Formula One Features — February 1998

Formula 1 Preview: 1998

Formula 1 merchandising is fragmented, but there is no doubt that it is a boom industry. A couple of years ago the sport had almost no serious merchandising at all, while American sports were turning over billions of dollars a year selling memorabilia to the fans. In 1995, for example, an estimated $11.1 billion was spent on US sport merchandise. Those involved in the National Football League (NFL) made an estimated $2.9 billion and college sports sold an incredible $1.7 billion with teams such as Note Dame and Michigan State taking a big slice of the income. The National Basketball Association (NBA) turned over $2.6 billion even ice hockey turned over more than $937m.

Have you ever wondered why Britain is the centre of the world's motor racing industry? It hasn't always been the case. France started out as the cradle of the sport, dating back to 1894 and the Paris-Rouen reliability trial. The Automobile Club de France (ACF) dates from November 1895 and all the great early racing events were organized from Paris to other European cities. The first international "Grand Prix" was organized by the ACF in 1906 and was won by a Renault, despite opposition from Fiat and Itala from Italy and Mercedes from Germany. In the early years of the sport it was the French automotive industry which dominated with great marques such as Lorraine-Dietrich, Renault, Salmson, Peugeot, Talbot-Darracq, Ballot, Bugatti, Delage and Delahaye.