Automobile Club de l'Ouest
Encyclopedia
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France
. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours
race. The ACO also lobbies on behalf of French drivers on such issues as road building and maintenance, the availability of driving schools and road safety classes, and the incorporation of technical innovations into new vehicles. It also runs a roadside assistance service for its members.
. In 1906 that group included Amédée Bollée
and Paul Jamin, winner of the 1897 Paris-Dieppe race in a Léon Bollée
tricar. With the help of the larger Automobile Club de France they organised a race on local public roads, on a 65-mile triangular course connecting Le Mans with Saint-Calais
and La Ferté-Bernard
. The 12-lap race, titled the Grand Prix de l'ACF, was held over two days and won by Ferenc Szisz
driving a Renault
, This race, the first Grand Prix
, would eventually become the French Grand Prix
.
After World War I
, the ACO turned its attention to designing a shorter circuit on public roads to the south of the city. The organisation's chief secretary Georges Durand, together with magazine editor Charles Faroux of La Vie Automobile and tyre
manufacturer Emile Coquille, came up with the idea for a 24-hour race. The first Le Mans 24 Hours was held on 26 May 1923. The very first entry was lodged with the ACO by John Duff
on a Bentley.
in 1940 and then by the Germans at the end of that year. Le Mans was liberated in August, 1944, but it was almost five years before the 24-Hour race ran again.
Following the war, the grounds of the ACO and the circuit were in ruins, bombed by the Allies and further destroyed by the Germans. The ACO set about the task of reconstruction, aided by Government Minister and Sarthe
députée Christian Pineau
who provided the first millions. In addition the ACO launched a loan. In 1946 the British Racing Drivers' Club
opened a "Le Mans Fund" for the benefit of the ACO, raising a grand total of £358 and 11 shillings, to assist with the rehabilitation of the facilities at the Le Mans circuit.
Rebuilding of the circuit started on February 7, 1949, and the first post-war event at Le Mans was held on 25–26 June of that year. Pineau, standing beside Charles Faroux, gave the starting signal. Two new spectator stands were named for racing drivers and resistance fighters Robert Benoist
and Jean-Pierre Wimille
.
was a Formula One race held on the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, on July 2, 1967. Motor Sport
called it "The Grand Prix of the Car Parks." It was an innovation not repeated.
The ACO is responsible as a ruling body for race series, specifically sportscar series. The ACO has run or backed the following races or race series:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
race. The ACO also lobbies on behalf of French drivers on such issues as road building and maintenance, the availability of driving schools and road safety classes, and the incorporation of technical innovations into new vehicles. It also runs a roadside assistance service for its members.
History
The ACO's history begins with the Automobile Club de la Sarthe, the ancestor of today's ACO, which was founded in the town of Le MansLe Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
. In 1906 that group included Amédée Bollée
Amédée Bollée
Amédée-Ernest Bollée was a French bellfounder and inventor who specialized in steam cars. After 1867 he was known as "Amédée père" to distinguish him from his similarly named son, Amédée-Ernest-Marie Bollée .-Biography:...
and Paul Jamin, winner of the 1897 Paris-Dieppe race in a Léon Bollée
Léon Bollée
Léon Bollée was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor.-Life:Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée , was the major pioneer in the automobile industry who produced several steam cars...
tricar. With the help of the larger Automobile Club de France they organised a race on local public roads, on a 65-mile triangular course connecting Le Mans with Saint-Calais
Saint-Calais
Saint-Calais is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.Prior to the French Revolution it was known for its Benedictine abbey named after the Anisola stream . Saint-Calais is a later name coming from one of the local saints of the Perche area....
and La Ferté-Bernard
La Ferté-Bernard
La Ferté-Bernard is a commune in the Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region in north-western France.-Twin towns:It is twinned with Louth in Lincolnshire and also Laufen, Germany.-Local folklore:...
. The 12-lap race, titled the Grand Prix de l'ACF, was held over two days and won by Ferenc Szisz
Ferenc Szisz
Ferenc Szisz , was a Hungarian race car driver and the winner of the first Grand Prix motor racing event on a Renault Grand Prix 90CV on 26 June, 1906....
driving a Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, This race, the first Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
, would eventually become the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the ACO turned its attention to designing a shorter circuit on public roads to the south of the city. The organisation's chief secretary Georges Durand, together with magazine editor Charles Faroux of La Vie Automobile and tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
manufacturer Emile Coquille, came up with the idea for a 24-hour race. The first Le Mans 24 Hours was held on 26 May 1923. The very first entry was lodged with the ACO by John Duff
John Duff
John Francis Duff was a Canadian racecar driver who won many races and has been inducted in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. He was one of only two Canadians who raced and won on England’s famous Brooklands Motor Course. The other, Kay Petre, is already an honoured member of the CMHF...
on a Bentley.
World War Two and aftermath
The Le Mans circuit was occupied by the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1940 and then by the Germans at the end of that year. Le Mans was liberated in August, 1944, but it was almost five years before the 24-Hour race ran again.
