T
he year 1894 is considered the big bang increase circulation of the magazine. Introduced in a time
of car racing when it all began in Paris. when horse-driven carriages were still in vogue, the race
The key purpose of the first motoring was termed as a competition for horseless carriages.
contest was to test the endurance of cars
with gasoline-fuelled engines, but there The race drew 102 participants some even competing
were some other factors involved as well. with tricycles and quadracycles. Racers who completed
Organised by Parisian magazine Le Petit the first 50-km qualifier round were allowed to run for the
Journal, the event was a publicity stunt to final lap of 127 km from Paris to Rouen. On July 22, 1894,
Issue 1 2014LeasePlanDRIVE05
Rear View
GLOBAL ENDEAVOURS style. For instance, the Allard J2X MKII was a hybrid, which Touted as one of the most difficult races, the tour for
The first international race was successfully combined European handling with American the Panamericana began in a tropical climate in damp
the brainchild of James Gordon muscle power. Similarly, the Lotus with its 1961 model Type temperature and extended along a road, which went from
Bennett, owner of The New 19 and the 1966 AC Cobra 427 were manufactured. The sea level to a dizzying height of 3,000 metres all within
York Herald. In 1901, Bennett blend of mostly British chassis and American V8 engines 72 hours. The cars that enjoyed success at different stages
introduced a trophy to be gave birth to the Can-Am series in the 1960s and 70s. were the Oldsmobile 88, Mercedes-Benz Gullwing 300SL
won annually in an event and Porsche 550 Spyder among others. Porsche even
where automobile racing clubs Heres a look at some of the most important events in named the Carrera and later the Panamera car models after
of the world would participate motor racing: this race.
with three cars manufactured
internally. The onus of organising THE CARRERA PANAMERICANA THE NEW YORK TO PARIS RACE 1908
the same rested with the It began in 1950 with the completion of Mexicos Pan- Also known as the Great Auto Race of 1908, the event
Automobile Club de France (ACF), American Highway as a mode to attract international included six drivers from France, Germany and the United
which would conduct races in businesses. Spanning over 3,000 kms between Tuxtla States of America. Sponsored by The New York Times, the
various circuits of Europe. to Juarez, the race exhibited some of the most extreme race began on a freezing February day from Times Square.
conditions seen on racetracks. Even after careful selections The initial route from Alaska through the Bering Strait
Owing to the popularity of the and engine tuning, carburettors had to be adjusted to was altered due to its unforgiving conditions. While the
Bennett Trophy, special trials deal with the thinning air at higher altitudes. According to drivers were diverted to Seattle, their cars were shipped to
were conducted to select Gordon Alfred Neubauer, the then racing manager of the Mercedes- Yokohama in Japan. They then moved to Vladivostok in the
Bennett teams, as more and Benz Grand Prix team, this race was a combination of the Tundra region of Siberia and later to Europe. Only three of
shutterstock.com
more manufacturers realised that Grand Prix of Tripoli, the Mille Miglia of Italy, Germanys the competitors made it through the gruelling conditions
racing was a shortcut to fame. Nrburgring and the 24-hour Le-Mans. The road was paved across continents. The race took place at a time when
By the end of 1905, however, the with a mixture of highly abrasive volcanic ash, which could horses were a favourable mode of transport and sceptics
ACF felt restricted to the limit reduce a new tyre to a bald and worn-out state after a mere were still mulling over the use of an automobile over
Facing page: The 2008 Indianapolis 500 of three cars and discontinued thousand kilometres. the quadruped.
Above: Formula Renault 3.5 World Series, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain their involvement with the
Bennett Trophy, giving birth to MILLE MIGLIA
21 qualified drivers began the race, and the finish line was the first French Grand Prix held in Le Mans in 1906. This was Started in 1927, Mille Miglia was the race that
first crossed by Jules-Albert de Dion at a speed of 19 kmph followed by the first Italian Grand Prix in 1908. Up until the put Italy on the map of international motoring
after covering the distance in 6 hours and 48 minutes. 1930s, the cars manufactured for races were prototypes for events. The USP of the race was its sheer
future models, and the event would, in a way, be a preview simplicity and the fact that it invited participation
The stakes were raised at the 1895 race held from Paris to get a glimpse of the new models on offer. This changed from anyone who was interested for a nominal
to Bordeaux and back a distance of 1,178 km with the after World War 1, as racing assumed a serious demeanour, entry fee of 1 lira. Furthermore, the criterion
winning car touching an average speed of 24.15 kmph. This and cars were manufactured solely for the purpose of racing for racing was strictly limited to unmodified
race however, is often credited to be the first race because with customised, high-performance bodies and efficient production cars. In 1938, following the shocking
of various reasons: firstly, the 1894 event was more of a engines fitted inside lightweight chassis. accident of Spanish racer Alfonso de Portago,
contest whereas the latter was a competition purely for Italian ruler Benito Mussolini banned the Mille
INDIANAPOLIS 500
Considered as The Greatest Spectacle in
Racing, the Indianapolis 500 has been
held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
since 1911. This race is held on the oval-
shaped speedway with cars reaching a
speed above 320 kmph and covering a
total distance of 500 miles from start to
finish. The race has seen a number of
innovations that have shaped the way
we drive our cars today seat belts,
turbochargers, intercoolers and rear
view mirrors to name a few. In addition
to that, Carl G. Fisher, the founder of
Indy500 introduced the concept of
using a pace car in the race for safety.
Some of the most influential cars of
Indianapolis 500 include the 1911
Marmon Wasp, 1955 Offenhauser, 1965
Lotus 38, 1923 Mercedes-Benz and the
1971 Mclaren M16.
08DRIVELeasePlanIssue 1 2014