Despite the need for an obvious distance between cars and cups, one of the most important, influential and long-standing elements of the car industry is deeply indebted to the prohibition era and the rum runners who provided America’s degenerates with drink for so long. This week, on February 21, 1948, NASCAR was founded.

We may not be able to define crossovers now, but that’s hardly new territory. Car types have had unique and interesting origins since well before the automobile hit the road. Let’s take a look at what a few of them are.

Our technology, design, and industry has evolved so rapidly that it is often challenging to reconcile the early days of our history with the modern automobile, but perhaps they are not quite so far apart as they would seem on the surface.

Today, in 1944, Bertha Benz died. And anyone who loves cars, knows cars or has ever sat in a car, you should care.

On April 28, 1916, Ferruccio Lamborghini, the madman behind what would become one of history’s most iconic brands ever, was born.

The hyperactive, workaholic genius with little thought to self-preservation beyond the latest hedonistic indulgence, will eventually be brought to heel by his own hubris. Naturally, it’s a tale we’ve all heard before. And not for the first time within the automotive sphere.

This weekend’s Indianapolis 500, the 102nd running of the iconic race, has already produced its share of stories, and we’re still days away from the green flag.

When Jeremy Clarkson was given the sack by the BBC, it resulted in there being two high-concept car-related television programs where previously there had been one. With the benefit of having now seen two series each from The Grand Tour and from Top Gear, we are prepared to declare which one is best.

The New York City International Auto Show has long been the stage for dramatic releases, automotive innovation and exciting foreshadowing for an industry consistently trying to outdoor itself. This year, however, was more 1968 than 1965, more 1959 than 1953, the in-between years we will look back upon as when things were actually happening, rather than when world automakers were saying they did.

What is new today is tech: A truly remarkable percentage of what we saw in New York may have looked like what we have seen before, but were either production-ready or pre-production gas-electric hybrids or full electrics.