From June 11 to 15, 1895, 46 vehicles, 12 of which run on oil and seven on steam, make the round trip. The turn that marks the return point is then in front of the Hôtel Meyer, at the end of the Allées de Tourny. A turn that the winner finally downgraded, Émile Levassor, passed “at a dizzying pace and which surprises everyone”, reports “La Petite Gironde”.

And where was the plaque placed in 2022, provisionally anyway. Indeed, the architect of the Buildings of France having opposed a strict refusal, it will soon appear on the facade of the Automobile club of the South-West, exactly 93 meters further, place des Quinconces.

Bringing automotive history to life

The Automobile Club du Sud-Ouest probably owes its existence to this race, since it was created barely two years later, in 1897, at the same time as its national version. The race also marks a historic victory for the petrol car over the steam one. A story that Serge Bongiovanni, regional delegate of the FFVE does not want to see forgotten: “This plate is important to show the young generation that something existed, but it is that it is seen. And it sports a QR code, as if to link history and modernity.