Paris–Rouen (also Le Petit Journal Horseless Carriages Contest; ) was a pioneering city-to-city motoring competition in 1894 which is sometimes described as the world's first competitive motor race.
The contest was organised by the newspaper Le Petit Journal and ran from Paris to Rouen in France on 22 July 1894. It was preceded by four days of vehicle exhibition and qualifying events that created great crowds and excitement. The eight qualifying events started near the Bois de Boulogne and comprised interwoven routes around Paris to select the entrants for the main event.Le petit journal, publication of 20 December, column 1, Article 8 Gallica, Online Archive, Le Petit Journal
The first driver across the finishing line at Rouen was Jules-Albert de Dion, but he did not win the main prize because his steam vehicle needed a stoker and was thus ineligible. The fastest petrol-powered car was a Peugeot driven by Albert Lemaître. The premier prize, the 5,000 franc Prix du Petit Journal, for "the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal", was shared equally by manufacturers Panhard et Levassor and Les fils de Peugeot frères ('The sons of Peugeot brothers'), with vehicles that were "easy to use".Forix, Autosport, 8W – Welcome to Who? What? Where? When? Why? on the World Wide Web. The cradle of motorsport Rémi Paolozzi, May 28, 2003Cent Ans, Concours du Petit Journal Les voitures sans chevaux. cent.ans.free.fr
1894 – Paris to Rouen
Organisation In 1894, Pierre Giffard, editor of Le Petit Journal, organised the world's first motoring competition from Paris to Rouen to publicise his newspaper, to stimulate interest in motoring and to develop French motor manufacturing. Sporting events were a tried and tested form of publicity stunt and circulation booster. The paper promoted it as "Le Petit Journal Competition for Horseless Carriages" (Le Petit Journal Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) that were "not dangerous, easy to drive, and cheap during the journey", the main prize being for "the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal". The "easy to drive" clause effectively precluded from the prizes (but not the event) any vehicles needing a travelling mechanic or technical assistant such as a stoker (i.e. steam powered vehicles).19 December 1893 – Announcement Gallica, Online Archive, Le Petit Journal
Le Petit Journal announced prize money totalling 10,000 gold francs – 5,000 for first place, 2,000 for second, 1,500 for third, 1,000 for fourth, and 500 for fifth. The main prize was for the first eligible vehicle across the finish line in Rouen.
Entrants
One hundred two people paid the ten franc entrance fee. They ranged from practical manufacturers like Peugeot, Panhard, de Dion-Bouton, and Serpollet to amateur owners and "over-ambitious concepts." Seventy-eight entrants did not show up for qualifying on 18 July, which included some 25 powered by unfamiliar and improbable technologies such as: gravity (nine); compressed air (five); "automatic" (three); electricity (three); gas (three); hydraulics (two); and one each for liquid, pedals, propellers, and levers. Additionally, 19 petrol-powered designs and 26 steam-powered cars, quadricycles, and tricycles did not show up at the qualifying event.
Qualifying Qualifying was held from 19 to 21 July 1894, and was preceded by a public exhibition of 26 cars to Neuilly-sur-Seine on 18 July. Journalists reported great crowds and excitement throughout the routes, and at Précy-sur-Oise they finished through a triumphal arch. On 19 July, 26 cars lined the side of the Boulevard Maillot, stretching to the Bois de Boulogne, each parked apart until, at 8:00 am, the first car led off, followed at 15-second intervals by the others. The qualifying event had to be completed in under three hours to be eligible to start the main event, the race from Paris to Rouen; 21 were selected for the main event.18 July 1894 – Selection around Paris Gallica, Online Archive, Le Petit JournalCC Organisation – Course Paris-Rouen www.cc-organisation.com
Qualifying was used as a major publicity tool for both the event and the newspaper: "for our readers who want to see the cars on the roads around Paris". The 22 vehicles were split into five groups who completed complex interwoven tours of Paris and its environs, including Mantes-la-Jolie, Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Flins-sur-Seine, Poissy, Triel-sur-Seine, Rambouillet, Versailles, Dampierre-en-Yvelines, Corbeil-Essonnes, Palaiseau, Précy-sur-Oise, Gennevilliers and L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise. The groups were carefully balanced to ensure each included petrol and steam, a Peugeot, a Panhard & Levassor, and different seating. Le Petit Journal, on the morning of the event, still officially expected Lemoigne and his gravity-powered vehicle to participate, although he was included as an additional member of group five.
