AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE FRANCE

What AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE FRANCE does

The Automobile Club de France (ACF) is a private non-profit association founded in 1895 at a lunch hosted by the Comte de Dion, Paul Meyan, Baron de Zuylen, and Edmond Récopé, recognized as the world's first automobile club. It occupies a 15,000 m² classified-historical-monument mansion at 6-8 Place de la Concorde in Paris, designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, comprising eight distinct event and dining spaces including the Bibliothèque Clément-Bayard (284 m² with 50,000 volumes), Salons Concorde, Salon Président Baron de Zuylen, Salon Panhard & Levassor, Patio René Panhard, Auditorium André et Edouard Michelin, and Jardin des Frères Renault.

The club operates as an exclusive private members' club serving high-net-worth individuals and automobile enthusiasts, while simultaneously offering premium event venue services to corporate clients (conferences, gala dinners, product launches), wedding clients, and bespoke private event customers. Gastronomy services are delivered by a 50-person culinary brigade led by Executive Chef Julien Guénée (formerly of Peninsula Paris and Shangri-La Paris), awarded Champion of the World Traiteurs 2025 at the International Catering Cup in Lyon. The technology stack is commodity: Microsoft Azure B2C for member authentication on a dedicated member portal (membre.automobileclubdefrance.fr), Microsoft Office 365 for internal operations, and Google Analytics for web analytics — with no proprietary technology platform or data flywheel.

Revenue is generated across three streams: recurring membership fees, professional services revenue from event hosting (quote-based pricing across spaces of 20-600 m²), and professional services revenue from fine dining and catering. Distribution is entirely direct sales — no third-party resellers — with inquiries handled via contact forms and a dedicated event service team. The club is a founding member of AIACR (now FIA, established 1904), admitted to Excellence Française in 2022, and operates the Fonds de Dotation ACF endowment supporting mobility, health, and education initiatives.

Name

AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE FRANCE

Legal name

Automobile Club de France

Website

https://automobileclubdefrance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Automobile Club de France is a historic private members' club founded in 1895 at Place de la Concorde in Paris, serving high-net-worth members with exclusive facilities, hosting corporate and private events, and operating an award-winning gastronomy program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Private Club & Event Hospitality

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Memberships & Invitation-Only Experiences (HSACAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC), Luxury Hospitality & VIP Hosting (Tables, Bottle Service, Concierge Hosts) (HSACAMAH)

Keywords

• Private members club
• Event venue rental
• Fine dining services
• Corporate event hosting
• Automobile heritage society

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Private membership club with annual membership providing access to exclusive facilities, dining, and events at the prestigious 6 Place de la Concorde location
2. Event Hosting Services: Premium event venue rental including weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, and bespoke events across multiple saloons and spaces of 20 to 600 m²
3. Fine Dining and Catering: High gastronomy restaurant services led by award-winning Executive Chef Julien Guénée with brigade of 50 cooks and pastry chefs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Automobile Club de France operates a private members' club and prestigious event venue housed in an 18th-century mansion at 6 Place de la Concorde, Paris. Its offerings include paid membership providing access to exclusive facilities, corporate and private event hosting across multiple saloons and spaces of 20 to 600 m², fine dining services led by an award-winning executive chef with a 50-person culinary brigade, and bespoke event design for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations.

Product overview

The Automobile Club de France is a prestigious private members' club founded in 1895 at Place de la Concorde in Paris. Its primary offerings include exclusive membership with access to historic venues and high gastronomy dining services. The club operates multiple event spaces including the Bibliothèque Clément-Bayard (284 m²), Salons Concorde (257 m²), Salon Président Baron de Zuylen (34 m²), Salon Panhard & Levassor (114 m²), Patio René Panhard (55 m²), Auditorium André et Edouard Michelin (205 m², 200 seats), and Jardin des Frères Renault (226 m²). These spaces serve corporate events, private celebrations, and weddings. The club also publishes Le Magazine de l'Auto and organizes awards competitions including Grand Prix ACF AutoTech (since 2018) and Prix ACF de l'Homme pressé (since 2020).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fonds de Dotation ACF: Endowment fund supporting medical research, automobile heritage preservation, youth education, and future mobility initiatives

