Organisation

In 1894, Pierre Giffard, editor of Le Petit Journal, organised the world's first motoring competition from Paris to Rouen to publicise his newspaper, to stimulate interest in motoring and to develop French motor manufacturing. Sporting events were a tried and tested form of publicity stunt and circulation booster. The paper promoted it as "Le Petit Journal Competition for Horseless Carriages" (Le Petit Journal Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) that were "not dangerous, easy to drive, and cheap during the journey", the main prize being for "the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal". The "easy to drive" clause effectively precluded from the prizes (but not the event) any vehicles needing a travelling mechanic or technical assistant such as a stoker (i.e. steam powered vehicles).^[2][7]

Le Petit Journal announced prize money totalling 10,000 gold francs – 5,000 for first place, 2,000 for second, 1,500 for third, 1,000 for fourth, and 500 for fifth. The main prize was for the first eligible vehicle across the finish line in Rouen.^[7]

Entrants

See full list of 102 entrants

102 people paid the ten franc entrance fee. They ranged from practical manufacturers like Peugeot, Panhard, de Dion-Bouton, and Serpollet to amateur owners and 'over-ambitious concepts'. 78 entrants did not show up for qualifying on 18 July, which included some 25 powered by unfamiliar and improbable technologies such as "gravity" – nine; "compressed air" – five; "automatic" – three; electricity – three; gas – three; hydraulics – two; liquid, pedals, propellers, and levers. Additionally, 19 petrol-powered designs and 26 steam-powered cars, quadricycles, and tricycles did not show up at the qualifying event.^[2][3][8]

Qualifying

Qualifying was held from 19–21 July 1894, and was preceded by a public exhibition of 26 cars to Neuilly-sur-Seine on 18 July. Journalists reported great crowds and excitement throughout the routes, and at Précy-sur-Oise they finished through a triumphal arch. On 19 July, 26 cars lined the side of the Boulevard Maillot, stretching to the Bois de Boulogne, each parked 10 m (33 ft) apart until, at 8:00 am, the first car led off, followed at 15-second intervals by the others. The 50 km (31 mi) qualifying event had to be completed in under three hours to be eligible to start the main event, the 126 km (78 mi) race from Paris to Rouen; 21 were selected for the main event.^[2][8][9]

Qualifying was used as a major publicity tool for both the event and the newspaper: "for our readers who want to see the cars on the roads around Paris". The 22 vehicles were split into five groups who completed complex interwoven tours of Paris and its environs, including Mantes-la-Jolie, Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Flins-sur-Seine, Poissy, Triel-sur-Seine, Rambouillet, Versailles, Dampierre-en-Yvelines, Corbeil-Essonnes, Palaiseau, Précy-sur-Oise, Gennevilliers and L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise. The groups were carefully balanced to ensure each included petrol and steam, a Peugeot, a Panhard & Levassor, and different seating. Le Petit Journal, on the morning of the event, still officially expected Lemoigne and his gravity-powered vehicle to participate, although he was included as an additional member of group five.^[8]

The groups that set off from Porte Maillot on Thursday 19 July were:^[8]

• Itinerary one – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Flins-sur-Seine:
  • No. 3 de Dion, Bouton et Cie, break, six seats, steam. – Did not qualify for Paris-Rouen.
  • No. 13 Panhard et Levassor, four seats, petrol – qualified
  • No. 21 Letar, four seats, steam – did not qualify
  • No. 30 Les fils de Peugeot frères, three seats, petrol – qualified
• Itinerary two – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Poissy and Triel-sur-Seine:
  • No. 10 Scotte, 8–10 seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 15 Panhard et Levassor, two seats, petrol – qualified
  • No. 25 Coqatrix, four seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 28 Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – qualified
  • No. 44 de Prandieres, six seats, system Serpollet and petrol combined^{[lower-alpha 1]} – qualified

(Note – Le Petit Journal does not show an itinerary three, presumably either a misprint or changed plan)

