Announced in 1906, the first Deutsch de la Meurthe competition was a speed trial intended for all powered aircraft over a distance of 200 kilometres, to be flown as an outward leg of 100 km followed by a return to the starting point.

The Coupe (cup), an objet d'art valued at 10,000 francs, was to be given to the first aircraft builder who won three consecutive competitions.

On 12 April 1912, Maurice Tabuteau piloting a 50 hp Gnome-powered Morane-Saulnier monoplane flew the circuit in 1 h 47 min 48 s, despite persistent navigation problems caused by fog.

[3] On 27 October 1913 Eugène Gilbert gained first place in the second competition for the Coupe, covering the course at an average speed of 154.38 km/h (95.93 mph) in a 160 h.p.

The competition was to be held as 3 laps of a 100km (62mi) circuit, with its start at Étampes and a turn made at la Marmogne farm at Gidy.

In the case of the cup being won outright before the end of the competition, the winner would also receive the remaining prize money.

No eliminating heats were needed to select from the five French pilot entrants, since Count Bernard de Romanet died when the wing fabric of his Lumière-De Monge monoplane[note 1] detached at high speed during the elimination trials on 23 September, and at the last moment Hanriot withdrew their entrant, the Hanriot HD.22.

The tailless Simplex aircraft which was supposed to be piloted by Georges Madon had an accident during its tests, and Charles Nungesser was absent.

[citation needed] The first lap made by the Italian pilot at 288km/h (179mph) was not homologated since the aircraft had flown behind the time-keepers at the starting point, but he was offered a second attempt.

Brack-Papa started a second time but retired when he realized he would not be able to beat Lasne, who won the competition with an average speed of 289.90km/h.

[12] The trial was to be run in two 1,000km stages separated by a 90 minutes refuelling stop, and was limited to aircraft with an engine capacity of less than eight litres.

[13] On 24 May 1933 Captain Ludovic Arrachart was killed when his Caudron C.360 (race no.11) crashed due to engine failure at Maisons near Chartres while he was training for the competition.

Maurice Arnoux won with a C.450 at a speed of 388.97km/h overtaking Louis Massotte's Regnier-engined (and sponsored) C.366 (360.72km/h) and Albert Monville's Renault-engined Caudron C.460 (341.04km/h).

The Potez 53-3 had problems with its variable pitch propeller and was unable to start for the second section,[17][16][18][19][20] The 1935 race was arguably the most exciting[citation needed] competition of them all, and was the consecration of the Caudron-Renault racers.

Raymond Delmotte won, ahead of Yves Lacombe and Maurice Arnoux, flying the aircraft previously flown by Albert Monville .