A new race was proposed by the Editor of The Motor Cycle magazine at the Auto-Cycle Club annual dinner held in London on 17th January 1907. Races would run in two classes with single-cylinder machines to average 90 mpg and twin-cylinder machines to average 75 mpg. This was done to emphasise the road touring nature of the motorcycles. The organisers also insisted there were regulations for saddles, pedals, mudguards and exhaust silencers.
The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place for the first time over the ‘Snaefell Mountain Course’ four years later, in 1911.