Automobile Club of France

Last updated
Automobile Club de France
Formation12 November 1895 (1895-11-12)
Founder Marquis de Dion [a]
Baron de Zuylen [b]
Count Récopé [c]
Paul Meyan [d]
Headquarters6-8, Place de la Concorde, Paris
President
Count Yann de Pontbriand
Website www.automobileclubdefrance.fr

The Automobile Club of France (French: Automobile Club de France) (ACF) is a gentlemen's club founded on 12 November 1895 in Paris. It is notable for its influence on the early automotive industry and motorsport industries in France and throughout the world. It advocated for the use and acceptance of automobiles in street traffic through lobbying of government law and policy; and promoted automobile use in touring. It's members included prominent motor manufacturers, business leaders and racing drivers. The club was a founder member of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

Contents

in 1952, the club yielded control of motorsport in France to the FFSA, an office of the French state. Today, the club maintains its head office on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, sharing the building and its facilities with the FIA. Facilities include lounges, swimming pool, gym, library containing more than 50,000 references, movie theatre, bars, dining rooms, hair salon and travel agency. Activities including yoga, squash, shooting, billiards and fencing are offered.

History

Foundation

A lunch of the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris organising committee in October 1895 at which the proposal of forming the ACF was made. Seated left to right, van Zuylen, De Dion and Meyan. Count Recope joined the meal later. Le dejeuner fondateur de l'Automobile Club de France (de Zuylen, de Dion, et Meyan, auxquels viendra s'adjoindre M. Recope, 25 quai d'Orsay chez de Dion - octobre 1895).jpg
A lunch of the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris organising committee in October 1895 at which the proposal of forming the ACF was made. Seated left to right, van Zuylen, De Dion and Meyan.  Count Récopé joined the meal later.
Rene de Knyff driving a Panhard-Levassor, coachbuilt by Carosserie Rothschild, with which he won many races in 1899-1900 Arrivee de Constant Huret derriere la Panhard de Rene de Knyff, au Paris-Bordeaux 1899.jpg
René de Knyff driving a Panhard-Levassor, coachbuilt by Carosserie Rothschild, with which he won many races in 1899-1900

Following Le Petit Journal's Paris-Rouen horseless carriage contest of July 1894, a committee of some competitors and automotive industry businessmen arranged to organise the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race of June 1895. The committee included a pioneer automobile manufacturer, Marquis de Dion, and the eventual club's first president to-be, the noble-Dutch Baron Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt. [b] After the race, de Dion proposed the idea of the Automobile Club de France to the temporary committee, declaring that "allowing such forces to disperse would be a crime against the fatherland". The proposal was agreed upon, however no action was taken as a result.

In October 1894, de Dion met with the newspaper and automobile magazine publisher, Paul Meyan, [d] who suggested meetings of car owners could progress the manufacture and improvement of automobiles through collaboration. De Dion agreed and invited Meyan, with van Zuylen and decorated naval engineer (Count) Edmond Récopé, [c] to dinner where the formation of the ACF was discussed. According to Meyan the club was named and founded by the time dessert was served. He was tasked with drafting the club's statutes.

At a 12 November 1895 meeting at de Dion's mansion at 25 quai d'Orsay, Paris, which involved further associates as founder members, the club's statutes were approved and the club was officially formed. Van Zuylen was appointed as club president. [5] [6] [7]

The club, also known in French as "ACF" or "l'Auto", was initially located near the Paris Opera and benefited from a villa in the Bois de Boulogne. In 1898, the club moved to the site of the former "Place Louis XV" (currently Place de la Concorde) in order to offer its members more comfort in a prestigious setting. The club still occupies more than 10,000 square meters in the Hotels du Plessis-Bellière and Moreau.

Grand Prix and Formula One

After the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race event organised in June 1895 by the initial members of this club, the highest level of motor racing in France was defined and organised by the Sporting Committee ("Commission Sportive") of the club initially in three classes, under 400kg, 400-650kg, and over 650kg.

