1901 Gordon Bennett Cup
The 1901 Gordon Bennett Cup, formally titled the II Coupe Internationale, was a motor race held on 29 May 1901, on public roads in France between Paris and Bordeaux, concurrently with an open-entry race over the same course. Initially, France were to defend the Cup against Great Britain, however prior to the start, the sole British entry was forced to fit tyres of foreign manufacture making it ineligible for the Cup. The race was therefore competed by three French entries, the maximum permitted from one country under the rules, guaranteeing that they would retain the Cup. Léonce Girardot driving a Panhard won the race and was the only competitor to finish, with Fernand Charron driving a Panhard and Levegh driving a Mors retiring. Background The Gordon Bennett races had been established by American millionaire James Gordon Bennett, Jr. in 1900, with the intention of encouraging automobile industries through sport. The inaugural event had been won by a representative of the Automobile Club de France (ACF). Under the rules of the competition, the following race was required to be held in the country that currently held the cup. Route The race organisers, the ACF, decided that the race would take place