Somerset Automobile Club (SAC)

The History of the club

The Somerset Automobile Club was formed on 16th June 1904 at a meeting held at Glastonbury Abbey House when the following Aims and Objectives were adopted:
• To encourage the use and discourage the abuse of mechanically propelled vehicles.
• To foster friendly feelings between members of the club, motorists and the general public and to arrange meetings, social functions and/or competitions for those purposes.
• To further the enjoyment of automobilism in the County of Somerset.
• To affiliate with the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, founded in 1897 (latterly named the Royal Automobile Club).

The initial membership, being geographically widely spread throughout the county, was reported to have been in excess of 70.
Until the outbreak of WW1, the club promoted Hillclimb competitions at Puriton, Longleat, Buncombe, Wraxall, Upper Weston (Bath) and Shipham together with Speed trials at Weston super Mare which were revived for a single post war event in 1920.

The SAC retained a close relationship with the RAC until 1999 when the Breakdown motoring services branch, to which all SAC members had hitherto held membership, became a separate commercial organisation. The Somerset Automobile Club, in broadly retaining its original objectives, has remained independent and continuously active until the present day with a focus on regular social and dining gatherings together with visits to museums and manufacturing organisations of interest to its current membership of 70.