The AA is formed to coordinate motoring clubs

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) was formed at a meeting in Port Elizabeth attended by several provincial and other motoring clubs, in order to provide a strong national motoring organisation to protect and promote the interests of motorists in South Africa. The first motoring club, the Automobile Club of SA, based in Cape Town, was founded on 23 October 1901. After that several other bodies began to spring up around the country. In 1911, after the visit of the Duke of Connaught to open the first Union parliament, the original Cape Town based Automobile Club of SA received a royal charter and became known as the Royal Automobile Club of South Africa. This club was taken over by the AA in 1965, after a fruitful existence of 64 years. The nation-wide Federation of Automobile Clubs (FAC) was formed in 1923 to co-ordinate and provide greater impetus to the interests of motorists. However, the FAC did not fully succeed in its mandate of co-ordinating and facilitating the interests of motorists and dealing with councils, municipalities and government. In January 1930 the FAC was liquidated and reconstituted as the Automobile Association of SA. With the adoption of centralised control in 1934, the final improvement in the AA's effectiveness was brought about.