two years, 50 cars were produced. copies. As a result, production ended at 150 911, and the concept of a sports car cheaper than the 924 was continued - Porsche became the successor.

April 25.04.1901, XNUMX | New York becomes the first state to require vehicle registration

The state of New York was the first to introduce a license plate requirement for cars. Interestingly, this was not the solution known from today. It was the users who were required to make a plate on their own and put their initials on it, which was supposed to help identify the owner of the vehicle.

In Europe, the first requirement of this type was introduced in 1893, but it only applied to the Paris region.

April 26.04.2009, XNUMX | Union agreements with Chrysler ensure brand preservation

In 2009 of the year Chrysler it was going down. In March, the huge company received a 2008-day ultimatum from President Obama to find a partner who could "keep it alive." Otherwise, the tap with government loans is about to be turned off. In 4, Chrysler received billions of dollars in loans from the federal government.

For the Fiat deal to work, an agreement had to be reached between the unions (UAW) and Chrysler, who wanted to cut employee health benefits.

The operation was successful. Initially Fiat bought 2011% of the shares, but already in 2014 he became the main shareholder, having taken over state shares. In 1984, as a result of the Italian purchase of all Chrysler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was created. The purchase opened up the US market, where Fiat had not been available since the 500. Chrysler owned brands such as Dodge and Jeep. The Italian hand is especially visible in the case of Jeep, which now offers a small Renegade based on the Fiat X.

April 27.04.2009, XNUMX | Announcement of the closure of the Pontiac brand

The end of April 2009, as you can see from our "Calendar Card", was a very difficult period for the American automotive industry.

On April 27, 2009, General Motors announced the closure of the Pontiac brand, which has produced cars since 1926. The latter were released by the end of 2009, and the actual closure of the enterprise and the distribution network took place on October 31, 2010. Pontiac made history with models such as the Pontiac GTO, Firebird Trans Am and LeMans. Many also remember the peculiarly designed Aztec, which we have already written about.

April 28.04.1916, XNUMX | Ferruccio Lamborghini is born.

On April 28, 1916, the father of the brand was born. Lamborghiniwhich was originally known only for the production of tractors.

The history of the creation of the first car Ferruccio Lamborghini is rich in legends. The Italian industrialist was not satisfied with the build quality of his Ferrari. He wanted to comment on the design of the clutch, but heard that comments from the tractor manufacturer were not welcome. Passionate about honor, Lamborghini decided to create a sports car that was superior to Ferrari. Thus was born the sports car division of Lamborghini, which gave birth to the Lamborghini 350 GTV with a 12-cylinder engine.

Lamborghini died in February 1993 at the age of 76. The cause of death was a heart attack. At that time, the Automobili Lamborghini brand was not owned by his family.

April 29.04.2004, XNUMX | End of the Oldsmobile brand

Oldsmobile, one of the oldest brands, which expired on April 29, 2004. The company lasted 107 years, and its problems began in the early 500s. The situation was supposed to be saved by a new model - "Aurora" - a modern, oval shape. Unfortunately, it was not possible to obtain a production volume that would satisfy General Motors. The story ended with the release of 500 Alero, Aurora and Bravada limited edition Final models, which were painted in dark cherry.

The brand made history with the release of the first mass-produced car (Oldsmobile Curved Dash (1901-1904)) and the first post-war all-wheel drive car - Tornado.