• Itinerary four – Paris to Rambouillet via Versailles and Dampierre-en-Yvelines:
  • No. 7 Gautier, four seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 18 Archdeacon, six or seven seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 19 Le Blant, eight to ten seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 42 Le Brun, four seats, petrol – qualified
• Itinerary five – Paris to Corbeil-Essonnes via Versailles and Palaiseau:
  • No. 4 de Dion, Victoria, four people, steam – qualified
  • No. 16 Quantin, six seats, petrol – did not qualify
  • No. 27 Les fils de Peugeot frères, two seats, petrol – qualified
  • No. 29 Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – did not qualify
  • No. 40 Lemoigne, four seats, 'gravity powered'. Note – did not show or was eliminated.

(Sources show three or five vehicles on this route and variance over qualification)

• Itinerary six – Paris to Précy-sur-Oise via Gennevilliers and L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise:
  • No. 12 Tenting, four seats, petrol. Note – did not qualify for Paris-Rouen.
  • No. 14 Panhard et Levassor, four seats, (new type) petrol – qualified
  • No. 24 Alfred Vacheron, two seats, petrol – did not qualify until Saturday 21st
  • No. 31 Les fils de Peugeot frères, break, five seats, petrol – qualified

On Friday 20 July a second qualifying event was run over two routes.^[10]

• Itinerary one – Paris to Mantes-la-Jolie via Bezons, Houilles and Maisons-Laffitte.
  • No. 44 de Prandieres, six seats, system Serpollet and petrol combined – qualified
  • No. 60 Le Blant, Serpollet, nine seats, steam – qualified
  • No. 64 Émile Mayade, Panhard et Levassor, four seats, petrol – qualified
  • No. 65 Albert Lemaître, Les fils de Peugeot frères, four seats, petrol – qualified
• Itinerary two – Paris to Corbeil-Essonnes
  • No. 61 Roger de Montais, De Montais, two seat tricycle, petrol – qualified
  • No. 85 Émile Roger, Benz, two seats, petrol – qualified

On Saturday 21 July a third qualifying event was run from Paris to Poissy.

• • No. 53 de Bourmont (de Bourmont, four seats, petrol) – qualified
  • No. 24 Alfred Vacheron, two seats, petrol – qualified

Race

At 8:00 am on Sunday 22 July, twenty-one qualifiers started from Porte Maillot and went via the Bois de Boulogne, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Courbevoie, Nanterre, Chatou, Le Pecq, Poissy, Triel-sur-Seine, Vaux-sur-Seine, and Meulan, to Mantes where they stopped for lunch from 12:00 pm until 1:30 pm, whence they set off to Vernon, Gaillon, Pont-de-l'Arche, and the 'Champ de Mars' at Rouen.

Count de Dion was the first to arrive in Rouen after 6 hours 48 minutes at an average speed of 19 km/h (12 mph). He finished 3 min 30 sec ahead of Albert Lemaître (Peugeot), Auguste Doriot (Peugeot) (16 min 30 sec back), Hippolyte Panhard (Panhard) (33 min 30 sec) and Émile Levassor (Panhard) (55 min 30 sec).^[2][4][9] The winner's average speed was 17 km/h (11 mph).^[11]

Prizes

On Tuesday 24 July Le Petit Journal announced the prizes :^[5]

• First prize, the Prix du Petit Journal for "the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal" (5,000 francs) was shared equally between Panhard et Levassor and 'Les fils de Peugeot Frères'.
• Second prize, the Prix Marinoni (Owner of Le Petit Journal) (2,000 francs) was awarded to de Dion, Bouton et Cie for their "interesting steam tractor that works like a horse and gives both absolute speed and pulling power up hills".
• Third prize, the Prix Marinoni (1,500 francs) was awarded to Maurice Le Blant for his nine-seater vehicle powered by the 'systeme Serpollet'.
• Fourth prize, the Prix Marinoni (1,000 francs) was shared between two manufacturers, Alfred Vacheron (No. 24) and Le Brun (No. 42).
• Fifth prize, the Prix Marinoni (500 francs) was awarded to Roger (No. 85)