Eight inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame

Eight automotive pioneers and leaders were inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, located in Dearborn, Mich., in ceremonies held October 11. They are Mario Andretti, John Boyd Dunlop, Sir William Lyons, Jim Moran, Shirley Muldowney, John F. (Jack) Smith, Jr., John Mohler Studebaker and Alexander Winton.

Mario Andretti (1940- ) is a race driver who has won championships at Indianapolis, Daytona, and in Formula One. No other driver in history has been as successful in such a wide range of racing venues.

John Dunlop (1840-1921) invented the first successful pneumatic (air-filled) tire. His pneumatic tire was patented in 1888, and he went on to found the Dunlop Tyre Company.

Sir William Lyons (1901-1985) founded Jaguar Cars. He began his career by building motorcycle sidecars in 1922 and moved to coach building in 1927. His cars were synonymous with speed and style.

Jim Moran (1918- ) was one of the first auto dealers to advertise on television. He owned the nation's biggest Hudson, then Ford dealership in Chicago and the largest Pontiac dealership in Florida. In 1968, Moran became the Toyota distributor in a five-state area in the southeast U.S.

Shirley Muldowney (1940- ) was the first woman licensed to drive a Top Fuel dragster in 1973. She won the NHRA World Championship three times, the IHRA Championship once, and she earned 18 career NHRA victories.

John (Jack) Smith, Jr. (1939- ) is the former chairman and CEO of General Motors and is recognized for leading the successful turnaround of GM in the 1990s and for building the strength and depth of GM's management team worldwide.

John Mohler Studebaker (1833-1917) transformed the Studebaker Brothers Mfg. Company, which was the largest manufacturer of horse drawn vehicles, into the Studebaker Corp., becoming the second largest producer of automobiles in 1911.

Alexander Winton (1860-1932) was a true American automotive pioneer and built some of the fastest and most technologically advanced cars of his era. Winton held over a hundred patents in the U.S. and Europe for various automotive advances.

More information about the Automotive Hall of Fame can be found here.