46 replies to this topic

[GPevolved]

For my project, hosted at GPevolved.com, I am currently in a research phase to reboot the blog from scratch, for a variety of reasons (some of which I just detailed in the introduction thread).

 

Anyway, my question is simple:

 

What are the most historically important races prior to the first world war?

 

I am only beginning my primary source research.  Certainly, I would include the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup Race and the 1906 French Grand Prix on this list.  But, before I ramble off a bunch of other relatively obscure and forgotten races of early motorsport, I wanted to open the question up for discussion.

 

In other words, what very early motorsport races helped define the sport that we know today?

 

I look forward to any thoughts, books, articles, or other resources which you may find to be helpful to me.

 

Thanks again!

[Vitesse2]

Well, it really depends on whether you wish to restrict yourself to circuit races - as implied in your post - or include the city-to-city events too.

 

As far as circuit races are concerned, I'd suggest:

 

Gordon Bennett Trophy 1903-05

Grand Prix de l'ACF 1906-14

Circuit des Ardennes 1902-08

Coppa Florio 1905-14

Targa Florio 1907-11

Coppa della Velocita 1907

Kaiserpreis 1908

GP de France 1911, 1913

Coupe de La Sarthe 1912

American Grand Prize 1908-16

Vanderbilt Cup 1904-16

Indianapolis 500 1911-16

Elgin Races 1910-15

 

The dates for some of the above are 'first and last'. Not all were held every year.

[GPevolved]

Thanks for the list.  Those races alone, will keep me busy for weeks.  

 

And to echo your comment about "first and last" certainly organization was hit and miss at best in these early years of motorsport.  I feel like I've read about a lot of "first annual" races, in which a second never occurred.  

 

Also, I don't want to restrict to circuit races.  In my opinion, if most of the vehicles had 4 wheels and they were trying to get to a finish line first, it counts (at least for my purposes).  

 

Thanks again for the input.

[D-Type]

From a British point of view, the first Brooklands race meeting in 1907.  British motor racing was consigned to the wilderness for 50 years.

[Tim Murray]

In addition to Vitesse's excellent list of circuit races, I'd make a case for the two French elimination races for the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1904 and 1905. Obviously only French cars took part, but the quality and quantity of the entry was significantly better than for many other events.

As for city-to-city events, the essential events to include are:

1895: Paris - Bordeaux - Paris
1896: Paris - Marseille - Paris
1898: Paris - Amsterdam - Paris
1899: Tour de France
1900: Paris - Toulouse
1901: Paris - Berlin
1902: Paris - Vienna
1903: Paris - Madrid

There are many others you might want to look at, including Paris - Bordeaux in 1898 and 1901, etc etc.

Edited by Tim Murray, 20 March 2015 - 06:14.

[Rob Semmeling]

As far as circuit races are concerned, I'd suggest:

 

Circuit des Ardennes 1902-07

Targa Florio 1906-11

Kaiserpreis 1907

 

 

 

See Richard, that's what you get from posting in the wee hours of the night... !

[Roger Clark]

The events listed by Vitesse and Tim Murray were all important in the day but I would debate whether they all "helped define the sport as we know it today". O me that would set the bar very much higher; it depends on what GPeveolved is trying to achieve. In either case, I think some of the early Coupe des Voiturettes should be considered.

I would also differ from D-Type's view that Brooklands consigned British racing to the wilderness. This was certainly true in the 1930s and increasingly from the 1920s but not before 1914. The success of Sunbeam and Vauxhall in the 1912 Grand Prix/Coupe de l'Auto owed a lot to their ability to test at Brooklandds. This doesn't mean that any Brooklands races were historically important, of course!

[Rob29]

From a British point of view, the first Brooklands race meeting in 1907.  British motor racing was consigned to the wilderness for 50 years.

Think this is the ENGLISH point of view as road races were certainly held in Ireland and the Isle of Man?

Edited by Rob29, 20 March 2015 - 08:29.

[Vitesse2]

See Richard, that's what you get from posting in the wee hours of the night... !

Two pints of Jennings Sneck Lifter and a large Jamesons after an evening of metaphorical wrestling with Plato ...

 

Regarding books, the 'gold standard' for the European events is still Gerald Rose's A Record of Motor Racing, published at the time and reprinted in 1949. Not easily found - and definitely not cheap. Lord Montagu's Gordon Bennett Races is a good overview - if a little dry. You should also consult William Court's Power and Glory. There are several good books on the American events and for the Vanderbilt races you should consult Howard Kroplick's site: http://www.vanderbil...races.com/about.

 

The events listed by Vitesse and Tim Murray were all important in the day but I would debate whether they all "helped define the sport as we know it today". O me that would set the bar very much higher; it depends on what GPeveolved is trying to achieve. In either case, I think some of the early Coupe des Voiturettes should be considered.

 

Indeed, Roger. I tried to restrict the list pretty much to the various formulae which emerged from the AIACR/ACF - plus the Kaiserpreis formula. The Coupe des Voiturettes can of course pretty much be linked to the 1922 Formula, so it's certainly an important footnote at the very least.

 

I would also differ from D-Type's view that Brooklands consigned British racing to the wilderness. This was certainly true in the 1930s and increasingly from the 1920s but not before 1914. The success of Sunbeam and Vauxhall in the 1912 Grand Prix/Coupe de l'Auto owed a lot to their ability to test at Brooklandds. This doesn't mean that any Brooklands races were historically important, of course!

Very well put!

 

Think this is the ENGLISH point of view as road races were certainly held in Ireland and the Isle of Man?

Well, the GBT at Athy - the only circuit race in Ireland before 1929 - is included in the list above. But the pre-Great War TTs were essentially British domestic affairs - it could be argued that they are the antecedents of sports car racing, but they're really irrelevant in terms of GP racing.

[uechtel]

What are the most historically important races prior to the first world war?

 

In other words, what very early motorsport races helped define the sport that we know today?

 

For me there are many possible interpretations for the word 'important'. Important from the dramaturgical aspect, from the technological aspect, organisatorical, sportingly, racing format etc.

 

For example I think the idea of the purpose-built race car reaches far back to the earliest town-to-town races. The Gordon Bennett race of 1900 brought the first realisation of the idea of a world championship while the Bastogne races were the origin for all circuit racing thereafter. 

 

Naturally the number of innovations was very high in these early ages and has decreased ever since. But -speaking in terms of "Grand Prix" thinking - there were also many apporaches in different directions, not all of those innovations were instantly generally adopted and it needed quite some time for consolidation into an 'universal' format for Grand Prix racing.

 

Well, it really depends on whether you wish to restrict yourself to circuit races - as implied in your post - or include the city-to-city events too.

 

As far as circuit races are concerned, I'd suggest:

 

Gordon Bennett Trophy 1903-05

Grand Prix de l'ACF 1906-14

Circuit des Ardennes 1902-08

Coppa Florio 1905-14

Targa Florio 1907-11

Coppa della Velocita 1907

Kaiserpreis 1908

GP de France 1911, 1913

Coupe de La Sarthe 1912

American Grand Prize 1908-16

Vanderbilt Cup 1904-16

Indianapolis 500 1911-16

Elgin Races 1910-15

 

The dates for some of the above are 'first and last'. Not all were held every year.

 

 

In addition to Vitesse's excellent list of circuit races, I'd make a case for the two French elimination races for the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1904 and 1905. Obviously only French cars took part, but the quality and quantity of the entry was significantly better than for many other events.

