AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY – AUGUST 10, 1897 – The ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB WAS FORMED
Established by Frederick Simms in 1897 as the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, the Club is the oldest motoring institution in the United Kingdom and the second oldest in the world.
In 1907 the Club received a Royal Charter from King Edward VII. Simms was a manufacturer, inventor and enthusiastic driver, we therefore house collections that encompass meeting minutes, journals,
engineering drawings, architectural plans and a variety of manuscripts from the formation of the Club to the present day.
The Pall Mall clubhouse opened to members in March 1911. Designed by Messrs Mewes and Davies, who also designed the Ritz Hotel, it had innovative features such as an air filtration system to cope with the London soot from coal, electric lighting and a Post Office.
The Pall Mall Clubhouse houses an impressive selection of trophies, many of which are still awarded, including the British Grand Prix Trophy, the Dewar and Segrave Trophies.
The Clubhouse also contains a Library with approximately 5,000 publications covering every aspect of motoring. Other collections include paintings, trophies and ephemera.
Make It A Champion Day!