The Gordon Bennet Cup initially was not popular among manufacturers, racing drivers and the public. The most thrilling motor racing events of those days simply were the City-to-City races, and these could not be topped. Therefore, the Gordon Bennett Cup only looked like some minor competion in the first three years of its existence, with very few cars competing.
    The first Gordon Bennet Cup race, the 1900 Paris-Lyon race started 14 June 1900. Four countries with seven contestants were to participate, but only five started: France with three Panhards, Belgium with a Snoeck, America had two Wintons of which one withdrew before the start and Germany’s only participant with a Mercedes withdrew too. Three cars broke down during the race, leaving merely two Frenchmen to finish. Fernand Charron in a Panhard won and Léonce Girardot, also in a Panhard, came in second about one and a half hour later. Not much of a racing event, ain’t it?
   In 1901, Paris-Bordeaux was the second Gordon Bennett Cup race, on 29 May 1901 and included some neutralised towns. This one was even worse than the year before. Now, France was the only participating country with three cars. No better indication for the poor status of the Gordon Bennett Cup, irrespective of the reasons for the others not to be in it!  This year Léonce Giradot won, but he was the only finisher. One more year of Gordon Bennett racing decline!
   In 1902, the Paris-Innsbruck section was part of the longer Paris-Vienna city-to-city race, starting 26 June 1902. For the Paris-Vienna race, some 78 (!) cars and some motorcycles were to participate. In contrast to that, only six cars of France and England would challenge the Gordon Bennet Cup. What a difference with the city-to-city race! And that was not all. Five cars broke down before the finish, handing Selwyn Edge in a Napier the victory of the third Gordon Bennet Cup race.
   It looked like the Gordon Bennett races slowly evolved into a „who can stay up longest“ contest instead of a „who goes fastest“ race event. Still, something of a miracle that after three years, the Gordon Bennett Cup still existed. It’s not surprising that only little was written on these three first Gordon Bennett Cup races. Especially news on the 1902 race, dissolves in the Paris-Vienna reports of that year. Publications over these three years are combined in this one sub-category.