A BRIEF HISTORY
Motor racing started in 1904 on the Isle of Man with the Gordon Bennett Car Trials and it was only open to touring automobiles. The Motor Car Act of 1903 an Act of Parliament placed a 20 mph speed limit on automobiles. The Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland asked the Isle of Man authorities permission to race on public roads. The Highways 1904 Act gave permission in the Isle of Man for the Highlands Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Car Trial covering 52.15 miles.
The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is a motorbike race which takes place on the Isle of Man. The race, which started 1907 is run in time trials on public roads closed for the event by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man). The initial race lasted over 10 laps of the St. John's "Short Course" of 15 miles for road-legal motorcycles with saddles, exhaust silencers, mud-guards and pedals.
Charlie Collier racing a Matchless motor-cycle the winner of the single-cylinder class and overall winner of the first ever race in 1907 finished in a time of just over 4 hours at an approximate speed of 40mph. Rem Fowler who won the twin-cylinder class was racing a Norton motor-cycle with a Peugeot engine in a time of just over 4 hours at an approximate speed of 36mph.
The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars Trophy is presented yearly to the winner of the Isle of Man Senior TT Motor-Cycle Race.