France Retain 100 Year Title?

Something that struck me as a coincidence a while back is how the A1 GP World Cup of Nations started almost exactly 100 years after the last Gordon Bennett trophy. As far as I know the Gordon Bennett Cup was the last high profile racing series that was a contest between Nations, until A1 GP came along last year. If that is the case then no country has been declared motorsport World champions since 1905.

Léon Théry for France won the final Gordon Bennett Trophy in 1905 and now France have won the A1 GP World Cup of Nations 2005/2006. Can anyone think of any other event or series during those 100 years that would be regarded as a Motorsport World Cup or Cup of Nations, or can France rightly claim to be in their 101st consecutive year as World Champions?

The Gordon Bennett regulations required that all parts of the competing cars were made in the country they represented. I know there were some dubious cases, but the rule was largely observed by the leading contenders. Many countries ran eliminating trials to determine who would compete for the Trophy. This seems to me to be very different from painting a standard car in the prescribed colour. I don't see how someone buying a franchise, or whatever commercial arrangements exist in A1, can be said to be representing their country.

Well I wasn't really trying to compare A1 GP to the Gordon Bennett Cup. They can't be compared because they are seperated by such a huge amount of time. I must admit though that I have always liked the idea of a nations cup where each country builds it's own vehicle. Maybe one day when it is more established A1 will go that way?

Originally posted by Chris Bloom
Well I wasn't really trying to compare A1 GP to the Gordon Bennett Cup. They can't be compared because they are seperated by such a huge amount of time. I must admit though that I have always liked the idea of a nations cup where each country builds it's own vehicle. Maybe one day when it is more established A1 will go that way?

No chance of that! The organisers would not make enough out of the series if everyone built their own car! Good God it would just be like Formula One ...............................................

Originally posted by Stephen W


No chance of that! The organisers would not make enough out of the series if everyone built their own car! Good God it would just be like Formula One ...............................................

not really in f1 you see cocktail like an english frame with a german engine with japanese tire, by the gordon bennett rule book i thinq that only the renault-renault-michelin would be legal.ok ok the renault frame is made in england ;)

In answer to Chris's original question, I can't think of a motor sporting championship since the Gordon Bennett which has overtly had nations competing against each other. there have, of course, been times when nationalism has been prominent in European racing (I don't know about other continents). The most obvious time is the 1930s, but after the war the BRM was certainly regarded as a national challenger, and Vanwall as winning for Britain.

One of the things I've liked about motorsport is that, generally speaking, it hasnt been poisoned by dumbing it down to country vs country.

Originally posted by Roger Clark
In answer to Chris's original question, I can't think of a motor sporting championship since the Gordon Bennett which has overtly had nations competing against each other. there have, of course, been times when nationalism has been prominent in European racing (I don't know about other continents). The most obvious time is the 1930s, but after the war the BRM was certainly regarded as a national challenger, and Vanwall as winning for Britain.

... and later Matra, then Ligier, were considered as the "Equipe de France de F1". The tons of public money given to Ligier sure helped the feeling.
The Indy-CART series had a Nations standings but of course based on the results of their respective drivers regardless of the origin of their cars. The EFDA Formula Opel/Vauxhall/Lotus or whatever it was named at the time did have a yearly Nations Cup meeting, two drivers per Nation, several heats, as I recall it. A similar format was used for the early European F3 titles in the late 60s.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
One of the things I've liked about motorsport is that, generally speaking, it hasnt been poisoned by dumbing it down to country vs country.

Very true; even the Gordon Bennett was won in 1903 by a German team with a Belgian driver.

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