As for city-to-city events, the essential events to include are:

1895: Paris - Bordeaux - Paris
1896: Paris - Marseille - Paris
1898: Paris - Amsterdam - Paris
1899: Tour de France
1900: Paris - Toulouse
1901: Paris - Berlin
1902: Paris - Vienna
1903: Paris - Madrid

There are many others you might want to look at, including Paris - Bordeaux in 1898 and 1901, etc etc.

 

Like mentioned above, not to forget the Gordon Bennet race of 1900. The first realisation of kind of a World Championship and maybe also the first mass-start at a major event?

 

Here my personal list:

1894 Paris-Rouen - clearly the beginning of 'motor sport' as a whole

1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris - 'speed' (time over distance) becomes the decisive criterium, specification of 'cars' (motorcycles excluded)

1898 Paris-Amsteradam-Paris - introduction of 'classes'/'categories' (light/heavy cars). I think also first major event with employed professional drivers. Maybe first purpose-built race cars?

1899 Tour de France - longest 'Grand Prix' ever?

1900 Nice-Marseille-Nice - begin of internationalisation, marked by the participation of the Mercedes factory team

1900 Gordon Bennett (Paris-Lyon) - first 'truly' international race, covered by international automobile clubs, first time 'world championship' character, exclusively for national "teams"

1901 Paris-Berlin - perhaps a 100 participants

1901 Padua - first major circuit race ever?

1902 Bastogne / Circuit des Ardennes - first circuit race of public notice

1903 Paris-Madird - climax and end of 'Dakar"-style town-to-town-races, participants from France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Belgium

1903 Gordon Bennett (Athy) - first top-level Grand Prix event outside France (not organized by the ACF), first top-level event on a closed circuit and probably also first top-level event not won by a French manufacturer. Beginning of German Grand Prix tradition and starting point for Mercedes racing legend

1904 Gordon Bennett (Taunus circuit) - first top-level event in Germany, one of the epic culminations of the duel between France and Germany

1904 Coppa Fiorio (Brescia) - first major event in Italy and with Fiat as national representative

1904 Vanderbilt Cup (Long Island) - Grand Prix Racing goes America

1905 Gordon Bennett (Circuit d'Auvergne) - end point to the Gordon Bennett races, manifestation of French domination

1906 GP de l' ACF - the first real "Grand Prix", exclusively for factory teams and with no limitation on nationality

1906 Coupe des Voiturettes (Rambouillet) - first top-level ancstor of standalone 'Formula 2' races

1907 Targa Florio (Madonie) - beginning of real Grand Prix racing in Italy

1907 Kaiserpreis (Taunus) - German effort to challenge the French Grand Prix idea with an alternative format

1907 GP de l' ACF - Italy takes over

1908 GP de l' ACF - Mercedes, the second, also race marks the end of the first 'GP era' and the beginning of the first big crisis

1908 American GP - the first event called "Grand Prix" outside France

1911 Indianapolis - first time GP-level event on a track circuit, starting point of the separation of American and European top-level racing

1912 GP de l' ACF - the successful revival of Grand Prix racing, marking the end of the first big crisis

1914 GP de l' ACF - another epic and duel and fateful forebode of things to happen, first 'real' Grand Prix formula (with limitation on engine capacity)

[cpbell]

For me there are many possible interpretations for the word 'important'. Important from the dramaturgical aspect, from the technological aspect, organisatorical, sportingly, racing format etc.

 

For example I think the idea of the purpose-built race car reaches far back to the earliest town-to-town races. The Gordon Bennett race of 1900 brought the first realisation of the idea of a world championship while the Bastogne races were the origin for all circuit racing thereafter. 

 

Naturally the number of innovations was very high in these early ages and has decreased ever since. But -speaking in terms of "Grand Prix" thinking - there were also many apporaches in different directions, not all of those innovations were instantly generally adopted and it needed quite some time for consolidation into an 'universal' format for Grand Prix racing.

 

 

 

 

Like mentioned above, not to forget the Gordon Bennet race of 1900. The first realisation of kind of a World Championship and maybe also the first mass-start at a major event?

 

Here my personal list:

1894 Paris-Rouen - clearly the beginning of 'motor sport' as a whole

1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris - 'speed' (time over distance) becomes the decisive criterium, specification of 'cars' (motorcycles excluded)

1898 Paris-Amsteradam-Paris - introduction of 'classes'/'categories' (light/heavy cars). I think also first major event with employed professional drivers. Maybe first purpose-built race cars?

1899 Tour de France - longest 'Grand Prix' ever?

1900 Nice-Marseille-Nice - begin of internationalisation, marked by the participation of the Mercedes factory team

1900 Gordon Bennett (Paris-Lyon) - first 'truly' international race, covered by international automobile clubs, first time 'world championship' character, exclusively for national "teams"

1901 Paris-Berlin - perhaps a 100 participants

1901 Padua - first major circuit race ever?

1902 Bastogne / Circuit des Ardennes - first circuit race of public notice

1903 Paris-Madird - climax and end of 'Dakar"-style town-to-town-races, participants from France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Belgium

1903 Gordon Bennett (Athy) - first top-level Grand Prix event outside France (not organized by the ACF), first top-level event on a closed circuit and probably also first top-level event not won by a French manufacturer. Beginning of German Grand Prix tradition and starting point for Mercedes racing legend

1904 Gordon Bennett (Taunus circuit) - first top-level event in Germany, one of the epic culminations of the duel between France and Germany

1904 Coppa Fiorio (Brescia) - first major event in Italy and with Fiat as national representative

1904 Vanderbilt Cup (Long Island) - Grand Prix Racing goes America

1905 Gordon Bennett (Circuit d'Auvergne) - end point to the Gordon Bennett races, manifestation of French domination

1906 GP de l' ACF - the first real "Grand Prix", exclusively for factory teams and with no limitation on nationality

1906 Coupe des Voiturettes (Rambouillet) - first top-level ancstor of standalone 'Formula 2' races

1907 Targa Florio (Madonie) - beginning of real Grand Prix racing in Italy

1907 Kaiserpreis (Taunus) - German effort to challenge the French Grand Prix idea with an alternative format

1907 GP de l' ACF - Italy takes over

1908 GP de l' ACF - Mercedes, the second, also race marks the end of the first 'GP era' and the beginning of the first big crisis

1908 American GP - the first event called "Grand Prix" outside France

1911 Indianapolis - first time GP-level event on a track circuit, starting point of the separation of American and European top-level racing

1912 GP de l' ACF - the successful revival of Grand Prix racing, marking the end of the first big crisis

1914 GP de l' ACF - another epic and duel and fateful forebode of things to happen, first 'real' Grand Prix formula (with limitation on engine capacity)

 

With the possible exception of Padua 1901 (an event I confess I hadn't heard of), I'd concur with your list.  I'd argue that the Circuit des Ardennes could be considered the first important circuit race; indeed, as you indicated with your entry for Padua, attmpting to determine the origin of circuit racing probably isn't easy, so why not go for the first internationally important circuit race, the Circuit des Ardennes?  Further to your entry for the 1912 Grand Prix, I'd suggest the fact that it demonstrated the superiority of the Henry/Les Charlatans design of overhead cam/overhead valve higher-revving engine over the traditional slow-revving types which relied on capacity to obtain power ought to be noted.  In addition, the Peugeot used Rudge-Whitworth hubs and wire spoke wheels which became the standard Grand Prix type for the next 45 years. 

