Motorsport year 1900
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More sporting events
The motorsport year 1900 brought with it the Gordon Bennett Cup , an annual event at which an international comparison between racing cars from different countries was to be possible for the first time.
The highlight of the season, however, was the annual race organized by the Automobile Club de France , which this year ran over the Paris – Toulouse – Paris route. With the victory of " Levegh " on Mors , the previous Panhard dominance was broken for the first time . The 60 hp Mors model was uncompromisingly designed for speed and is therefore regarded as the first real racing car in motorsport history.
This year, for the first time, there were major public discussions about the usefulness of automobile races. After an accident in a small race that killed spectators, car racing was banned by law in France. Although this ban only lasted a month, safety considerations began to be incorporated into the race planning for the first time.
Race results
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Gordon Bennett Cup
| space | driver | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Fernand Charron
|
Panhard & Levassor | 9: 09.00 a.m. |
| 2 |
Léonce Girardot
|
Panhard & Levassor | + 1: 27.23 h |
| no further drivers classified | |||
As the world's leading automobile nation, France was allowed to host the first race for the Gordon Bennett Cup on June 14, 1900. It was a classic city-to-city race on the 569 km long route from Paris to Lyon. Apparently due to the manageable number of participants, however, unlike what was otherwise common practice at the time, the cars were simultaneously sent into the race in the form of a so-called mass start .
According to the regulations, each national motorsport club was allowed to send three cars, but these cars had to be built in their own country. Three Panhard drivers had been selected by the ACF to represent France , although Mors was meanwhile a serious competitor. The reaction abroad, on the other hand, was disappointing. In addition to the American Alexander Winton , only Camille Jenatzy dared the challenge on the Belgian make Snoeck-Bolide (a license production of the French Bolide ). During the race, the participants were again involved in numerous collisions with animals, or had to struggle with technical defects and the unwillingness of the local population and the local authorities. In the end, only the two Panhard cars of Fernand Charron and Leonce Girardot reached the destination in Lyon , both of which were barely ready to drive, plus a Mors that started out of competition.
Paris – Toulouse – Paris
| space | driver | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levegh |
Mors | 20: 50.09 h |
| 2 |
 Pinson |
Panhard & Levassor | + 1: 20.52 h |
| 3 |
Émile Voigt
|
Panhard & Levassor | +1: 21.42 h |
The Paris – Toulouse – Paris race was held in three daily stages from July 25 to 28, 1900 and covered a total of 1347 km.
The race brought an end to Panhard's dominance, " Levegh " won on Mors . For the first time a British racing car competed in a race on the continent, Selwyn Edge on Napier .
New York-Ardsley
| space | driver | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
ST Davis |
Locomobile steamer | 1:17:33 h |
| 2 |
CS Weston |
Winton | + 7:30 min |
| 3 |
David W. Bishop |
Winton | + 9:27 min |
This race was held on March 31, 1900. The route led over 26 miles (42 km) from New York City to Ardsley-on-Hudson ( New York ). The start was in front of the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria . A mechanic drove in every car. A light steam car from Locomobile surprisingly took first place ahead of four Winton (places 2 to 5) and a gas mobile . In 7th place drove to another Locomobile, it needed about 32 minutes longer than the winner with 1:50. Its average was 20.12 mph (32.38 km / h).
Circuit racing around Babylon (Long Island)
| space | driver | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
.svg){kind=small} Andrew L. Riker
|
Riker Electric | 2:03:30 h |
| 2 |
ST Davis |
Locomobile steamer | + 14:57 min |
| 3 |
Alexander Fischer |
Gas mobiles | + 26:31 min |
The race took place on April 14th and was the second major racing event in the USA this year. It ran about 50 miles (80 km) around Babylon, New York ; Start and finish were in town. Nine participants started, seven made it to the finish. Both failures concerned steam cars. In this race a gas mobile was placed ahead of three Winton and one De Dion-Bouton . The winner Andrew L. Riker was a well-known designer and pioneer of the electric car . His average was 24.29 mph (39.09 km / h).
More races
- The mountain race Nice-La Turbie was first performed. It is considered the first hill climb.
literature
- B. von Lengerke: Automobile races and competitions (1894–1907), Fachbuchverlag-Dresden, 1st edition (April 25, 2014), facsimile of a work from 1908 (Richard Carl Schmidt & Co., Berlin); ISBN 3-95692-272-7 , ISBN 978-3-95692-272-5 , paperback
Web links
- teamdan.com: 1900 Events in the United States (accessed February 20, 2013)
- 1900 Grand Prix and Paris Races. (No longer available online.) Www.teamdan.com, archived from the original on October 20, 2018 ; accessed on May 26, 2020 (English).