Automobile Club de l'Ouest

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (Automobile Club of the West - referring to the western region of France), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race. The ACO also lobbies on behalf of French drivers on such issues as road building and maintenance, the availability of driving schools and road safety classes, and the incorporation of technical innovations into new vehicles. It also runs a roadside assistance service for its members.

History

The ACO's history begins with the Automobile Club de la Sarthe, the ancestor of today's ACO, which was founded in the town of Le Mans; in 1906 that group, with the help of the larger Automobile Club de France organised a race on local public roads that would eventually evolve into the French Grand Prix. After World War I, the ACO turned its attention to designing a shorter circuit (again on public roads), and the organisation's chief secretary Georges Durand, together with magazine editor Charles Faroux and tyre manufacturer Emile Coquille, came up with the idea for a 24-hour race. The first Le Mans 24 Hours was held in 1923.

Presidents

Adolphe Singher (1906-1910), Gustave Singher (1910-1947), Paul Jamin (1947-1951), Jean-Marie Lelievre (1951-1973), Raymond Gouloumes (1973-1992), Michel Cosson (1992-2003), and Jean-Claude Plassart (2003-) have all served as president of the A.C.O.

Racing

The ACO is responsible as a ruling body for race series, specifically sportscar series. The ACO has run or backed the following races or race series:
* 24 Hours of Le Mans
* 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto
* Le Mans Classic
* French motorcycle Grand Prix
* 1000km of Le Mans
* American Le Mans Series
* European Le Mans Series
* Le Mans Series (formerly Le Mans Endurance Series)
* Japan Le Mans Challenge

External links

* [http://www.lemans.org/aco/pages/connaitre/connaitre_gb.html# Official site]