Edited by cpbell, 20 March 2015 - 15:58.

[Rob Semmeling]

With the possible exception of Padua 1901 (an event I confess I hadn't heard of), I'd concur with your list. I'd argue that the Circuit des Ardennes could be considered the first important circuit race; indeed, as you indicated with your entry for Padua, attmpting to determine the origin of circuit racing probably isn't easy, so why not go for the first internationally important circuit race, the Circuit des Ardennes?

Agreed - the Circuit des Ardennes was the first major circuit race, and certainly the oldest that is still widely remembered today. Admittedly, I didn't know the Padua event either, but, while we're on the subject of the origins of circuit racing, it's worth pointing out there were earlier round-in-circles events:

The first-ever race on a non-oval racing circuit is believed to have been the Course de Périgueux, which was held in the Dordogne region in south-west France on Sunday 1 May 1898 (or Monday 2 May according to some sources). The race was over one lap of a course that began in Périgueux and looped via Mussidan, Bergerac and Le Bugue before heading back again. The exact length of the circuit is unclear, with various sources reporting it as 145, 171.8 and 178.8 km. The race was won by a Panhard-driver named Leys, but sadly marred by the fatal crash of Marquis de Montaignac.

The Course du Catalogue was a race over two laps of a 72.41 km / 45 mi long triangular course over closed public roads at Melun near Paris in France, held on Sunday 18 February 1900. The winner was Panhard-driver Léonce Girardot.

[GPevolved]

I've had a long long friday at my day gig (will someone pay me to research motorsports? But I jest...).

Just wanted to check in and say that responses have been fascinating and truly appreciative. I look forward to all the hard work in front of me to provide such well-articulated responses.

I will likey summarize the responses into some sort of informal list (for reference) at some point.

Anyway, a more thoughtful substantive response is forthcoming; however, I just wanted to express my thanks for the information shared thus far.

Back to the grind....

>:-|
(brow down)

[GPevolved]

My apologies for the abundance of grammatical and spelling errors above. Lol.

[Michael Ferner]

The Course du Catalogue was, of course, the dinosaur version of touring car/stock car racing, so not really important in the history of Grand Prix racing, but perhaps in general motor racing history. Also, the first circuit race... a race that starts and ends at the same place after just one single lap doesn't really qualify, does it? But an oval is a circuit, isn't it? So the answer has to be Providence, Rhode Island in 1896! And the Gordon-Bennett races of 1900 to '02 inclusive amongst the historically most important races??? C'mon, let's not kid ourselves. The rules were stupid, the fields very short and public interest almost non-existent - those races were simply pathetic!

[uechtel]

With the possible exception of Padua 1901 (an event I confess I hadn't heard of), I'd concur with your list.  I'd argue that the Circuit des Ardennes could be considered the first important circuit race; indeed, as you indicated with your entry for Padua, attmpting to determine the origin of circuit racing probably isn't easy, so why not go for the first internationally important circuit race, the Circuit des Ardennes?  Further to your entry for the 1912 Grand Prix, I'd suggest the fact that it demonstrated the superiority of the Henry/Les Charlatans design of overhead cam/overhead valve higher-revving engine over the traditional slow-revving types which relied on capacity to obtain power ought to be noted.  In addition, the Peugeot used Rudge-Whitworth hubs and wire spoke wheels which became the standard Grand Prix type for the next 45 years. 

 

I never claimed my list to be complete

 

The Course du Catalogue was, of course, the dinosaur version of touring car/stock car racing, so not really important in the history of Grand Prix racing, but perhaps in general motor racing history. Also, the first circuit race... a race that starts and ends at the same place after just one single lap doesn't really qualify, does it? But an oval is a circuit, isn't it? So the answer has to be Providence, Rhode Island in 1896! And the Gordon-Bennett races of 1900 to '02 inclusive amongst the historically most important races??? C'mon, let's not kid ourselves. The rules were stupid, the fields very short and public interest almost non-existent - those races were simply pathetic!

 

If you read my list carefully you will note it contains only the 1900 event (not 1901 and 1902) and for the reasons I wrote. It may have started small, but the idea was in the world. Also, knowing how the story developed, the rules may look stupid from the retrospective, but I think certainly no more than some later regulations (just to mention the idea of double points for just one race...). And it may perhaps be regarded as starting point to just another specific motorsport tradition, namely that the participants always find loop-holes to turn well-meant rules into absurdity...
 

 

[Rob G]

How about the 1908 New York to Paris race? It can be considered a forerunner of the Dakar and other rally raids, and in terms of historical significance, it brought the automobile to many parts of the world where none had been before.

[GPevolved]

Great stuff.  I am still digesting all that was said.  I hope to synthesize a (subjective) list based on the comments so far, a little later in the morning--once my Red Bull kicks in (I blame Vettel for my apparent addiction).  

 

Anyway, I just wanted to pass along a source on the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup:

http://kildare.ie/he...-Race/index.asp   -- This page is a launching point to the text of every article, even tangentially mentioning the 1903 G.B. Cup Race, from a local paper--The Leinster Leader.  I actually meticulously cut and pasted every article into a word document, which totaled a bit over 100 pages!!  Anyway, feel free to PM me if you want the word document for any reason.  If you can spare the time, it's a fascinating read, as it gives a first-hand account of a community prepared for the race.  

 

Themes included:

• Warnings against spectator drinking for safety (and morality!) reasons;
• a "beef" with a motorsport journal over some pejorative comments about comments made about 'Irish Kings';
• outrage at some 'fast and furious' amateur driving on the course in the months leading up to the race;
• a long back and forth about who is to cover the cost of the 1,200-1,400 extra police needed (a matter forgotten until it was a bit late);
• the extent to which danger of injury and death is justified for sport.

 

As to the other races mentioned---I simply look forward to digging into them.  

[Sigur]

Crossing the pond, the November 1895 Chicago race was based upon the 1894 French race and started racing in America.  There were a series of short races involving some of the U.S. early auto builders....Winton, Henry Ford, etc.  Then, of course, there were the Vanderbilt races and the Grand Prize.  Indianapolis 500 is, obviously, the longest sustained race in the U.S.

[Vitesse2]

Great stuff.  I am still digesting all that was said.  I hope to synthesize a (subjective) list based on the comments so far, a little later in the morning--once my Red Bull kicks in (I blame Vettel for my apparent addiction).  

 

Anyway, I just wanted to pass along a source on the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup:

http://kildare.ie/he...-Race/index.asp   -- This page is a launching point to the text of every article, even tangentially mentioning the 1903 G.B. Cup Race, from a local paper--The Leinster Leader.  I actually meticulously cut and pasted every article into a word document, which totaled a bit over 100 pages!!  Anyway, feel free to PM me if you want the word document for any reason.  If you can spare the time, it's a fascinating read, as it gives a first-hand account of a community prepared for the race.  

 

Themes included:

• Warnings against spectator drinking for safety (and morality!) reasons;
• a "beef" with a motorsport journal over some pejorative comments about comments made about 'Irish Kings';
• outrage at some 'fast and furious' amateur driving on the course in the months leading up to the race;
• a long back and forth about who is to cover the cost of the 1,200-1,400 extra police needed (a matter forgotten until it was a bit late);
• the extent to which danger of injury and death is justified for sport.

 

As to the other races mentioned---I simply look forward to digging into them.  

