Early 20th century racing was very different to today’s competitions. Most consisted of getting from one city to another in the fastest time, via poorly surfaced public roads and with no protection for either drivers or spectators. City-to-city races were immensely popular, until the infamous 1903 Paris-Madrid race when seven spectators lost their lives, as did driver Marcel Renault – co-founder of the automotive company – at the wheel of his own car. European governments decided to ban this sort of racing, yet could not ignore their popularity. Over two million spectators lined the Paris-Madrid route alone. The solution was obvious: to race on safer circuits.

The Automobile Club de France 1906 Grand Prix as starting point

Racing became more structured in the following years. Circuits – on temporarily closed public roads – were mapped out, and the most prominent motoring clubs began organising major events. The Automobile Club de France (ACF), with support from motoring journal L’Auto, began looking for an organiser for the 1906 Grand Prix. The idea was to propose an alternative to the Gordon Bennett Cup, which dominated the international scene, and penalised French manufacturers. Several regional clubs responded to the call for an organiser, and after a selection process spanning several months, two were shortlisted: La Sarthe and La Brie. The Sarthois won the privilege of hosting the very first ACF Grand Prix – no doubt thanks to the thriving industy and innovative spirit in Le Mans, instigated by the Bollée family in particular.

The ACO’s founding fathers

In January 1906, a week after the agreement with the ACF, the group behind the response to the call for organisers formed an association under the recently-adopted law of 1901. Named the Automobile Club de la Sarthe (ACS), the club became the Automobile Club de la Sarthe et de l’Ouest in 1910 and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest in 1918.

The first general secretary was Georges Durand, an influential local figure who had already competed in and organised races alongside his role as a local politician. He was an elected offical in Le Mans and La Sarthe. He took on the role of project manager, seconded by Adolphe Singher and Singher’s son Gustave, both members of the the local sporting federation. Their family played a pioneering role in the insurance sector. Father and then son were the association’s first two chairmen. Three local businessmen, Robert Gaullier, Georges Carel (vice-chairman), and René Pellier (treasurer) joined them on the board. In founding the club, the group paved the way for 120 years of motorsport history. It was an overnight success. The first meeting gathered a hundred members.

A great success

The time came to host the ACF Grand Prix, at the end of June. Georges Durand, with the help of Verney – an engineer, his partners, and a few members of the local cycling club UACS which he also chaired, mapped a 103-kilometre long triangular circuit to the east of Le Mans between Champagné (la Fourche d’Auvours), La Ferté Bernard and Saint-Calais. Apart from a few sections cutting through private woodland, the race was run on public roads. The circuit had nothing in common with the 1923 Grand Prix d’Endurance, except for the attention paid to safety. The first ACF Grand Prix was a great success, and not just thanks to the magnificent victory of Hungarian Ferenc Szisz at the wheel of a Renault. The organisation was lauded in the newspapers. “A splendid show. My unreserved congratulations to the ACS. Race organisation does not get more sporting, nor more impeccable than that. Well done to them,” said L’Auto a few weeks later.

By all accounts, the event put together in the space of a few months delighted spectators, but Georges Durand was not content to rest on his laurels. He intended to make the motor car even more popular with local people. “The publicity surrounding the Grand Prix aimed to convince local people of the benefits of this new form of locomotion, by demonstrating what the race could do for the area. The result was beyond my wildest dreams“, he declared in Le Petit Phare.

Since then, the 120-year-old club has never ceased to reinvent itself to keep pace with the times. Founded to host an inaugural event, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest was practised in the art of innovation well before the introduction of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The club’s 120-year-old soul remains true to its auspicious beginnings.

Cover photo credit: © ACO