The World Manufacturers' Championship, also known as Automobile World Championship, was a competition organised by the AIACR between 1925 and 1930. [1] It was the first World Championship in a motorsport.
Unlike the modern Formula One points system, the championship awarded fewer points for higher finishes; the champion would be the manufacturer which ended the season on the lowest points score. A manufacturer would only score points from its highest-placed car. The points distribution is as follows.
| Position | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 1 |
| 2nd | 2 |
| 3rd | 3 |
| All other finishers | 4 |
| All non-finishers | 5 |
| Not starting | 6 |
For the 1925 season, in order to be eligible for the championship, manufacturers had to compete in the Italian Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of their country of origin. One score was also dropped. For 1926 and 1927, no scores were dropped and eligibility was gained by competing in at least two Grands Prix in addition to the mandatory Italian Grand Prix. For 1928 a seven-races schedule was planned with mandatory participation at three rounds. However, only two races were effectively held according to the AIACR regulations, so the title wasn't awarded. [2] A similar situation happened in 1929 and 1930 seasons since only one race was held to the AIACR regulations. [3] [4]
For 1931 the AIACR sanctioned the European Drivers' Championship replacing the failed World Championship.
| Season | Champion | Wins | Points | Margin (pnts) | Grands Prix | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 [5] |  Alfa Romeo | 2 | 7 | 4 |  500 |  BEL |  FRA | ITA | |
| 1926 [6] | Bugatti | 3 | 11 | 10 | 500 | FRA |  SAN |  GBR | ITA |
| 1927 [7] | Delage | 4 | 10 | 13 | 500 | FRA | ESP | ITA | GBR |
| 1928 [8] | not awarded | 500 | ITA | ||||||
| 1929 [9] | not awarded | FRA | |||||||
| 1930 [10] | not awarded | BEL | |||||||
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automotive industry and motor car users in the fields of road safety and traffic circulation. The sport division is a governing body for many international motorsport championships and disciplines, including Formula One.
Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver. Innovation and the drive of competition soon saw speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), but because early races took place on open roads, accidents occurred frequently, resulting in deaths both of drivers and of spectators. A common abbreviation used for Grand Prix racing is "GP" or "GP racing".
Luigi Cristiano Fagioli was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Grand Prix motor racing from 1928 to 1949, and Formula One from 1950 to 1951. Nicknamed "The Abruzzi Robber", Fagioli won the 1951 French Grand Prix with Alfa Romeo aged 53, and remains the oldest driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Fagioli was runner-up in the European Drivers' Championship in 1935 with Mercedes.
The Coppa Ciano was an automobile race held in Italy. Originally referred to as Coppa Montenero or Circuito Montenero, the Coppa Ciano name was officially in use between 1927 and 1939.
The European Drivers' Championship was an annual competition in auto racing that existed prior to the establishment of the Formula One world championship in 1950. It was established in 1931 and ran until the end of 1939 with a hiatus from 1933–34, and awarded points to drivers based on the results of selected Grand Prix races, the so-called Grandes Épreuves. The championship was discontinued because of the outbreak of World War II in 1939, and no champion was officially declared for the last season.
The 1937 Grand Prix season was the fifth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. Caracciola won three of the five events that counted towards the championship.
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The 1925 Grand Prix season was the first year for the new AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season. The championship was won by Alfa Romeo, with its P2 model.
The 1926 Grand Prix season was the second AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season and the first running to new 1.5-litre regulations. The championship was won by Bugatti and its Type 35 was the dominant car of the year.
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The 1927 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on 4 September 1927.
The 1926 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Circuit of Miramas on 27 June 1926.
The 1926 San Sebastián Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Circuito Lasarte on 18 July 1926. It was also designated as the European Grand Prix.
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The Algerian Grand Prix or Grand Prix d'Alger was a motor race held in the 1920s and 1930s at several coastal road courses in the department of French Algeria.
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Charles Pierre Elie Montier was a French racing driver and automotive engineer whose race entries included the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ferdinand Montier (1909–1996) was a French racing driver active in Grand Prix motor racing.
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