After the Gordon Bennet Cup came to an end in 1905, the Automobile Club de France l’ACF, organised the following race events according to their preferences. No more limitations of three participating cars per nation and the likes.

In 1906 the first Grand Prix de l’ACF was held on the Sathe track. It’s situated in the vicinity of the later La Mans track. Part of the course required wooden planking, as the ground was a bit too Moorish, marshy. The winner of the 1906 Grand Prix de l’ACF was Szisz on a Renault. He won the race, not only by his driving capacities and not only by the good car (a Renault), but mostly as his car was equipped with detachable wheel rims; the so called “jantes amovibles” of Michelin. Remember that Michelin also was the first with a technical innovation of pneumatic tyres in the 1895 Paris-Bordeaux race. The 1906 detachable rims enabled much shorter pits stops than with the then current wheels. As is still today, tyres were the determining factor in a race. As all cars needed several tyre changes during a race, detachable rims gave a dominant time advantage in the race. Those days, GP races lasted two days!

The 1912 Grand Pric de l’ACF was won by Boillot and Goux second on the historical Peugeot race car with his four-valve, overhead twin-cam engine and hemispherical combustion chamber.
The 1914 Grand Prix saw a fierce battle between Peugeot and the challenging Mercedes cars. This was in the wake of the First World War, that would bring rage and destruction over Europe, just a month later.

After the first World War, other countries such as Italy, Germany etc. joined the Grand Prix scene and organised their Grands Prix.

In 1921, the first post-World War French Grand Prix was organised and an American car and driver won, indicating the change that had taken place in the meantime.

More and more, new technologies, such as turbochargers, front drive and low air resistance chassis were introduced.
But then again, European Grand Prix races finally grew into a race series, that would stand the test of time and is still alive and kicking till today.