Black History Month helps draw attention to the many contributions of Black Americans in a wide variety of fields and industries. The American automotive industry has gone through a series of dramatic transformations throughout its history, with the industry evolving gradually thanks to innovative thinkers. Throughout the 20th century, Black Americans helped the industry evolve through innovation and broke barriers in business and motorsports. Let’s learn more about some of the most important Black American figures in the history of the United States auto industry.
C.R. Patterson – Founder of the First Black-Owned Automotive Company
Patterson’s life story is one of tremendous perseverance and triumph, as he was born into slavery in Virginia in 1833 and would become the world’s first Black automotive company owner by age 60.
Patterson began manufacturing carriages as a free man and learned how to blacksmith in that role. In 1873, Patterson formed a business partnership with a white carriage builder named James P. Lowe, and the two formed J.P. Lowe & Company. Twenty years later, Patterson purchased the remaining shares in the company and changed the name to C.R. Patterson, Son & Company.
When C.R. Patterson passed away in 1910, his son Frederick Douglas Patterson assumed control of the family carriage business, which became known as C.R. Patterson and Sons. He led a transformation, as the business transitioned to repairing local automobiles. C.R. Patterson and Sons manufactured their first automobile in 1915, a two-door coupe that sold for $850 (about $22,000 in 2021).
McKinley Thompson Jr. – The First Black Auto Designer
In 1956, McKinley Thompson Jr. became the first Black automotive designer after the Ford Motor Company hired him. Thompson was also a World War II veteran who served as an engineering design layout coordinator for the Army Signal Corps, and he continued working in that department until 1953.
After leaving the Army, Thompson entered a scholarship contest for the Art Center College of Design, which was hosted by Motor Trend magazine. He won first place and became the school’s first Black student. He graduated in 1956 and began working for Ford the same year, remaining with the company for 28 years.
Thompson was a designer during a transformative era for Ford and the automotive industry as a whole. He was a designer on the first generations of some of the company’s most iconic vehicles, including the Thunderbird, GT40 racing car, Bronco, and Mustang.
Charlie Wiggins – An Elite Race Car Driver
Charlie Wiggins was a racing pioneer during Jim Crow, despite the social barriers he faced during that era. Wiggins aspired to drive in the Indy 500, but was barred from the race and many other white-only events. However, Wiggins was a trailblazer for the Colored Speedway Association and was arguably the greatest Black racer in the CSA.
Wiggins was a skilled auto mechanic in Indianapolis during the 1920s, working in a senior position at an auto repair garage on the city’s south side. The owner retired two years later and Wiggins bought the garage. He started building a racing car called the Wiggins Special during his spare time and between shifts at the garage.
His first race was the 1925 Gold and Glory Sweepstakes Race and ended when his engine failed, even though he was among the leaders at the time of the failure. Despite this rough start, Wiggins would go on to dominate the CSA for the next decade after winning eight of the season’s 10 CSA racing events in 1926.
In 1934, Wiggins served as part of Bill Cummings’ Boyle Products race team for the Indy 500 after sneaking past officials under the guise of being the team’s janitor. Cummings went on to win the race.
Wiggins’ career ended in 1936 after a devastating collision in the 1936 Gold and Glory race. His injuries were so severe that his right leg had to be amputated, and he lost his right eye.
Wendall Scott – The First Black NASCAR Driver
Wendall Scott broke NASCAR’s color barrier. In 1951, Scott was recruited by a local promoter for a regional racing organization called the Dixie Circuit, who was seeking a Black driver as part of a marketing ploy. However, Scott proved to be much more than a mere gimmick, as he would eventually also become the first Black driver to win a race at NASCAR’s highest level, the Grand National Series.
Following the Danville Fairgrounds race, Scott went to work repairing his car with the help of a black mechanic named Hiram Kincaid. He then brought the vehicle to a NASCAR event in Winston Salem, North Carolina, but NASCAR officials barred him from participating because of his race. He faced similar discrimination when attempting to enter a race in High Point, North Carolina.
He raced at the regional level for nine years, racking up dozens of victories in the process. Scott began racing in NASCAR’s Grand National Series in 1961 and won his first event during the 1964 season. It would be nearly 60 years before this would happen a second time, when Bubba Wallace finished first in the 2013 Kroger 200.
