The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) is a

motoring club Automobile associations, also referred to as motoring clubs, motoring associations, motor clubs, are organizations, either for-profit or non-profit, which motorists (drivers and vehicle owners) can join to enjoy benefits provided by the club relat ...

and

mutual organisation A mutual organization, or mutual society is an organization (which is often, but not always, a company or business) based on the principle of mutuality and governed by private law. Unlike a true cooperative, members usually do not contribute t ...

. It offers various services to members, including

insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...

and

roadside assistance Roadside assistance, also known as breakdown coverage, is a service that assists motorists, motorcyclists, or bicyclists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that either cannot be resolved by the motorist, or has prevented them from ...

. It has about 30,000 ordinary club members who have access to the lifestyle club properties and 2.1 million service members who hold any product offered by RACV. It operates two clubs for members, in the

Melbourne central business district The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city la ...

and in

Healesville Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Healesville recorded a population of 7,589 in the 2021 census. He ...

. The City Club was redeveloped in 2005, the Healesville Country Club in 2009.

History

Automobile Club of Victoria was founded at a meeting held at the Port Phillip Club Hotel on 9 December 1903 called by Syd Day, Henry James and James G. Coleman. Henry James Joseph "Harry" Maddox (1862-1937) was elected as its first President, and H.B. "Harry" James, its first secretary. At that first meeting, a proposal from Henry Sutton, the Australian motoring pioneer, was unanimously adopted: ::"that the objects of the club should be the promotion of a social organisation and club, composed mainly of persons owning self-propelled vehicles or motor cycles; to afford a means of recording the experiences of members and others using motor cars and motor cycles; to promote investigation in their development; to co-operate in securing rational legislation and the formation of proper rules and regulations governing the use of motor cars and motor cycles in cities, towns and country districts; to maintain the lawful rights and privileges and protect the interests of owners and users of all forms of self-propelled vehicles whenever and wherever such interests, rights and privileges are menaced; to promote and encourage the improvement, construction and maintenance of roads and highways and the development generally in this State of motoring, and to maintain a club to be devoted to the interests and advancement of automobilism." It held its first car rally at

Aspendale Racecourse Aspendale Racecourse or Aspendale Park Racecourse, located at Aspendale, Victoria, Australia, was a horse racing venue, and the world's first purpose-built motor racing track. Aspendale Racecourse opened on 14 April 1891. It was established by ...

in 1904. In 1916, the club received the approval of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

to prefix the title "Royal" to its name. It is an unlisted public company, limited by guarantee, and headed by a board of directors consisting of eleven independent non-executive directors and a managing director and CEO. The registered office is located in the

. It was a founder of the insurance brand

AAMI Australian Associated Motor Insurers Limited (commonly referred to as AAMI) is an Australian general insurance provider offering car, home, CTP and business insurance. AAMI has vehicle assessment centres in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland ...

, previously known as Club Motor Insurance and now owned by

Suncorp-Metway Suncorp Group Limited is an Australian finance, insurance, and banking corporation based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of Australia's mid-size banks (by combined lending and deposits) and its largest general insurance group, fo ...

''RoyalAuto'' magazine

RACV produces a magazine for its members, called ''RoyalAuto''. It is published and distributed 11 times a year – monthly from February to November, and a combined December/January edition. The content is based on the three major topics: travel/touring and associated leisure content, motoring/mobility – mainly new and used car reviews and news, and news and programs which touch on broader mobility issues including road safety, public transport and the environment – and member benefits/news. As at March 2013, ''RoyalAuto'' had an audited circulation of 1.5 million, making it the largest-circulating publication in Victoria. It is the state's most-read monthly magazine. RACV member magazine has been produced for more than 90 years. It began in 1922 as a monthly supplement in ''The Australian Motorist''. By the mid-1920s, it was launched as a stand-alone publication called ''The Royal Auto Journal''. In 1936, this changed to ''The Radiator'', a newspaper-style journal. In 1953, the magazine became a colour publication called ''Royalauto'', and now it is formally presented as ''RoyalAuto''. In September 2012 a digital version, for iPad, was produced for the first time, and each digital edition is produced concurrently with the print magazine. In August 2013, it was rated among the top 1% of magazine apps worldwide by app rating agency iMonitor. In November 2013, ''RoyalAuto'' was named Association or Member Organisation Magazine of the Year by Publishers Australia in its Excellence Awards 2013.

Subsidiaries and investmentsSee Notes 28 and 30 to the Financial Statements, RACV Annual Report 2010

* R.A.C.V. Finance – 100% * Intelematics Australia – 100% * Gippsland Solar - 100% * Nationwide Group - 100% * Insurance Manufacturers of Australia (IMA) – 30% (joint venture with

Insurance Australia Group Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG) is a multinational insurance company. It is the largest general insurance company in Australia, and also the largest in New Zealand through its subsidiary IAG New Zealand. IAG had its origins in the Nati ...

owning other 70%) * Club Assist – 30% * Australian Motoring Services (AMS)- 24% (joint venture with Australian automobile clubs) * Collaborate Corp (Drive My Car) – 6.77% (P2P car sharing company)

References

External links

Royal Automobile Club of VictoriaRoyalAuto magazine
{{Authority control Financial services companies established in 1903 Transport in Victoria (Australia) Clubs and societies in Victoria (Australia) Cooperatives in Australia Insurance companies of Australia 1903 establishments in Australia Automobile Club of Victoria, Royal Automobile associations in Australia Emergency road services