The groups that set off from Porte Maillot on Thursday 19 July were:
Itinerary one – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Flins-sur-Seine: No. 3 de Dion, Bouton et Cie, break, six seats, steam. – Did not qualify for Paris-Rouen. No. 13 Panhard et Levassor, four seats, petrol – qualified No. 21 Letar, four seats, steam – did not qualify No. 30 Les fils de Peugeot frères, three seats, petrol – qualified Itinerary two – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Poissy and Triel-sur-Seine: No. 10 Scotte, 8–10 seats, steam – qualified No. 15 Panhard et Levassor, two seats, petrol – qualified No. 25 Coqatrix, four seats, steam – qualified No. 28 Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – qualified No. 44 de Prandieres, six seats, system Serpollet and petrol combined – qualified
(Note – Le Petit Journal does not show an itinerary three, presumably either a misprint or changed plan)
Itinerary four – Paris to Rambouillet via Versailles and Dampierre-en-Yvelines: No. 7 Gautier, four seats, steam – qualified No. 18 Archdeacon, six or seven seats, steam – qualified No. 19 Le Blant, eight to ten seats, steam – qualified No. 42 Le Brun, four seats, petrol – qualified Itinerary five – Paris to Corbeil-Essonnes via Versailles and Palaiseau: No. 4 de Dion, Victoria, four people, steam – qualified No. 16 Quantin, six seats, petrol – did not qualify No. 27 Les fils de Peugeot frères, two seats, petrol – qualified No. 29 Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – did not qualify No. 40 Lemoigne, four seats, 'gravity powered'. Note – did not show or was eliminated. (Sources show three or five vehicles on this route and variance over qualification)
Itinerary six – Paris to Précy-sur-Oise via Gennevilliers and L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise: No. 12 Tenting, four seats, petrol. Note – did not qualify for Paris-Rouen. No. 14 Panhard et Levassor, four seats, (new type) petrol – qualified No. 24 Alfred Vacheron, two seats, petrol – did not qualify until Saturday 21st No. 31 Les fils de Peugeot frères, break, five seats, petrol – qualified
On Friday 20 July a second qualifying event was run over two routes.Sat 21 July 1894 – Selection II Gallica, Online Archive, Le Petit Journal Itinerary one – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Bezons, Houilles and Maisons-Laffitte. No. 44 de Prandieres, six seats, system Serpollet and petrol combined – qualified No. 60 Le Blant, Serpollet, nine seats, steam – qualified No. 64 Émile Mayade, Panhard et Levassor, four seats, petrol – qualified No. 65 Albert Lemaître, Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – qualified Itinerary two – Paris to Corbeil-Essonnes No. 61 Roger de Montais, De Montais, two seat tricycle, petrol – qualified No. 85 Émile Roger, Benz, two seats, petrol – qualified
On Saturday 21 July a third qualifying event was run from Paris to Poissy. No. 53 de Bourmont (de Bourmont, four seats, petrol) – qualified No. 24 Alfred Vacheron, two seats, petrol – qualified
Race At 8:00 am on Sunday 22 July, twenty-one qualifiers started from Porte Maillot and went via the Bois de Boulogne, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Courbevoie, Nanterre, Chatou, Le Pecq, Poissy, Triel-sur-Seine, Vaux-sur-Seine, and Meulan, to Mantes where they stopped for lunch from noon until 1:30 pm, whence they set off to Vernon, Gaillon, Pont-de-l'Arche, and the 'Champ de Mars' at Rouen.
Count de Dion was the first to arrive in Rouen after 6 hours 48 minutes at an average speed of . He finished 3 min 30 sec ahead of Albert Lemaître (Peugeot), Auguste Doriot (Peugeot) (16 min 30 sec back), Hippolyte Panhard (Panhard) (33 min 30 sec) and Émile Levassor (Panhard) (55 min 30 sec). The winner's average speed was .Grand Prix History – Organized Racing & The First Grand Prix 1 November 2010 Grand Prix History.org (accessed 11 June 2017)
Prizes On Tuesday 24 July Le Petit Journal announced the prizes :Prizes Gallica, Online Archive, Le Petit Journal Tuesday 24 July 1894
First prize, the Prix du Petit Journal for "the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal" (5,000 francs) was shared equally between Panhard et Levassor and 'Les fils de Peugeot Frères'. Second prize, the Prix Marinoni (Owner of Le Petit Journal) (2,000 francs) was awarded to de Dion, Bouton et Cie for their "interesting steam tractor that works like a horse and gives both absolute speed and pulling power up hills". Third prize, the Prix Marinoni (1,500 francs) was awarded to Maurice Le Blant for his nine-seater vehicle powered by the 'systeme Serpollet'. Fourth prize, the Prix Marinoni (1,000 francs) was shared between two manufacturers, Alfred Vacheron (No. 24) and Le Brun (No. 42). Fifth prize, the Prix Marinoni (500 francs) was awarded to Roger (No. 85)
Results for Paris–Rouen