Paris-Madrid race, 1903.There were 224 crews starting from Paris: 170 cars and 54 motorbikes. The road conditions were tough, with spectators popping up on the track and a veil of dust very much in the way of the drivers.
A young soldier was killed when he jumped onto the track to snatch a child from under the wheels of a car. Renault co-founder Marcel Renault was also killed on the first day of the race. Porter Wolseley was killed when he collided with a barrier at a railway crossing, while Georges Richard flew into a tree trying to avoid a farmer. On the track, one of the competitors crashed into a crowd of gawkers - two dead. Phil Stead on the De Dietrich lost control of the overtaking and flew off the road, but was rescued by the only female racer, Camille du Gast. Another De Dietrich, driven by Barrow, crashed into a tree and exploded, killing the mechanic.
More than half of the competitors were involved in accidents or derailed for technical reasons, 8 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
