The world's first major motor race: 1894

In 1894, a French journalist, Pierre Giffard, organized a horseless carriage competition between Paris and Rouen.

It all began on December 19, 1893, in the offices of Le Petit Journal, one of the most widely read newspapers of the time. Pierre Giffard, alias Jean-sans-Terre, announced on its front page the organization of a horseless carriage race between Paris and Rouen, scheduled for the following summer. This wasn't the first time he had organized this type of event. Three years earlier, he had already organized the famous Paris-Brest cycle race.

The next day, the competition's rules were published. It wouldn't be a speed race; drivers were even forbidden from exceeding 12.5 km/h. The automobile was still in its infancy; Carl Benz had built his first car only six years earlier. The goal, therefore, was not to frighten the public with excessive speed, but rather to convince them of the benefits of this new technology.

The first prize would be awarded to the car whose car best met the following criteria: safety, convenience, and affordability. The type of engine and bodywork were irrelevant, and no categories were created to differentiate them.

From the start, enthusiasm was strong. Every day, the newspaper published news about the competition, informing those who had signed up, those who showed up, and congratulating them on their idea. Ultimately, 102 candidates registered for the event. While 70 used "conventional" means (oil, steam, or electricity), the others proposed more surprising solutions: hydraulic systems, levers, pendulums, and even the use of passenger weight.

In the end, 67 vehicles were eligible to participate in the preliminary rounds, a 50-kilometer course to test the cars' ability to travel long distances. Some drivers withdrew before even participating, leaving only thirty-two drivers to continue their candidacy. After the elimination rounds, twenty-one cars were allowed to line up on the starting line.

Let's experience the comments of the time:

Crazy people in their strange machines

At 7:55 a.m. on Sunday, July 22, 1894, the police cleared the crowd gathered on Boulevard Maillot. Despite the early hour, all of Paris had come to witness the "first horseless carriage competition" in history. They applauded these crazy people in their strange machines, impeccably lined up in front of the Gillet restaurant. Carriage number 4 was the first to set off.

This strange carriage, consisting of a horse-drawn carriage pulled by a steam tractor, was piloted by the 38-year-old Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, one of the pioneers of this fledgling industry. Every thirty seconds, the competitors set off towards Neuilly, followed by squads of cyclists who had no trouble keeping up: the Paris-Rouen was not a race of speed but of endurance. It was forbidden to exceed 12.5 km/h, stipulated the rules concocted in the offices of the "Petit Journal."

It was this Parisian daily that launched the idea on its front page of December 20, 1893. The "regulated ride," which promised 5,000 francs to the winner, was not to be a "mad race at full speed." But then, how would the drivers be separated? According to three criteria, "Le Petit Journal" decreed: safety, convenience, and the "low cost" of the vehicles.

In the mind of Pierre Giffard, the architect of this first, it was rather a major spotlight on this latest human conquest. "We are already imagining the next century, when the self-propelled car will be at every party and for every form of transportation," wrote the journalist with the neatly trimmed mustache.

To ensure that only the best cars competed, "Le Petit Journal" punctuated the competition with qualifying rounds. On Sunday the 22nd, only twenty-one cars remained out of the 102 registered. The match boiled down to a clash between two types of energy: oil versus steam.

And it was the latter category that held the upper hand. After 2 hours and 45 minutes of dusty and bumpy roads, the Marquis de Dion's No. 4 arrived in Mantes-la-Jolie, where drivers and jury members were scheduled to have lunch. Some had already retired, such as No. 44, a victim, according to the report in "Le Petit Journal," of the "vile road" to Nanterre.

Oil Wins Over Steam

At 5:40 p.m., car No. 4 was once again the first to reach the Champ-de-Mars in Rouen. The Marquis completed the 126 km in 6 hours and 48 minutes, but he had the unpleasant surprise of learning the next day that he had been disqualified: second behind a Peugeot and a Panhard & Levassor, who were tied for first. Why? The jury felt it wasn't very practical to have a mechanic on board to fuel the engine with coal! In fact, the six other steam-powered cars entered had given up along the way. This was unlike the 14 "petrolettes," which all arrived intact at the finish line, even very late (10:10 p.m.) for the No. 18 driven by Englishman Ernest Archdeacon.

This first major car race aroused public enthusiasm for this type of event. The following years saw an increase in the number of "city to city" races: Paris-Bordeaux on June 11 and 12, 1895, Paris-Marseille-Paris from November 24 to December 2, 1896. In 1897, three major competitions took place, among others: Marseille-Nice-La Turbie, Paris-Dieppe and Paris-Trouville.