SLIDER: 1905 Gordon Bennett Renault – driven by Ferenc Szisz
The 1905 Gordon Bennett race, held on 5 July 1905 on the Auvergne Circuit at Clermont Ferrand, was arguably the world’s most important motor race that year. However, the elimination trials were held earlier – on 16 June.
These trials were necessary because the rules for the Gordon Bennett Cup limited participation to three entries from each nation. This picture shows one of the competitors in the trials, the 80CV 4-cylinder Renault driven by the Hungarian Ferenc Szisz.
Renault were eliminated on 16 June. Two Richard-Brasier cars and one De Dietrich would compete in the July race, which was won by Léon Théry, piloting one of the Richard-Brasiers.
The French were not best pleased with the Gordon Bennett rule that limited the world’s leading automobile manufacturing country at the time to only three participants. As a result, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) created the first French Grand Prix in 1906.
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