[citation needed] The objective of the ADAC is "the representation, promotion, and advocacy of motoring, motorsport, and tourism interests.

[citation needed] In 1911, due to an enormous growth in the membership of car owners, it was renamed the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC).

[citation needed] The ADAC breakdown assistance service was launched in Germany in 1927 under the name of ADAC-Straßen-Hilfsdienst.

[5] After 1933, during Gleichschaltung, the Nazi Party amalgamated all motoring organisations in Germany into the DDAC (Der Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.

In 1954, Heinz Frölich became the first of 56 ADAC patrolmen equipped with a motorcycle and sidecar,[7] the latter of which had a large compartment filled with tools and parts for roadside repairs.

[8] At the end of 1962, ADAC announced the retirement of their motorbike-sidecar combinations, which would be replaced by 40 appropriately equipped Volkswagen Beetles.

[9] Equipment on the new cars included a flashing roof light, repair tools, a radio communication device, compressed air canisters, a spade and broom set, and a basic "doctor kit" incorporating blood plasma.

In May 2012, the organisation welcomed its 18 millionth member,[11] and in May 2013, the ADAC fitted out its 10,000th roadside assistance vehicle, a Volkswagen Touran, with several hundred different tools and replacement parts.

In 2003, ADAC voiced criticism of the supervised driving at age 17 pilot program in Lower Saxony and celebrated its 100th anniversary.

The ADAC has been working closely with its Austrian counterpart, Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club (ÖAMTC), and is one of 78 select associations and federations in Germany eligible to file model declaratory actions (Musterfeststellungsklage).

[16] As of 2020[update], in the case of a car breakdown, members could request assistance over the phone, over the internet, or via a smartphone app.

[18] As of 2020[update], the ADAC operated 55 air ambulance helicopters[19] for urgent medical rescues in Germany, strategically placed so that any location can be reached within 15 minutes.

[citation needed] The ADAC offers a variety of tourism and travel-related information for motorcyclists and drivers of historic vehicles.

Technical tests regularly include cars, tyres, child restraint systems, pedelecs, safety helmets, and accessories such as roof boxes.

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority recognised the facility as compliant with the DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

[citation needed] The ADAC has been an active member of the European Road Assessment Program (EuroRAP) in Germany.

[24] Both the ADAC and its older competitor Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD; the organizer of the German Grand Prix), have been members of the FIA and the DMSB.

Young racers showing potential are offered the opportunity to benefit from the support of experts and partners of the foundation.

In addition, the foundation also devotes funds to increasing motorsport safety and supporting non-professional racers injured in accidents.

Public relations activities focus on topics such as maintaining motorised mobility, traffic laws and fines, and road safety education.

[26][27] The magazine is distributed four times a year to ADAC members, and features articles of common interest to all participants of public traffic, such as product tests, safe driving tips, and places to visit by car or motorcycle.

[citation needed] Some ADAC positions are controversial, questioning the benefit for road safety of some planned measures or rather implying the opposite.

As of 2010[update], the club had argued its opposition to a general speed limit on German motorways by citing the finding that statistically, motorways were already the safest roads in Germany in terms of accidents, and that a speed limit would not significantly reduce the severity of accidents.

[32] In 2020, the ADAC was quoted as no longer principally opposing Autobahn speed limits and said to have ceased making recommendations to policymakers on the issue.

[36] Commercial activities have been devolved to ADAC SE, an autonomous public company limited by shares that is separate from the association.

By unanimous vote, the Committee may bestow honorary membership on persons from Germany or abroad in recognition of special merits in the cause of motoring.

It adopted generally amended Articles of Association to better differentiate between the club's executive and advisory bodies and convey a clear assignment of responsibilities.

[citation needed] The ADAC is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the international automobile federation,[39] the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens, the international historic vehicles federation,[40] Euro NCAP, a crash test consortium,[41] Pro Mobilität, a Berlin-based lobbying organisation promoting the expansion and maintenance of the road network,[42] the European Movement Germany network[43] and EuropeNet24, a Europe-wide breakdown assistance network for large goods vehicles.