Following the war, the grounds of the ACO and the circuit were in ruins, bombed by the Allies and further destroyed by the Germans. The ACO set about the task of reconstruction, aided by Government Minister and Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
députée Christian Pineau
Christian Pineau
Christian Pineau was a noted French Resistance fighter.He was born in Chaumont-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne, France and died in Paris.His father-in-law was the writer Jean Giraudoux, who was married to Pineau's mother...
who provided the first millions. In addition the ACO launched a loan. In 1946 the British Racing Drivers' Club
British Racing Drivers' Club
The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...
opened a "Le Mans Fund" for the benefit of the ACO, raising a grand total of £358 and 11 shillings, to assist with the rehabilitation of the facilities at the Le Mans circuit.
Rebuilding of the circuit started on February 7, 1949, and the first post-war event at Le Mans was held on 25–26 June of that year. Pineau, standing beside Charles Faroux, gave the starting signal. Two new spectator stands were named for racing drivers and resistance fighters Robert Benoist
Robert Benoist
Robert Marcel Charles Benoist was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero.-Early life:Born near Rambouillet, Île-de-France, France, Robert Benoist was the son of Baron Henri de Rothschild's gamekeeper...
and Jean-Pierre Wimille
Jean-Pierre Wimille
Jean-Pierre Wimille was a Grand Prix motor racing driver and a member of the French Resistance during World War II.-Biography:...
.
1955 Le Mans disaster
During the ACO's 24 Hours of Le Mans event in 1955, an accident occurred which killed 84 people, regarded as the worst accident in motorsport history. It led to many actions by the ACO to subsequently change buildings and the procedures used at the cicuit, as well as to redesign the pit lane and front stretch where the accident occurred. It also led to a change of ACO rules for the type of cars permitted in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the following years, as well as applying a fuel-consumption formula.Presidents
- Adolphe Singher (1906–1910)
- Gustave Singher (1910–1947)
- Paul Jamin (1947–1951)
- Jean-Marie Lelievre (1951–1973)
- Raymond Gouloumès (1973–1992)
- Michel Cosson (1992–2003)
- Jean-Claude Plassart (2003-)
Racing
The 1967 French Grand Prix1967 French Grand Prix
The 1967 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans on July 2, 1967.- Race report :The new Bugatti circuit used the main pit straight at Le Mans, but then used an infield section comprising several second and third gear corners, which was universally unpopular...
was a Formula One race held on the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, on July 2, 1967. Motor Sport
Motor Sport (magazine)
Motor Sport was founded in the UK in 1924 as the Brooklands Gazette, the first edition appearing in July of that year. In August 1925 the title was changed to the all-encompassing "Motor Sport". For most of its history , the editor of the magazine was Bill Boddy.The monthly magazine underwent a...
called it "The Grand Prix of the Car Parks." It was an innovation not repeated.
The ACO is responsible as a ruling body for race series, specifically sportscar series. The ACO has run or backed the following races or race series:
- 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
- 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto
- Le Mans ClassicLe Mans ClassicThe Le Mans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It began in 2002 and runs every two years in July on the full 13.65 km circuit also used for the annual modern day 24 Hours of Le Mans...
- French motorcycle Grand PrixFrench motorcycle Grand PrixThe Grand Prix Monster Energy de France is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season.-Winners of the French motorcycle Grand Prix:...
- 1000 km of Le Mans2003 1000km of Le MansThe 2003 1000 km of Le Mans was one-off sports car event run under the organization of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest in preparation for the Le Mans Endurance Series that began in 2004...
- American Le Mans SeriesAmerican Le Mans SeriesThe American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
- European Le Mans SeriesEuropean Le Mans SeriesThe European Le Mans Series was a sports car endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans that was created in 2000 and ran its only season in 2001 before being cancelled. It was created by Don Panoz as an expansion on his successful American Le Mans Series run by IMSA...
- Le Mans SeriesLe Mans SeriesThe Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
- Japan Le Mans ChallengeJapan Le Mans ChallengeThe Japan Le Mans Challenge was an endurance sportscar series based in Japan built around the 24 Hours of Le Mans that began in 2006. It was run by the Sports Car Endurance Race Operation sanctioning body and ran under the rules laid out by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest...
- Asian Le Mans SeriesAsian Le Mans SeriesThe Asian Le Mans Series is an Asian sports car racing endurance series created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and based in Asia. It is the successor to the defunct Japan Le Mans Challenge which folded in 2007 after its second season...
- Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
- Formula Le Mans
- Le Mans Autumn Cup
See also
- Fédération Française du Sport AutomobileFédération Française du Sport AutomobileFédération Française du Sport Automobile , was founded in 1952, with the aim of organising, regulating and developing motorsport in France....
- Fédération Internationale de l'AutomobileFédération Internationale de l'AutomobileThe Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...