Rene de Knyff, circa 1908 CFP-2 De Knyff, Rene (1).jpg
René de Knyff, circa 1908

In 1906, the term "Grand Prix" was adopted as the name of the largest race organised by ACF, Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, which became a uniquely successful series of race events in the world, open to entrants from any country. The class divisions were redefined in engine size (as opposed to the previous vehicle weight) as the smaller Voiturette (under 1,500cc supercharged) and the unlimited 'Voiture' classes. After a period with series of fatal accidents and regulation changes, "under 1,500cc supercharged, or 4,500cc without" was adopted to the Voiture class in 1914, [g] and the 'Voiturette' was redefined as "under 1,100cc without supercharger".

Competition governors (Sporting committee, "commission sportive") of ACF in 1914 Commission sportive de l'ACF en 1914.jpg
Competition governors (Sporting committee, "commission sportive") of ACF in 1914

World War I (1914-1918) disrupted racing until 1921 when the national annual event returned under the official name "ACF Grand Prix" (Grand Prix de l'A.C.F. in French, ACF stands for Automobile Club de France).

In 1946, the first internationally applicable racing regulation, Formula One, was proposed by ACF. This proposal was accepted by other members of AIACR, [h] and it came into effect in 1947.

The "Grand Prix de l'A.C.F." name was used until 1967 when it was changed to French Grand Prix.[ citation needed ]

Presidents

Eminent members

References

  1. ↑ Theobald, Mark (2011). "Rothschild & Co". COACHBUILT. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Annuaire des diplômés.../ Paul Meyan". Gallica (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "La Jamais Contente (1899) - l'Automobile Ancienne" (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Deligny, Albert (15 August 1896). "Edmond Récopé". La Locomotion Automobile (in French) (12): 202. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Souvestre, Pierre (1907). Dunod, H.; Pinat, E. (eds.). Histoire de l'automobile (in French).
  6. ↑ L'Echo de Paris, 1895 (in French).
  7. ↑ "HISTOIRE". Automobile Club de France (in French). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Baron de Zuylen de Nyevelt". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Count Robert de Vogüé". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Jehan de Rohan-Chabot". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "Count Hadelin de Liedekerke Beaufort". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "Portrait de Jean Richard-Deshais en 1975" (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "L'Aero-club de France 1898-1978" (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "AUTOMOBILE M. Philippe Clément président de l'ACF" . Le Monde (in French). 31 March 1989. Retrieved 7 September 2025.

Notes

  1. ↑ Participant of 1894 Paris-Rouen.
  2. 1 2 Later became the President of The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR, International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs) in 1904, which later became FIA.
  3. 1 2 Later, he chaired the sporting committee of the club and organised the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris. [4]
  4. 1 2 Founder of a sports (rowing) directory, Annuaire français de l'Aviron, and publisher of a directory of intellects, Annuaire des diplômés, [2] and magazine "La France Automobile". [3] Co-organiser and participant of 1894 Paris-Rouen.
  5. ↑ J. Rothschild & Fils of Josef Rothschild at 33 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, Paris (Clément-Rothschild was likely his joint venture with Adolphe Clément-Bayard), not to be confused with Rothschild & Co. at 530 W.27th St., New York of Maurice. J. Rothschild. [1]
  6. ↑ This picture was taken at the goal of Paris-Bordeaux Critérium des Entraîneurs (1899) bicycle race. Standing on the Panhard is Constant Huret who just won the event with a record-breaking result, achieved with Knyff driving ahead of the bicycle as the guide car, when nobody knew much about aerodynamic drag. This record stood for 34 years, and a car or motorcycle shielding the competitor by running immediately ahead was prohibited later by bicycle race organisers.
  7. ↑ See 1914 French Grand Prix for details.
  8. ↑ Which had become FIA in 1946. Probably because the French automobile industry used to be the largest in the world, and the French grands prix had been successful with international participation.
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