1905 Gordon Bennett Elimination Trial, France

1905 Gordon Bennett Elimination Trial, France

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Following the 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup the French auto industry was up in arms. They voiced their concern during the 1904 Salon, the Paris Motor Show, saying that the limitation of three cars per nation was intolerable. They met with the Automobile Club de France and proposed to organize a race of their own, to be called the “Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France”. This was to be held at the same time as the Gordon Bennett Cup. After some back and forth, both car companies and the ACF agreed that only the Gordon Bennett Cup will be held in 1905 – for the very last time.

In preparation for the 1905 Cup the French had to select their three contenders. So another elimination trial was organised, which was just as crowded as the 1904 trial. For the first time it was held at the Auvergne circuit, a 137.4 km (85.35-mile) mountainous race course proposed by Édouard and André Michelin, the tire manufacturers, who recognized the challenging roads near Clermont-Ferrand as a suitable venue for testing vehicles.


Altogether 24 entries were recorded. Richard Brasier, Renault, Bayard-Clement, Hotchkiss, De Dietrich, Darracq and Panhard&Levassor entered three cars each. The starting grid was completed with a C.G.V., an Automoto and a Gobron-Brillie. Naturally seasoned pilots, such as Léon Thery, winner of the 1904 Cup, Victor Hémery, Fernand Gabriel have all appeared. It was the first race for Ferenc Szisz as a pilot. He was previously a mechanic of Marcel Renault. A year later he won the first Grand Prix.

A very interesting overview is available on cghc.free.fr

Though it was raining during the early hours of 15 June, but the evening was fine so by 16 June the roads became perfectly dry and weather conditions were good.

On 15 June the cars were weighed: „The cars were weighed in at Laschamps under a closed tent. As usual many of the cars were overweight, but by dint of taking out a bolt here-and-there, drilling holes and cutting off mud guards, all the machines that run over were able to reduce the excess… No one was allowed to enter the weighing-in tent except the officials and the constructors. This caused considerable dissatisfaction and C. S. Rolls, who will drive for England, signified his intention to write a strong letter of protest to the A. C. G. B. & I.”.

16 June: “At 2:30 o’clock this morning strings of people armed with baskets of provisisions and bottles of wine, were trudging up the hillside leading from Clermont to the starting line ten miles out of twon. At the various vantage points of the circuit claims hav been secured, and merry parties are camping round fire on the cliffs. It is reported that the road will entirely closed at 4 oáclock, and the public prefers to stop out half the night to miss seing the racers coming round the edges of the precipice…

At exactly four minutes to six Théry’s Richard Brasier car came to the starting line. The champion sat in his seat looking indifferently about, whilst his mechanic lolled about the fore part of machine, waiting the signal to crank the engine one minute before starting time…

A wave of the hand and the word “Go” from the starter and Théryu let in his clutch… and immediately dashed down the road at high speed…

For a couple of hundred yards the road slopes down gently. Then it begins to mount up the hill, and for a few seconds the car is hidden between the barricades. The road then rises rapidly, curcing to the left, then to the right, having a 7 per cent grade and disappears suddenly amongst the fir trees. This double bend is clearly visible from the stand and each car’s reappearance is waited for, watch in hand, about a minute after the start…

It was 7: 32 AM when the last car went away, and a move is being made for the refreshment stand…

The first car to start is the first to finish…

By half-past four the road was open to traffic. Not until after six o’clock, when all but the pressmen had left the ground.. were the official results known”.

Behind Théry (net time: 7:34:49) (average speed: 45 mph aka 72 km/), came Caillois (net time: 7:43:11) and Duray (7:44:47). Szisz ended up in fourth place.

Out of 24 entrants 15 finished the trials. “The most serious accident of the occasion was experienced by Girardot, who was driving the C. G. V. car. A slight mishap put one of the wheels out of order while making the descent at Sayat. The machine rolled over and over and was completely demolished, being smashed into a hundred pieces”. This put an end to the racing career of Girardot, who just survived the accident.

Henri Farman had better luck: “Farman had been over the course thirty times or more and felt perfectly at home. He drove his Panhard on the first round at a magnificent pace. On the Sayat Hill descent there is a towering wall of rock on one side and a deep precipice on the other. Coming down the hill Farman took the curve too sharp, the car shot away from under him. With a terrific bounce it cleared the road, crashed through trees and shrubs and went tumbling into the gulf below. As the car shot away off the road Farman and the mechanician grabbed at the trees, and as the car disappeared over the precipice they were left hanging to some bushes. They were both badly shaken up, but not seriously hurt in any way. The car, of course, was smashed to pieces”.

“The regulation and safeguarding of the course were excellent. An ample force of police and soldiery were on hand and prevented outsiders from endangering their Own lives and the lives of the racers by getting in the way”.

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