Monaco and the Automobile: Over 130 Years of Passion, from 1893 to Formula 1

The relationship between Monaco and the automobile spans more than 130 years of history and tells a story that goes far beyond a passion for cars. Over time, automobiles in the Principality have become synonymous with competition, innovation, elegance and spectacle, helping to build an image recognised around the world.

This history is celebrated in the major summer exhibition “Monaco & l’Automobile, de 1893 à nos jours”, hosted at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco until September 6, 2026, with the support of the Automobile Club de Monaco.

A story that began at the end of the 19th century

The exhibition begins in 1893, the year generally associated with the arrival of the first automobile in the Principality. From then on, Monaco developed an increasingly close relationship with the world of motoring. The Automobile Club de Monaco itself dates back to 1890, when it was founded as an association initially linked to cycling, before becoming one of the best-known institutions in international motorsport.

From the Monte-Carlo Rally to the Grand Prix

Two events more than any others helped make Monaco a global capital of motorsport: the Monte-Carlo Rally and the Monaco Grand Prix. The streets of the Principality thus became a unique stage, combining sporting competition with an extraordinary urban setting.

The Grimaldi Forum exhibition traces this evolution through more than fifty iconic vehicles, many of which took part in Monaco’s most important competitions. Among the cars on display are single-seaters that made Grand Prix history, as well as vehicles that played a leading role in the Monte-Carlo Rally.

The cars that made Monaco history

The exhibition takes visitors through very different eras of motoring. Among the models highlighted by the Automobile Club de Monaco is the Bugatti 35B Grand Prix, one of the great protagonists of the pioneering years of motor racing. The story continues through to contemporary single-seaters and Charles Leclerc’s victory at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most exciting moments in the Principality’s recent sporting history.

But the exhibition is not only about competition. In Monaco, the automobile has always been closely associated with elegance, the cars of the Princely Family, concours d’élégance and a culture of innovation that continues to evolve.

An exhibition to visit at the Grimaldi Forum

“Monaco & l’Automobile, de 1893 à nos jours” is open to the public at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco until September 6, 2026. The exhibition brings together historic vehicles, documents, photographs, objects and archives connected with the Princely Family and the Automobile Club de Monaco, taking visitors on a journey through the past, present and future of mobility.

It is an opportunity to discover Monaco from a different perspective and understand why, within just over two square kilometres, one of the world’s most recognisable automotive stories was created.