Apropos of nothing really, but as you have that to hand is there any evidence therein of the use of 'Gordon Bennett!' as an expletive and/or a definite sighting of the term 'parc fermé'? We batted those around some five years ago but never pinned either down: Gordon Bennett! It's Bloody Mary!

[Roger Clark]

Earlier in the thread Vitesse2 mentioned a few books on the period. It's a good list but I wouls add, without reservation, Mercedes and Auto Racing in the Belle Époque by Robert Dick who is a member of this forum.

[Darren Galpin]

I'd argue that from the US point of view, the Glidden Tours were very important. They ran from 1903 onwards, and were the fore-runners of rallies to some extent. Running over several days, they were part reliability trial, economy run, as well as part timed event, featuring hillclimbs. They were a big deal in the US at the time.

[GPevolved]

Mr. Galpin, thanks for the tip on the the US Glidden Tours, as I am trying not to limit my studies to European racing.  Mr. Clark, Vitesse2, and others, thanks for the suggestions on books to pick up.  I will be adding them to my growing wishlist.  

 

For my part, I am working on compiling all of these races into an informal "annotated timeline" (think annotated bibliography, but races [instead of sources] in chronological order).  I'm up to about 4 standard .doc pages already, but I am convinced the final summary will be worth it as a reference.

 

Please feel free to add anything else that may be missing.  I will figure out a way to post my document in an appropriate manner, here, once I am finished--though it may take me a few days to a couple weeks to squeeze into my schedule.

 

Thanks again for such clutch information.  I am extremely happy to finally be getting involved in this forum (and am wondering why I didn't some time ago!!).

[GPevolved]

Apropos of nothing really, but as you have that to hand is there any evidence therein of the use of 'Gordon Bennett!' as an expletive and/or a definite sighting of the term 'parc fermé'? We batted those around some five years ago but never pinned either down: Gordon Bennett! It's Bloody Mary!

 

Vitesse2-- I think I am understanding your question, but not completely positive (perhaps the fault of the merlot to my right).

 

Let me do some Ctrl + F searching of my Leinster Leader document, followed by a brief search of a book on the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup (which I am currently--but have only barely begun--reading).

[GPevolved]

Vitesse2-- I think I am understanding your question, but not completely positive (perhaps the fault of the merlot to my right).

 

Let me do some Ctrl + F searching of my Leinster Leader document, followed by a brief search of a book on the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup (which I am currently--but have only barely begun--reading).

 

For what it's worth, I cannot find any references to parc fermé (or otherwise restricted access to the cars after "weigh in" in the Leinster Leader articles of the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup; Brenden Lynch's book "Triumph of the Red Devil: The Irish Gordon Bennett Cup Race 1903; or in H. Money Coutts pamphlet "The Gordon Bennett 1904 - A Tour Across Europe in a Motor Car.

 

However, I do note that Coutts reported that (at the 1904 race), Jenatzy and several other drivers test drove the 1904 course around 7pm the night before the race.  Moreover, he also noted that mechanics were working on the cars before 6am the next morning.

 

Hopefully, I have correctly understood your questions.  If not, feel free to correct me.  Either way, I am unable to confirm or deny any of the propositions referenced above.

[GPevolved]

I compiled the comments in this thread into chronological order with a few informal notations.  Please note, this is not intended to be definitive; rather, I am merely sharing my early notes for others that may be interested.

 

1894

Paris-Rouen (July 22, 1894), France

            “Clearly the beginning of ‘motorsport’ as a whole.

 

1895

Paris-Bordeaux-Paris (July 11, 1895 to ???), France.

Sometimes referred to as the “first motor race.”  However, it did not conform to the modern convention where the fastest finisher is the winner.  Or, is this incorrect? Vitesse2 from TNF notes that the decisive criterion was speed=time/distance.

 

1896

Paris-Marseille-Paris (September 24, 1896 to October 3, 1896), France.

The ‘Panhard et Levassor’ cars were dominate.  The cars won seven of ten stages.

 

1898

Paris-Amsterdam-Paris (July 7, 1898 to July 13, 1898), France to Holland.

            The race was won by Fernand Charron driving a Panhard et Levassor in 33:04:34 at an average speed of 43.26 km/h.  This race introduced classes and/or categories to racing.  This may have also been the first race with employed professional drivers.  It may have also been the first race with purpose-built race cars.

 

1899

Tour de France (July 16, 1899 to July 24, 1899), France.

René de Knyff drove to victory in a Panhard et Levassor.  This may have been the longest “GP” ever.

 

1900

Nice-Marseilles-Nice (March 26, 1900), France.

This race marked the internationalization of motorsport, which was marked by the participation of the Mercedes factory team.  The race was dominated by Panhard’s, and was won by René de Knyff.

 

Gordon Bennett Cup (June 14, 1900), Paris-Lyons.

The initial Gordon Bennett Cup was won by Fernand Charron (France) in a Panhard.  Lance Giradot (France) placed second.  This is generally acknowledged to be the first “truly international” race.  It was covered by international automobile clubs and was run exclusively for ‘national teams.’

 

Paris-Toulouse-Paris (July 25, 1900 to July 28, 1900), France.

“Levegh” (Alfred Velghe) won the race in a Mors, beating several Panhards in the next three places.  It appears the motorcycles were permitted to compete alongside automobiles.

[GPevolved]

1901

 Gordon Bennett Cup (May 29, 1901), Paris-Bordeaux.

Run in conjunction with the “Paris-Bordeaux race,” the first of the Gordon Bennett Cup contestants to cross the finish line was Lance Giradot (France) who finished second in the prior years Gordon Bennet Cup.  Giradot won with a Panhard.

 

Paris-Berlin (June 27, 1901 to June 29, 1901), France and Germany.

Henri Forunier won the race in a Mors, beating Giradot and de Knyff, in second and third places, respectively, driving Panhards.  This was a large race of up to 100 participants.

 

Padua (June 28, 1901), Italy.

Perhaps the first circuit race; there appears to be little information available on this early, obscure race.

           

 

1902

 Gordon Bennett Cup (June 26, 1902 to June 28, 1902), Paris-Innsbruck.

Formally titled, “III Coupe Internationale”, the 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup was won by Selwyn Edge (GBR) in a Napier in an official time of 11:02:52.6.  This race signaled a change in race car philosophy.  Designers realized that obtaining as much power as possible out of a smaller engine would result in a more reliable and competitive car than simply increasing the capacity of the engine, and reducing chassis weight to remain under the regulation weight.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (DATE UNKNOWN, 1902), Circuit de Bastogne.

This is one of the early races run on a closed circuit.  Charles Jarrot of Great Britain won the race in a Panhard 70.  It was, at the least, the first circuit race of public notice.

 

1903

 Paris-Madrid (May 24, 1903 to UNKNOWN), France, Spain.

Embroiled in controversy for its death toll, this race is definitely worth a close study.  Wikipedia, oddly, cites a number of publications that carried stories of the race.  This needs to be confirmed, but apparently, there was not another race on public streets (presumably in just France) until 1927.

 

Gordon  Bennett Cup (July 2, 1903), Athy, Ireland.

The race was won by Camille Jenatzy driving a Mercedes and representing Germany.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (DATE UNKNOWN, 1903), Circuit de Bastogne.

            The race was won by Pierre de Crawhez in a Panhard 70.

 

 

1904

 Gordon Bennett Cup (June 17, 1904), Taunus Germany.

A race of 317 miles (512 km), Frenchmen Léon Théry won in a Richard-Brasier.  Jenatzy, in a Mercedes, was second trailing by a little over ten minutes.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 8, 1904), Long Island, New York.

