The Automobile Club of France (french: Automobile Club de France, links=no) (ACF) is a men's club founded on November 12, 1895 by

Albert de Dion Marquis Jules Félix Philippe Albert de Dion de Wandonne (9 March 185619 August 1946) was a French pioneer of the automobile industry. He invented a steam-powered car and used it to win the world's first auto race, but his vehicle was adjud ...

Paul Meyan Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, and its first president, the Dutch-born Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt. The Automobile Club of France, also known in French as "ACF" or "l'Auto", was initially located near the Paris Opera and benefited from a villa in the

Bois de Boulogne The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...

. In 1898, the club moved to the exceptional site of the former "Place Louis XV" (currently

Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. ...

) in order to offer its members more comfort in a prestigious setting. The club still occupies more than 10,000 square meters in the Hotels du Plessis-Bellière and Moreau, both located between the

Hôtel de Crillon Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel () is a historic luxury hotel in Paris which opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, the Crillon, along with the Hôtel de la Marine, is one of two identical st ...

and the Hôtel de Coislin, where France signed a treaty by which it became the first nation ever to recognize the independence of the United States. The members of the Automobile Club of France enjoy several lounges, a swimming pool, a gym, a library containing more than 50,000 references, a movie theatre, bars, and dining rooms. Numerous activities are offered, including yoga, squash, shooting, billiards, and fencing. The facilities also include a hair salon and a travel agency. On January 16, 1906, the French Automobile Club licensed the ''

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

to organize an auto race. Their historical action marked the beginning of the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...

and the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...

. Organized

Grand Prix motor racing Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and ...

evolved to become the Paris-based

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

organization. The 100th anniversary of the event was marked by the government of France issuing a

commemorative coin Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...

. From 1906 to 1914 the Club regulated major races in France and established the rules for the annual national race dubbed a ''Grand Prix'' that was open to competitors from any country. World War I disrupted racing in France until 1921 at which time the national event returned under the official name "ACF Grand Prix" (French: ''Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.''). This name was used until 1967 when it was changed to ''French Grand Prix''. Today, the club maintains its head office and facilities on the

in Paris.

Eminent members

* François Bujon de l'Estang, former French ambassador to the United States *

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, former head of

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in Paris and New York * Jean-Martin Folz, former CEO of

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, former chairman & CEO of

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and

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* Alain-Dominique Perrin, CEO of Richemont * Roland Peugeot, former chairman of

* Baron

Guy de Rothschild Baron Guy Édouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild (; 21 May 1909 – 12 June 2007) was a French banker and member of the Rothschild family. He owned the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, an ...

* Baron Ernest-Antoine Seilliere de Laborde, CEO of Wendel and former head of

Medef The Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF), or the Movement of the Enterprises of France, is the largest employer federation in France. Established in 1998, it replaced the Conseil national du patronat Français ( CNPF), or the "National Cou ...

* Frantz Taittinger * Gérard Wertheimer, co-owner of

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Key people

*Louis Desanges, President of the Automobile Club de France *Vincent Dutertre, General Director of the Automobile Club de France

References

{{Authority control Auto racing organizations in France 1895 establishments in France Sports organizations established in 1895