120 Years of Motorsport Since The First Cars Raced!

Formula 1 may well be the pinnacle of motorsport, with a history that can be traced back to the European Grand Prix championships that took place in the 1920’s and 30’s. And while many enthusiasts may know the date of the first ever Formula 1 race – which took place on the 1st of September 1946 – very few would know when the world’s very first automotive race was held.

Well, according to Mercedes-Benz, the world’s first ever motorcar race was held on the 22nd of July 1894. The race was organised by French newspaper Le Petit Journal, but this race wasn’t just about speed. Instead, the 126-kilometre route from Paris to Rouen was used to test the endurance, reliability, and safety of the participating machines. In their own words, the French paper said, “The cars would need to be easy to operate for the competitors, without any danger, and not too expensive to run.”

21 vehicles were approved for the race, and they each had to go through test drives three days prior to the final competition to qualify for the long-distance race. The first vehicle was set off at 8:01 am, with the remaining vehicles following at intervals of 30 seconds. The roads were not cordoned off for the endurance race, and there were thousands of spectators and cyclists, as well as other non-competitive motorcars, which took to the streets to follow the competitors. The motorised spectators also included Gottlieb Daimler and his son Paul, who were excitedly following this day that would be so important for their engine – which also was powering 9 of the competing cars.

Although the internal combustion engine had only been in existence for eight years prior to the race, it performed exceptionally well – and, although the steam-powered tractor of Count Jules-Albert de Dion completed the route in the shortest time, it fulfilled the rules and regulations much less effectively than the more sophisticated motorcars. In fact, three steam-powered vehicles failed to complete the 126-kilometre route because of the poor road conditions. This sealed the fate of the steam engine, as two cars fitted with a Daimler two-cylinder V-engine shared first prize.

Various vehicles, each powered with Daimler engines, picked up important victories in the ensuing years – which supported the excellent reputation of Stuttgart as the source of cutting-edge technology.

With Mercedes back at the top in Formula 1, it seems only fitting that they should take a trip down memory lane to celebrate 120 years in motorsport.