The development of the first motorcars during the 1890s and 1900s quickly led to the first motor races. Speeds were extremely low in the early days: onecontest in 1894 was won by a vehicle that went at an average speed of only 12 miles per hour.
The first 'proper' Grand Prix on closed public roads was held by the Automobile Club de France (ACF) in June 1906, near the town of Le Mans. The idea quickly spread around Europe, and in 1922 the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) began running a pan-Europe contest.
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