The first major international road race.  Vanderbilt, heir to a transportation fortune, was only 26 at the time.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (DATE UNKNOWN, 1904), Circuit de Bastogne.

            George Heath, an American, won the race in a Panhard 70.

[GPevolved]

1905

 Gordon Bennett Cup (July 5, 1905), Auvergne, France.

Initially, Vincenzo Lancia was fastest; however, his FIAT broke down with radiator problems.  Ultimately, Théry (FRA) won the race for a second year in a row.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (August 13, 1906), Circuit de Bastogne.

            The race was won by Victor Hémwet, in a Darracq. 

 

Coppa Florio (September 10, 1905), Circuito di Brescia.

The first official running of the Coppa Florio was won in 4:46:47 by Giovanni Battista Raggio.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 14, 1905). Long Island, New York.

 

 

1906

Targo Florio (May 6, 1906), Grande Circuit, Italy.

The inaugural running of the Targo Florio, an open road endurance rance, was held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo.  It was founded by a wealthy Sicilian wine maker, Vincenzo Florio.  The three lap race (3 x 92.473 miles) totaled 277.42 miles and was won by Alessando Cagno in an “Itala.”  Notably, the entry list was affected by a dock strike in Genoa.

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (June 26, 1906 to June 27, 1906).  Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France.

Most cars had a capacity of at least 12 liters.  As such, strength remained the prime attribute, with finesse and the art of driving just starting to enter the discipline of driving.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (August 13, 1906), Circuit de Bastogne.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 6, 1906), Long Island, New York.

            ‘The greatest Vanderbilt Cup Race hampered by spectator fatality.’

 

1907

 Targa Florio (April 22, 1907), Grande Circuit, Italy.

The race was the same length as the prior year race at 277.42 miles.  Felice Nazzaro won the race in a FIAT in 8:17:36.4.  He led Vincenzo Lancia by almost 12 minutes (second place).

 

Kaiser Preis (June 13, 1907 to June 14, 19097), Taunus.

There are strong indications that the Kaiser Preis is widely considered to be a precursor to the German GP.

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (July 2, 1907), Dieppe.

Wholesale regulation changes were instituted to correct the shortcomings of the initial GP l’ACF in 1906.  Engine sizes ranged from 5 liters to 19.89 liters.

 

Coppa Florio (September 1, 1907), Circuito di Brescia.

The second official running of the Coppa Florio.  Some of the original, rather beautiful (“Lautrecian”) art can be found at www.targaflorio.info/02cf.htm. 

 

Coppa della Velocita (September 2, 1907), Circuito di Brescia.

            This race was run the day after the Coppa Florio on the same circuit.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (DATE UNKNOWN, 1907), Circuit de Bastogne.

 

1908

Targa Florio (May 18, 1908), Grande Circuit.

            The race was one on the same circuit that the Targa Florio was run since its inception in 1906.  The 1908 race was won by Vincenzo Trucco in an Isotta Fraschini. 

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (July 7, 1908), Dieppe.

A new formula was instituted for this race.  It was known as the “Ostend Formula.”  It imposed a maximum weight of 1,100 kg (2,245 lb) and a maximum engine size achieved through restrictions on cylinder number and bore.  Tire pressure played a critical role on the outcome of the race.  The race was one by Lautenshlager in a Mercedes with an average speed of 69.05 mph (111.129 km/h).

 

Coppa Florio (September 6, 1908), Circuito bi Bologna.

This race was won by Felice Nazzaro in 4:25:21 over 528.22 kilometers.  Nazzaro was racing a FIAT.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 24, 1908), Long Island, New York.

Two years since the last race, this race was run under considerably altered conditions, due to the spectator bloodshed in 1906.  It was run on the first concrete auto highway in the world.

 

American Grand Prize (November 26, 1908), Savannah, Georgia.

Louis won this closely contested race in a FIAT, finishing less than a minute ahead of Victor Hémery in a Benz.

 

Circuit des Ardennes (DATE UNKNOWN, 1908), Circuit de Bastogne.

           

[GPevolved]

1909

 Targa Florio (May 2, 1909), Grande Circuit.

Francesco Ciuppa won the race at an average speed of 54.6 km/h.  I see a note referring a crisis in motorsport.  Certainly, the number of races has dropped off.  This represents a point of study.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 30, 1909), Long Island, New York.

“Stock-Chassis” racing was in vogue and the Vanderbilt Cup Race rules followed suit.

 

1910

 Targa Florio (May 15, 1910), Madonie.

 

American Grand Prize (November 12, 1910), Savannah, Georgia.

This may be a useful place to look at the rival organizations of “Triple A” (American Automobile Association) and the Automobile Club of America (who organized the prior American Grand Prize.  American David Bruce-Brown won the 24 lap race in a Benz.

 

Vanderbilt Cupo Race (October 1, 1910), Long Island New York.

Another “Stock-Car” contest, this was the last Vanderbilt Cup Race to be run in Long Island.  Thereafter, the race shifted to Savannah.

 

1911

 Targa Florio (May 14, 1911), Madonie.

 

Indy 500 (May 30, 1911), Indianapolis, Indiana.

The inaugural Indy 500.  Vanderbiltcupraces.com has a wealth of information.

 

Grand Prix de France (July 23, 1911), Le Mans.

            The race was won by Victor Hémery in a FIAT.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (November 27, 1911), Savannah and Effingham, Georgia. 

            The first of the Vanderbilt races held in Georgia.  The race was run within a few days of the American Grand Prize.

 

American Grand Prize (November 30, 1911), Savannah, Georgia.

This race was held three days after the Vanderbilt Cup.  David Bruce-Brown won the race in a FIAT.

 

1912

 Indy 500 (May 30, 1912), Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rule changes in the second Indy 500 made riding mechanics necessary.  The race purse doubled from the year before to a considerable $50,000.

 

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (July 25, 1912 to July 26, 1912), Dieppe.

The GP l’ACF returned after an absence since 1908.  The particular reasons for this are outlined by David Hodges in The French Grand Prix: 1906-1966 (Temple Books Press, 1967). 

 

Coupe de la Sarthe (September 9, 2012), Le Mans.

            There appears to be an excellent AUTOSPORT TNF post on this.

 

Vanderbilt Cup Race (October 2, 1912), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Mercedes finally won a Vanderbilt Cup Race; however, it was the smallest field ever.  If current day Milwaukee is any indication, it is no surprise that the international crowd avoided the hopsy industrial malaise.

 

American Grand Prize (October 5, 1912),  Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The event was marred by the deat of two time and defending winner David Bruce-Brown in a practice accident.

 

1913

 Indy 500 (May 30, 1913) , Indianapolis, Indiana

The race was won by a champagne-consuming Frenchman—Jules Goux—driving a Peugot (where is father was the factory Supervisor).

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (July 12, 1913), Amiens.

In David Hodges book, The French Grand Prix, the winner Georges Boillot was quoted as saying, “I finished, glad to have had the honor of winning the Grand Prix for the second year in succession.’  This victory brought him ‘hero status’ in France.

 

1914

 Vanderbilt Cup Race (February 27, 1914), Santa Monica, California.sy.com

 

American Grand Prize (February 28, 1914), Santa Monica, California.

48 lap race run on public roads in Santa Monica.  The Vanderbilt Cup was run on the same track two days prior.

 

Indy 500 (May 30, 1914), Indianapolis 500.

