Foundation 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. 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, 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, 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. 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 400 kg, 400–650 kg, and over 650 kg. 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, and the 'Voiturette' was redefined as "under 1,100cc without supercharger".
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, 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. ==Presidents==