| The first auto races were organized and held in | | | | The 1903 inter country race was scheduled to run |
| France. In 1894, the Le Petite Journal, a French | | | | from Paris, France to Madrid, Spain. The first stage |
| newspaper planned a race from Paris to Rouen, a | | | | would be from Paris to Bordeaux. For some it would |
| distance of 126 kilometers. Then in 1895 another race | | | | run to death and for all it ended in Bordeaux by orders |
| was run from Paris to Bordeaux. The winning speed | | | | of the French government. |
| was seventeen kilometers an hour. However, in the | | | | In this ill-fated race, about every type of accident that |
| beginning of racing, speed was not so important. The | | | | could take place did take place. |
| ability to navigate from the starting line to the finish line | | | | One driver capsized at eighty miles an hour. Another |
| with the car arriving intact was the main goal. | | | | driver hit a dog, damaged his steering and ran into a |
| In the following years, the French automobile club | | | | tree. A child ran out in front of a car and a soldier |
| organized several international races. These races | | | | followed, trying to save the child. The driver, trying |
| began or ended in Paris and connected with another | | | | desperately to dodge both, hit and killed them. He then |
| major city, either in France or Europe. | | | | plummeted into the crowd lined up along side the road. |
| While automobiles raced from city to city on open | | | | Another novice driver upset on a corner. His |
| roads, people lined up along side the road to watch. | | | | companion was pinned under the car and burned to |
| Though soldiers were assigned to do crowd control, | | | | death when the car caught fire. All in all, nine people |
| they were often engulfed within the crowd rendering | | | | were killed. One of them was Marcel Renault. |
| them totally ineffective. Without any means of control, | | | | The English newspapers, published on May 25th, 1903 |
| spectators frequently ventured into the path of the | | | | billed the race as, "The Race to Death." Horrified at the |
| oncoming vehicles. Watching a race could be as | | | | carnage, the French government intervened and |
| dangerous as driving in it. | | | | ended the race at Bordeaux. The government |
| The roads were atrocious and the washboard | | | | authorities confiscated all of the cars. Engines were |
| surfaces caused not only breakdowns but also | | | | prohibited from being started. The cars were towed to |
| accidents. Tires frequently blew out resulting in the | | | | the railroad station by horses. Upon arrival at the |
| drivers losing control of their vehicles. | | | | station, the cars were loaded on trains and transported |
| There was also no means of qualifying drivers. | | | | back to Paris. |
| Although many entrants were expert drivers, there | | | | Oddly enough, until this time, in the many races run, |
| were those whose only qualification was the courage | | | | there had been few serious injuries. But 1903 marked |
| or insanity to try. In their eagerness to win, many | | | | the end of open road racing as the French |
| drivers competed in cars that were not safe or | | | | government now outlawed it. Auto racing did continue |
| suitable for racing. In spite of the loose conditions, these | | | | but it took place on closed circuit roads until the time |
| races were successful until 1903. | | | | when planned tracks were constructed. |