            René Thomas and his riding mechanic Robert Laly won the race.

 

Coppa Florio (May 31, 1914), Circuito Grande, Italy.

It appears, though I have not yet confirmed, that the C.F. had not been run since the Fall of 1908.  In any event, the 1908 winner of the race, Felice Nazzaro, won the race again.  

 

Grand Prix l’ACF (July 4, 1914), Lyon.

To some extent, this race is considered to the final  event of motorsport’s first epoch.  (Hodges at 45).

 

World War I (July 28, 1914). 

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, is assassinated.  This triggers a chilling diplomatic cluster____.  The context, nuances, and rather strange events that occurred on this day are outlined in an article/segment, which aired on National Public Radio (npr.org) on June 27, 2014, titled “The Shifting Legacy of the Man Who Shot Franz Ferdinand.”

[GPevolved]

I am continuing to research these races.  However, I have had trouble finding information on some of the early races.  I have Court's Power and Glory, but am looking for some additional information on, for example, the 1904 Grand Prix season.  Can anyone recommend any *affordable* (we can safely nix Gerald Rose's work from this list) books covering the pre-WWI races?

 

Thanks in advance for any information.  My apologies if I have missed a relevant thread on the subject.

[Doug Nye]

If you want to do this seriously, you cannot afford NOT to refer to Gerald Rose.  The Autobooks of Brighton reprinted edition of his book would surely be within reach of most pockets even today?  And If you are that keen to learn - surely you would save up for it?

 

When I was a kid I wanted to learn (so I saved up for it every week, hoping it would be a revelation).  I was finally able to buy a copy, and it shaped my life... If it matters to you as much as it did to some of us, go for it.  

 

DCN

[GPevolved]

Mr. Nye --- 

 

Thank you for your feedback.  Good call.  I shall start saving.   No shortcuts here.

[Vitesse2]

Charles Jarrott's 'Ten Years of Motors and Motor Racing' might be worth considering. Now available in print on demand editions, although they're not much cheaper than the lowest priced copies of the 1956 edition. SF Edge's 'My Motoring Reminiscences' is another possibility, but even the 1972 reprint is now going for very silly money and originals are as much as the cheapest copies of Rose!

 

There's also 'Braunbeck's Sport-Lexikon' (in German). I paid about £25 for mine, but I see prices now start at eight times that!

 

As you're in the States, it would be worth exploring Google Books and/or the Hathi Library, as some English-language magazines of the day like Motor Age, The Motor and The Autocar are available online on your side of the Big Pond, due to the differences in copyright law. That may even apply to Jarrott's and (possibly) Edge's books. Or maybe a visit to Detroit Public Library? They have an enormous collection of motoring magazines.

 

Oh, and there's this gorgeous production from Mercedes Benz North America - available as a free PDF from the Daimler Archive: 'The Star and the Laurel' by Beverley Rae Kimes They do have some other ebooks on their site, but that's the only one in English and probably the only one which covers what you are looking for.

 

If you can cope with German, then there's also the Austrian online archive ANNO, which has the Allgemeine Auto-Zeitung from 1900 onwards: http://anno.onb.ac.a...nt/anno?aid=aaz

[GPevolved]

Thanks for the tip.  Charles Jarrott's work is available to me free through Google Books.  I will take a look at that, as it has been some time since I actually read it.  

 

Also, many thanks for the heads up on the "The Star and the Laurel."

 

This should get me headed in the right direction again, on these early races.

[Michael Ferner]

If you want to do this seriously, you cannot afford NOT to refer to Gerald Rose.

My thoughts, exactly. The ONLY other way would be to go through hundreds of period magazines, and good luck with that. Won't be cheap, either.

[Roger Clark]

Earlier in the thread, I recommended Robert Dick's Mercedes and Auto Racing in the Belle Epoque 1895-1915.  Amazon have copies at very reasonable prices.  You can see the quality of Robert's knowledge from his many posts here on TNF.

[Mekola]

I suggest to include these races from Argentinian motorsport:

 

1906: Recoleta - Tigre

          First official Buenos Aires and surrounds touring car race.

1910: Buenos Aires - Rosario - Córdoba

          The origins of the Gran Premio Argentino

 

I should read the (uncomplete) story of the Gran Premio Argentino done by Alfredo Parga in his latter years, to confirm more data about the pre-"Great War" period.

[Charlieman]

I am continuing to research these races.  However, I have had trouble finding information on some of the early races.  I have Court's Power and Glory, but am looking for some additional information on, for example, the 1904 Grand Prix season.  Can anyone recommend any *affordable* (we can safely nix Gerald Rose's work from this list) books covering the pre-WWI races?

Have you tried finding a sponsor who can help you access libraries such as that of the VSCC? Or you could join the VSCC and take a long holiday in the Cotswolds.

[ensign14]

Also, the first circuit race... a race that starts and ends at the same place after just one single lap doesn't really qualify, does it? But an oval is a circuit, isn't it? So the answer has to be Providence, Rhode Island in 1896! And the Gordon-Bennett races of 1900 to '02 inclusive amongst the historically most important races??? C'mon, let's not kid ourselves. The rules were stupid, the fields very short and public interest almost non-existent - those races were simply pathetic!

 

Narragansett has to be included - the reason why Americans race on dirt ovals was because of that trotting track and being able to charge for admission.

 

The GBs had two innovations that made them disproportionately influential.  One, the national basis may have encouraged manufacturers to step up that otherwise would never have done so.  Two, badge engineering...

 

And there's a much earlier race as well.

 

1878 Green Bay v Oshkosh

Detailed exposition here.  The problems of early adoption...

[Tim Murray]

That account seems a bit lacking, as it appears not to mention either the ploughing trial, or the race on the horse racing track at the Oshkosh Fairgrounds, which was almost certainly the first race on a closed circuit. I prefer the version by Don Capps which he first wrote for his Rear View Mirror Column at Atlas F1 and later reproduced in the Racing circuits almanac thread:
 

Back at the Beginning

The credit for the first motor contest is usually given to the Paris to Rouen concours of 22 July 1894. Although a steam-driven de Dion-Bouton of is usually credited as the first place finisher, the jury - yes, jury - decided to split the prize of 2,000 Francs between Robert Peugeot and René Panhard - the trial being for the manufacturers rather than the drivers. However, there was a similar contest in the same month 16 years before in the United States.

In 1875, the Wisconsin State Legislature created the ingredients for what could be correctly called a motor contest. The Madison Wisconsin State Journal of 24 July 1878, states that the legislature "offered a prize of $10,000 for a perfect steam wagon for general agricultural and hauling purposes to be able to stand such tests as a board if three Commissioners should propose; among other things, the contesting machines were to make a 200 mile trip along the country roads of the State, due north and south, haul a heavy wagon behind them, be able to plow, run threshing machines, and perform other feats such as the ingenuity or wisdom of the Commissioners might suggest."

Although the challenge was issued in 1875, it was not until the Summer if 1878 that "the great steam wagon contest," as 15 July 1878 issue of the Green Bay Daily State Gazette called it. The contest started from Green Bay on 15 July, a Monday, without the route to the destination, Madison, being clear to any of those concerned. Although it had been hoped that all six of the steam wagons entered would be participating in the endurance and capabilities contest, only two finally turned up at the starting point, the corner of Broadway and Dousman in Green Bay. The Sunday morning freight train from Oshkosh arrived with the entry from A.M. (Ans.) Farrand and Frank Schemer which was built at the J.F. Morse foundry in that town. The Madison entry of a Mr. Baker was in fine working Saturday before it was to be shipped to Green Bay from Watertown that evening after being driven there.

