Gordon Bennett! At the Greatest Speed

Patrick Lynch, the author of "At The Greatest Speed", tells the story of Gordon Bennett who was an American millionaire who inherited a fortune from his publisher father. He supported emerging technology and sport and, in 1899, fascinated by the new motor cars, he instigated the International Gordon Bennett Cup. The inaugural race took place in 1900 between Paris and Lyon, with three countries participating. The 1903 Cup, which was held in Ireland, was a world first in its use of a closed-circuit course, setting the template for future circuit racing. It was also the first international motor race in the British Isles, and was contested by future Brooklands racer Selwyn Edge. Bennett’s promotion of these events boosted the global car industry and established international motorsport.