SPA 24 HEURES - VOLUME 1 : 1894-1964

2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1st Grand Prix of Belgium. That was the name of the race at that time. However, there was another 1st Grand Prix of Belgium in 1913, another in 1925 and again in 1950.

In 1924, the 24 Hours of Spa-Stavelot-Malmedy-Francorchamps actually had the official name of "Grand Prix de Belgique" (later called the "endurance" Grand Prix to distinguish it from the Belgian "de Vitesse" Grand Prix, which was intended for "Grand Prix" cars, i.e. the "Course Class" cars and later Formula 1).

The 24 Hours of Spa began in 1924. Initially it was intended for touring cars. For one simple reason: the "Sport Class" did not yet exist (and even less the "GT Class"). Officially, at least, according to the denomination of the A.I.A.C.R. (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), forerunner of today's F.I.A.

The "Sport Class" was created in 1925. Before then, two categories of racing cars competed in motor racing: the "Vitesse" (later "Grand Prix") and the "Touristes" (later "Tourisme") cars. It is this rather complicated history that the book intends to tell.

Belgium, whose Automobile Club was the second in the world to be created, has an exceptionally rich history of motor racing. The 24 Hours of Spa has already been extensively covered. With great effort. And first and foremost by André Royez, without whom the fabulous epic of Belgian motorsport would probably not be known or celebrated as it deserves.

Spa, Francorchamps, Stavelot, Malmedy, the province of Liège, the Walloon region, Belgium and Europe are not the only places involved in this story of touring cars, production cars, sports cars and GTs. There was also America, where the "stock-chassis", which competed against European racing cars in the Vanderbilt Cup, were at the centre of the dirt track 'events' and "beach-road-races" of Daytona and Indianapolis.

The aim of this account, writes the author, is that all this should be known and not be lost, so that a new generation of historians of motor racing and its competitions can bear the witness. Spa-Francorchamps is not the centre of world motor racing, but its circuit is one of the oldest and most glorious, beautiful and spectacular. 

The second volume will soon complete this tale of a global, industrial, human and sporting history…

Spa 24 Heures Tourisme - Sport - GT volume 1 1894-1964 has 240 pages. Text in French.