On Monday morning the Madison Wagon had not arrived and Mr. Baker conferred with the Commissioners and both Farrand and Cowles as to how to proceed. The steam wagon had not yet arrived at Watertown. It was decided that the Madison Wagon could, if possible, enter the contest at Fort Atkinson. There was also a Milwaukee Wagon, but it ran into problems prior to the start. Built by James Sheriff - the engine, and Richard Davis - the boiler, for Dr. Karouse of Sun Prairie, the single cylinder system failed to work properly and had to be scratched.

Looking like a fire engine pump of the day, the steam wagon was essentially a boiler on a carriage with the rear wheels driven by a chain drive system. The rear wheels were four feet eight inches in diameter and the front wheels have a diameter of four feet. The Oshkosh Wagon, as it was quickly labelled, weighed in at about 5,000 pounds. The inventor, Farrand was assisted by Eck. Gallagher and John Owen with Schermer also along for the journey.

The other steam wagon, built by E.T. Cowles, was driven in town on Sunday morning from his farm at Wequiock, not far from Green Bay. It was broadly similar in design to the Oshkosh Wagon, but had a horizon boiler and a rather complicated, overly complex (independent) suspension system and used a gear-driven transmission. That afternoon, the Cowles Wagon steamed up Washington Street and drew a considerable crowd in the process. Even at this late hour the exact route and even the exact starting time on Monday morning was an open question.

The starting time was originally announced on Monday morning as 9 o'clock, but the start was not until 11 o'clock due to the Cowles Wagon breaking through a culvert on its way to the starting point. The accident necessitated repairs to the governor and therefore a delay in the start. In the meantime, the two participants and Commissioners agreed to a plan where the Oshkosh Wagon stayed to the roads on the west side of the river and the Cowles Wagon to those on the east side of the river. The two would meet at Depere for a dinner and a reception hosted by the town in honour of the occasion.

The conditions laid down by the Wisconsin State Legislature were fairly straight forward to earn the $10,000 prize: the steam wagon had to be able to run at a speed of at least five miles in an hour of working time; be capable of climbing a grade of 200 feet to the mile; and demonstrate their practicality and applicability to general road and farm use. The Commissioner were tasked to attach heavy loads to the wagons, "test them in various ways," and conduct a "ploughing" match as they passed through Jefferson County at Olin's farm. The route to be followed was to follow the C&NW Rail Road as far south as Janesville and then from there to Beloit and finally into Madison, where the Commissioners would made a decision as the awarding of the prize monies.

The Oshkosh Wagon headed south from the corner of Broadway and Dousman towards Appleton, 89 miles away, while the Cowles Wagon was trundled off to the foundry to repair the injector which failed soon after the start. The initial hope was that it would catch up with the Oshkosh Wagon either that evening or the next morning. The Oshkosh Wagon arrived in Appleton on Tuesday at midday after spending the night in Wrightstown. As Farrand and crew were arriving in Appleton, Cowles was departing Green Bay - his machine leaving town with several toots from its whistle to the amusement of the townspeople. However, the Cowles Wagon was soon directed to take the freight train from Depere to Oshkosh.

On Wednesday morning, the Oshkosh Wagon departed Appleton shortly after 9 o'clock and arrived 80 minutes later in Menasha and then set of for Neenah, the "Flower of the Fox," where the crew enjoyed a luncheon at the Russell House. The start was delayed until after 1 o'clock as the Commissioners trued to ascertain the location of the "Green Bay machine." It was at this point that the Commissioners directed Cowles to proceed to Oshkosh. Heavy rains on a new road had made the progress of the steam wagon virtually impossible.

On Thursday, 18 July, the Cowles Wagon finally reached Oshkosh at just before 10 o'clock in the evening courtesy of a flatcar on the C&N Railway. The Oshkosh Wagon had arrived there under its own power, covering the 14 miles in two hours. Meanwhile, the Madison Wagon finally arrived in Watertown on Thursday and was directed to proceed to Oshkosh to participate in a series of tests. First thing on Friday morning, however, the Cowles Wagon had to spend time at the Morse machine shop and foundry undergoing repairs on a number of problems that seemed to be plaguing the steam wagon.

The program of events on Saturday was announced on Friday afternoon and would commence with a hauling test. This was predicated on the Madison Wagon arriving and the repairs to the Cowles Wagon being completed in time. The tests given by the Commissioners would be held at the Jones & Fosters lumber yard, after which the steam wagons would depart on their journey to Madison. Any machine not ready to depart at 1 o'clock in the afternoon would simply have to leave as soon as it could and catch up with the other(s) as quickly as possible.

The tests at Oshkosh got underway with the Green Bay Wagon finally ready to perform after spending the entire previous day being repaired. Without any word as to where the Madison Wagon was or when it would arrive, the Green Bay and Oshkosh steam wagons squared off against one another on Saturday morning. The first test was to haul a load of approximately three tons from the Foster & Jones lumber mill to the Oshkosh Fair grounds. Each steam wagon hitched a wagon to the machine and was then asked to negotiate the roads around the lumber mill, the route being one block around the mill on the loose sawdust which comprised the road surface.

After circling the block, the steam wagons headed for the Fair grounds hauling their loads. The Green Bay Wagon was in the lead with the Oshkosh Wagon trailing closely behind. After creeping closer to the Green Bay Wagon, the Oshkosh Wagon pulled out to pass the lead steam machine. Unfortunately, a wheel of the loaded wagon struck a hole on the outer edge of the road and the impact broke the log chain attaching the wagon to the steam machine. After a quick inspection, a toggle was devised to attach the wagon once again to the steam machine. When the Oshkosh Wagon started to pull off with its load, the jerk of the acceleration broke a pin, which necessitated one of the crew hastening to the machine shop to obtain a replacement.

This delay and the late start caused by the wait for the Madison machine led the Commissioners to ask that the loads be carried about on the streets of the town rather than being hauled to the Fair grounds as originally intended. This led to further excitement for the Oshkosh Wagon. With what was described as "considerable headway" in the Green Bay Daily State Gazette in its Sunday 21 July edition, the engineer of the Oshkosh machine was forced to suddenly "hold back" on the power after encountering a frightened horse in front of the Beckwith House. Without any means to effectively brake the heavily loaded wagon it was hauling, the lumber wagon veered sideways, the tongue being snapped off and the wagon crashing into the sidewalk and breaking one of the front wheels.

The load in the lumber wagon hauled about town by the Oshkosh Wagon tipped the scales at 9,100 pounds. Although the load of the Green Bay Wagon was not weighed, it was determined to roughly equal in weight. After dinner, the two steam wagons proceeded to the Fair grounds for the next test on the agenda.

The Commissioners asked each of the steam wagons to complete a lap of the one mile horse racing track. The Oshkosh Wagon did its initial laps of the track with a set of outside tires - or "shoes," in place, with a best time of 4 minutes and 35 (or 36) seconds being recorded. The Green Bay Wagon made three attempts and did not complete any of them without stopping for with overheated journals, a lack of power ("steam") or other mechanical problems. However, the Cowles crew soon thought that they had solved the problems.

