ABOUT THE
SESSION
ACP Celebrated the First Automobile Race of the Iberian Peninsula
The sound of classic pre-war engines was heard once again on **18 and 19 October 2025**, between Figueira da Foz and Lisbon. It was a journey back in time that celebrated the 123 years of the first automobile race held on the Iberian Peninsula, organized in 1902 and which gave rise to the Automobile Club of Portugal (ACP).
In the original race, held on 27 October 1902, nine automobiles and five motorcycles lined up at the start. The great winner? The Italian Giuseppe Bordino, at the wheel of the Fiat belonging to Infante D. Afonso, brother of King D. Carlos. In second place, about an hour and a half behind, came Afonso de Barros, in a Darracq, followed shortly after by António de Oliveira, on a Buche motorcycle. The 270 km event, run on dusty, unsignposted roads, was completed in 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 25 seconds—an average speed of approximately 36 km/h!!
This time, we were at the starting line producing some photographic documentation!
In the original race, held on 27 October 1902, nine automobiles and five motorcycles lined up at the start. The great winner? The Italian Giuseppe Bordino, at the wheel of the Fiat belonging to Infante D. Afonso, brother of King D. Carlos. In second place, about an hour and a half behind, came Afonso de Barros, in a Darracq, followed shortly after by António de Oliveira, on a Buche motorcycle. The 270 km event, run on dusty, unsignposted roads, was completed in 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 25 seconds—an average speed of approximately 36 km/h!!
This time, we were at the starting line producing some photographic documentation!
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Date18 December 2025
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LocationFigueira da Foz
