Gordon Bennett Cup (auto racing)

Théry, 1904 and 1905 winner

The Gordon Bennett Cup for auto racing was set up by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.. He was the millionaire owner of the New York Herald. The award was first given in 1900 in France. It was a car-racing event between teams from different countries.

History

In 1900, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) was given the trophy (prize). The trophy could be won in a race between automobile clubs from different countries. The trophy was given out every year until 1905. After that, the ACF held the first Grand Prix motor racing event at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in Le Mans.

The British Racing Green was first used in the 1903 Gordon Bennet Cup in Ireland.

The Gordon Bennett Cup auto races included racing drivers from across Europe. There were also drivers from the United States like Alexander Winton, who drove his Winton automobile.

The rules were that the races were held in the country of the winner of the year before. The races were between national teams. Because of this, the national racing colours had to be set for each country. Great Britain had to choose a different colour to red, white or blue (the colours of the flag) because they had been taken by Italy, Germany and France. They choose shamrock green because the race that year was run in Ireland. This became known as British racing green.

Gordon Bennett Cup winners

Year	Track	Winner	Car	Country
1900	Paris to Lyon, France	Fernand Charron	Panhard	France
1901	Paris to Bordeaux, France	Léonce Girardot	Panhard	France
1902	Paris, France to Innsbruck, Austria	Selwyn Edge	Napier	United Kingdom
1903	Athy, County Kildare, Ireland	Camille Jenatzy	Mercedes	Germany
1904	Taunus mountains in Germany	Léon Théry	Richard-Brasier	France
1905	Circuit d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France	Léon Théry	Richard-Brasier	France

Gordon Bennett Cup (auto Racing) Media

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  Magazine spread showing three Gordon Bennett Cup Teams in 1903: German Mercedes (top), USA Wintons and Peerless (middle) and British Napiers (bottom)

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  English team -on Napier- before 1903 Gordon Bennett Trophy (l. to r. J.W. Stocks, Ch. Jarrott and S.F. Edge).

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  Circuit map for the 1903 Gordon Bennett Trophy

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  Gordon Bennett course 1905 – France

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  Jenatzy, 1903 Gordon Bennett winner, driving a Mercedes. Postcard, published by Hely's Ltd., Dublin