Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Full Members Car Club Badge 1920s/30s. Brass Enamel

Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Full Members Car Club Badge 1920s/30s. Brass Enamel. The royal crown sits on the top, and at the base of the wheel is a winged Hermes, an Olympian deity in Greek mythology. Front: The Royal Automobile Club engraved around an image of King Edward II / Elkington & Co Ltd at base Back: Enamel Union Jack flag / D9166 The badge is mounted on a plastic trophy base. Badge: 3 x 5.5 inches Base only: 3 x 2 inches HISTORY of RAC: The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897, as a British private social and athletic club. It was initially called the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. King Edward VII's interest in motoring led to the command in 1907, for it to be renamed as The Royal Automobile Club. Back in 1901, the RAC introduced uniformed mobile patrolmen mounted on Matchless motorbikes with sidecars, at laybys and major road junctions. Members' cars were identified by a metal club badge usually affixed to the radiator grille and the patrolmen would come to attention and salute as a member drove past. Allegedly, sometimes the patrolmen would not salute when driving past, to warn the member that they were about to encounter a police speed trap.