Both steam wagons then lined up to do a lap head-to-head. At the start, the Green Bay Wagon got away much more quickly than the Oshkosh Wagon. The Cowles machine was obviously faster on the track, pulling away to open a gap of what was estimated to be nearly a quarter of a mile! As the steam wagon closed in on the distance post (the finishing post), it suddenly made a loud "Bang!" and coasted to a stop and refused to budge. The Oshkosh Wagon then sailed past the distance post with a time of 4 minutes and 41 seconds, accomplishing this time without its "shoes" in place.

This is perhaps the first recorded contest of self-propelled machines on a closed circuit. It certainly was a race since the object was to establish which of the machines could make it to the distance post first. This does lend a degree of validity to the old saying concerning the origin of motor racing: it was the result of the owner of the second automobile asking the owner of the first if he would like to see how fast they could go…. It must be noted that despite the extreme heat, the race - which is what Madison Wisconsin State Journal called it - attracted a considerable crowd.

After the laps of the Fair ground track were completed, repairs to the Green Bay machine commenced. The Commissioner had set 5 o'clock as the departure time for the steam machines to renew their journey to Madison by way of Waupun, 34 miles away. Each crew was allowed to determine the roads to be used. The actual starting time ended up being 7 o'clock. The newly repaired Cowles machine got barely two miles outside Oshkosh when it stopped, the problem being traced to the driving gears. The gears were removed and rushed to the Morse workshop where, once again, repairs were undertaken. The bearing were turned and the steam wagon was able to head south towards Waupun and arriving there at about 8 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Oshkosh Wagon had proceeded towards Waupun and arrived there at just after 3 o'clock that morning. It had stopped for nearly two hours waiting for the moon to rise, there being no provisions for lighting its path. It had taken six hours and 25 minutes of travel time to cover the distance. It then departed at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and entered Watertown, 82 miles away, four hours and 30 seconds (!) later. On Monday, it arrived in Fort Atkinson at half past 11 o'clock that morning, covering the 21 miles in two hours and 10 minutes. The Oshkosh then sat awaiting word from the Commissioners concerning the test scheduled for that location.

On its way to Waupun, the Green Bay Wagon had another series of mishaps which slowed its progress considerably. It finally managed to reach Watertown, but the Oshkosh Wagon was now far ahead.

The Oshkosh Wagon participated in a plowing trial outside Fort Atkinson on the farm of a Mr. Snell. The Commissioners stated that the trial was conducted in a very satisfactory manner. The steam wagon used a gang of two plows to plow most of a 60-acre field, with a crowd of over 500 on hand to watch the event. After the trial, the steam wagon headed south to Janesville and reached Milton Junction, 13 miles, in two hours and 15 minutes. It then covered the eight miles to Janesville in an hour and two minutes. The Oshkosh crew arrived in Janesville at about 9 o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 24th, and the Cowles crew finally managed to arrive at 7 o'clock in the evening.

The Oshkosh Wagon did not linger long in Janesville. It set out for Madison, 40 miles away. After seven hours and eight minutes, it reached the State Capital that night, at about the same time that the Green Bay machine was arriving in Janesville. On Thursday morning, as crowds gathered to watch the Oshkosh Wagon perform laps around the Capital Park, the Cowles machine was reported to be heading for Madison.

The Oshkosh Wagon covered the 201 miles from Fort Howard in 33 hours and 27 seconds, beating the target time of 40 hours - five miles per hour - by a healthy margin. During the entire journey, the steam wagon pulled a wagon weighing 3,500 pounds. The Oshkosh Wagon weighed 4,800 pounds and when carrying enough coal and water for eight miles, the weight was 6,600 pounds. Its best time was the 57 mile stretch between Johnson's Creek and Fort Atkinson, which was covered in 11 hours and 30 minutes.

Eventually, two of the Commissioners travelling with the Green Bay Wagon arrived in Madison and reported that the machine was in a ditch outside Jefferson. While the Cowles crew struggled with their machine in a ditch, the Farrand crew proudly displayed their machine and performed laps around the streets of Madison. Needless to say, you can figure out the winner of these endurance trial.

References

Newspapers:
Green Bay, Wisconsin The Daily State Gazette

Madison, Wisconsin The Wisconsin State Journal

Books:
Allan E. Brown, The History of America's Speedways Past & Present (Second Edition), Comstock Park, Michigan: Allan E. Brown, 1994.

Peter Helck, The Checkered Flag, New York: Castle Books, 1961.

[Doug Nye]

Earlier in the thread, I recommended Robert Dick's Mercedes and Auto Racing in the Belle Epoque 1895-1915.  Amazon have copies at very reasonable prices.  You can see the quality of Robert's knowledge from his many posts here on TNF.

 

Seconded.  Robert's Belle Epoque book is indeed a gem.

 

DCN

[GPevolved]

Reasonable indeed.  ​Belle Epoque ordered.  Thanks for the tip.  I have been tracking down some of the additional resources mentioned above.

[GPevolved]

​Belle Epoque is a fascinating read.

 

At Doug Nye's suggestion, I also realized that there were relatively affordable copies of Rose's tome out there.  Not that US $200 is cheap, but for a work like Rose's, it seems well worth the cash.  In any event, I have a copy being shipped as we speak.  

 

...Anyway, I'd like to conclude this thread with a side-question.  Do the established members here think that a thread dedicated to subjective Top 5 motorsport book lists would be well-received?  I was thinking that it may generate some lively debate.  My ulterior motive involves the usefulness of generating a list of great books for motorsport history noobs, such as myself.

[Tim Murray]

...Anyway, I'd like to conclude this thread with a side-question. Do the established members here think that a thread dedicated to subjective Top 5 motorsport book lists would be well-received? I was thinking that it may generate some lively debate. My ulterior motive involves the usefulness of generating a list of great books for motorsport history noobs, such as myself.

There is a long-running existing thread:

Ten books to build a library upon...

but as it hasn't been added to for more than five years, and the forum membership has significantly altered since that thread was started, you might prefer to start a new thread to find out the opinions of the current membership. I suspect, though, that most of the top-rated books in the earlier thread would still be very highly rated.

[robert dick]

Not the most important race before the Great War, and not the less important since it was won by one of the best drivers at the wheel of one of the season's best cars and since René Thomas, Henri Rougier and Arthur Duray were among the starters.
But - as far as I know - it was the shortest: "La Course de 500 mètres d'Achères", a 500-metre sprint held on Sunday, 9 November 1913 in the "allée centrale" of the Parc Agricole d'Achères, just where Jenatzy and de Chasseloup-Laubat achieved their record runs before the turn of the century.
Georges Boillot drove the 5,6-litre Peugeot in which he had won the GP de l'ACF at Amiens.
The 3-litre Peugeot racer which finished second in the hands of Chamant, was a 1912 Coupe de L'Auto racer - Zuccarelli used it in September 1912 to win the GP de France at Le Mans.
The Sigma driven by René Thomas (who was to win the 1914 Indy 500 with a Delage) was powered by a 1,6-litre Ballot engine.
(from L'Auto and Motor Age, 1913)

[robert dick]

A few images from the start of the race between Paris and Bordeaux, June 1895 (Les Sports Modernes):

Georges Bouton (at the lever) and Albert de Dion in their De Dion-Bouton steamer

 

Serpollet steamer

 

Jeantaud electromobile

 

Isaac Koechlin at the lever of his Peugeot

 

Monsieur and Madame Levassor (Louise Sarazin), Panhard, on the way to the start at the Porte Maillot.

 

[ensign14]

Wow. Amazing clarity on those pics.