BREAKDOWN COVER INSURANCE FINANCIAL SERVICES BUY A CAR DRIVING TRAVEL Sign in Member benefits Shop Business Newsroom Home Newsroom AA history History of the AA The early years Between the wars The 1950s to 1990s 2000 to 2009 2010 to the present day Historic AA vehicles The AA collection of heritage vehicles representing many different periods in the history of AA roadside services. Image archive on Flickr® The early years A group of motoring enthusiasts met at the Trocadero restaurant in London's West End on 29 June 1905 to form the Automobile Association (the AA) – a body initially intended to champion the cause of the motorist and particularly to help motorists avoid police speed traps. As motoring became more popular, so did we – the AA's 100 members in 1905 grew to 83,000 by 1914. As AA membership expanded, so did our activities. Early cycle patrol The first AA patrols had no uniforms and only basic pedal cycles. They worked at weekends only, patrolling the Brighton and Portsmouth roads where their official duties were laid down as 'indicating dangers on the road and helping motorists who had broken down'. Uniforms were issued from 1909, by which time there were patrols all over the country, including Scotland. By 1912 there were 950 cyclist patrols. In 1907 the first AA insurance policy was launched – arranged with Lloyds and with no profit going to the AA. In 1906 a legal defence fund had been set up to ensure legal representation and payment of lawyers' fees. The AA took no more active part in motor insurance until 1967. Garage agent sign To cater for the increased popularity of touring by car, the AA appointed agents and repairers throughout the UK. 1,500 agents were listed in the AA Members' Special Handbook, which first appeared in 1908. The first hotels were listed in the handbook from 1909. We introduced the first AA routes around 1912 with handwritten details, and by 1929 we were issuing 239,000 routes a year. Early hotel sign From 1912 we started inspecting and classifying hotels. Those receiving our famous AA star classification were included in subsequent editions of the Members' Handbook. From the start hotel inspectors paid for themselves and accepted no favours. The star system was derived from the system used to classify brandy – The AA Secretary, Stenson Cooke, had once been a wine and spirit salesman - with a three star hotel being defined as "a really decent, average middle class hotel". Cheshire patrols(1910) The early years Speed traps and the AA salute Early road signs Foreign touring AA telephone boxes First World War More motoring advice Buying a car Breakdown advice Driving abroad More AA history Video on our YouTube channel AA badges AA1, 1904 Renault Historic AA vehicles Breakdown Breakdown cover European breakdown Breakdown repair cover Motorbike breakdown Business breakdown Insurance Car insurance Home insurance Travel insurance Life insurance Business insurance Home cover Boiler and heating cover Home emergencies Home membership One-off repairs Cover for landlords Finance Savings Loans Credit cards Travel currency cards Wills Driving Driving school Tyres Windscreen repairs Car batteries Travel European breakdown IDP driving permits Book a hotel Car hire Route planner Contact us Investor relations Jobs Newsroom AA Charitable Trust AA history Accessibility Privacy policy Cookies Terms & conditions © Automobile Association Developments Ltd 2014