Products and services

• Private Club Membership Annual membership providing individuals access to the club's exclusive facilities, dining, networking events, and the Clément-Bayard Library at 6 Place de la Concorde, Paris, with reciprocity privileges at partner clubs worldwide.
• Corporate Event Hosting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Champion of the World Traiteurs 2025 at International Catering Cup in Lyon
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Association du Musée National de l'Automobile de MulhouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984ACF is a member of the association that owns the Schlumpf Collection and its buildings, preserving significant automotive heritage.
• FNCAF (Fédération Nationale des Clubs Automobiles de France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1923Founded under ACF's auspices in 1923, FNCAF represented regional automobile clubs with 700,000 members by 1970. ACF provided federation and governance support to this network of automobile clubs across France.
• FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) - formerly AIACRflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 1904Automobile Club de France was founding member of AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), created on June 21, 1904 at Place de la Concorde. AIACR's purpose was to promote ACF's vision internationally: motorsport regulation, tourism, and improving traffic conditions. AIACR became FIA in 1946. This partnership established global automotive governance standards.
• Fonds de Dotation ACFcoreOthersEndowment fund created at ACF's initiative supporting three domains: mobility, health, and education. Projects include medical research, automotive heritage preservation, youth education, and mobility innovation. Recognized as serving general interest, enabled to receive tax-deductible donations.
• International Automobile Club Reciprocity NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACF maintains reciprocal agreements with other prestigious automobile clubs worldwide, allowing members to access facilities at partner clubs when traveling. Contact for reciprocal agreements at [email protected]

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global private members' club operator with locations worldwide, focused on creative industries and HNW professionals. A broader incumbent in the luxury private club space that competes with ACF for similar premium clientele, though with a younger, more contemporary brand identity.
• American Automobile Association (AAA): The largest North American automobile club federation with 60M+ members, founded in 1902. Shares ACF's foundational automobile club mission but operates at much greater scale with broad consumer services rather than luxury hospitality focus.

Regional players

• Maxim's Paris: Historic Belle Epoque Parisian restaurant and private club on Rue Royale, founded in 1893. Comparable heritage venue competing for high-end dining and event hosting in central Paris, with overlapping HNW clientele.
• Hôtel de Crillon: Iconic luxury hotel and event venue at Place de la Concorde, Paris. Direct competitor for ACF's corporate event and wedding hosting business, offering similar prestige positioning in the immediate Paris luxury event market.

Direct peers

• Touring Club Suisse: Swiss national automobile club founded in 1896, the second oldest in the world after ACF. Offers similar membership-based roadside assistance, travel, and hospitality services, with comparable heritage positioning in the European mobility ecosystem.
• Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE): Spain's national automobile club, founded in 1903 under ACF's federation model. Comparable peer sharing FIA membership and historical automobile club heritage, with similar mix of membership services and hospitality offerings.
• Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO): French peer organization founded in 1906 under ACF's inspiration, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Closest French institutional peer sharing ACF's heritage, FIA membership, and motorsport governance legacy.
• Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI): Italy's national automobile club, founded in 1898 - third oldest in the world after ACF and TCS. Direct European peer with comparable FIA heritage, automotive governance role, and historical positioning in continental motorsport development.
• Royal Automobile Club: The UK's counterpart to ACF, founded in 1897 as a private members' club for motorists at Pall Mall, London. Offers similar membership, dining, and event hosting services with comparable heritage and prestige positioning - the most directly comparable peer in Europe.
• Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC): Germany's national automobile club, founded in 1903, with over 21 million members. Largest European automobile club and fellow FIA member; comparable historical positioning even though its scale and service breadth significantly exceed ACF's curated prestige model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automobileclubdefrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE FRANCE