International Connections
The Cup Races Abroad
1900 - The first one, June 14, 1900, took place between Paris and Lyon and was gained by Fernand CHARRON on a Panhard-Levassor car with the time of 9h 9 minutes and 49
seconds This inaugural Gordon Bennett Cup Race saw
three French drivers battle one American and
one Belgian. The French took double victory
as only two drivers, both driving for the home
country, crossed the finish line.
1901 - The second one, on May 29, 1901, between Paris and Bordeaux received the registration of only 3 cars and the Automobile Club of France decided to join the race with the race PARIS-BORDEAUX with a length of 555 km 500 including 527 km 650 in race and once again saw the victory again Panhard-Levassor
driven by the French Léonce GIRARDOT with only Selwyn F. Edge of
England taking on a strong French trio. Edge was
forced out and again the French claimed victory.
1902 - The third cup, on June 26, June 27 and June 28, 1902, connected Paris to Innsbruck through
Switzerland with a length of 565 km 964 and was contested between 4 cars, 3
French and one British. This was the year the tables were turned on
France as Edge stole victory on French soil in a
blistering duel that brought the Gordon Bennett
Cup Race to Ireland in 1903.It was won by Selwyn Edge in the
English car of Nappier with a time of 11h 2 minutes 52
seconds and 3 fifths. The country of the victorious manufacturer being
charged with the next race, it was to Great Britain that returned the
honour to organize the following session and it was in
Ireland that it took place on closed loop, in order to limit the risks of accident.
1903 – Ireland was chosen to host the fourth
Gordon Bennett Cup Race on July 2nd
over a gruelling course across counties
Kildare, Carlow and Laois where Camille Jenatzy, the Red Devil, won for Germany.
1904 - The fifth edition, June 17, 1904 and with a length of 566 km 668, saw the victory of a French, Léon Théry
on a Richard-Brassier car whose emblem was a four-leaf clover. The
race in Germany featured six nations and saw a return to form for
the French drivers who were victorious against new teams from
Belgium, Italy and Austria-Hungary.
1905 - The sixth edition of the race thus returned to France in 1905 organized by the Automobile Club of France (ACF). On proposal of the brothers MICHELIN Edouard and André, the circuit of Auvergne was selected in February. The eliminating heats took place in
April and the race itself was held on July 5, 1905. In the last ever Gordon Bennett Cup
Race France repeated the victory on
home ground amid an 18 driver field..
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