the british automobile association . for other uses see automobile association disambiguation . aa plc trading name the automobile association type public traded as lse aa . industry automotive services founded 1905 1905 headquarters basingstoke united kingdom area served united kingdom key people bob mackenzie executive chairman revenue 983.5 million 2015 1 operating income 325.9 million 2015 1 net income 69.1 million 2015 1 number of employees 8 000 website www.theaa.com the automobile association the aa is a british motoring association founded in 1905 which currently provides car insurance driving lessons breakdown cover loans motoring advice road maps and other services . the association demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company and in 2002 the aa motoring trust was created to continue its public interest and road safety activities . the company is listed on the london stock exchange and is a constituent of the ftse 250 index . contents 1 history 1.1 charitable association 1.2 for profit company 2 aa ratings and awards 2.1 hotels guest accommodation and self catering accommodation 2.2 campsites and caravan parks 2.3 restaurants 3 see also 4 references 5 external links history edit charitable association edit aa phone box the automobile association was founded in 1905 to help motorists avoid police speed traps 2 in response to the motor car act 1903 which introduced new penalties for breaking the speed limit for reckless driving with fines endorsements and the possibility of jail for speeding and other driving offences . the act also required drivers to hold a driving licence which was obtained on payment of 5 shillings and did not require a driving test and to display a registration plate on their vehicle . by 1906 the aa had erected thousands of roadside danger and warning signs and managed road signage until responsibility was passed to local authorities in the early 1930s . 2 by 1926 the organisation had installed 6 500 direction signs and 15 000 village signs 3 most of which were removed during the second world war . 4 in 1908 the organisation published its first aa members special handbook containing a list of nationwide agents and repairers . 2 automobile association roadside assistance bmc minivan aa patrols on bicycles warned motorists of police speed traps ahead . in 1910 in a legal test case betts v stevens involving an aa patrolman and a potentially speeding motorist the chief justice lord alverston ruled that where a patrolman signals to a speeding driver to slow down and thereby avoid a speed trap then that person would have committed the offence of obstructing an officer in the course of his duty under the prevention of crimes amendment act 1885 . 5 6 subsequently the organisation developed a coded warning system which was used until the 1960s whereby a patrolman would always salute the driver of a passing car which showed a visible aa badge unless there was a speed trap nearby on the understanding that their officers could not be prosecuted for failing to salute . 7 the aa handbook included the following message many times it can not be too strongly emphasised that when a patrol fails to salute the member should stop and ask the reason why as it is certain that the patrol has something of importance to communicate . 3 in 1910 the organisation introduced aa routes and in 1912 began inspecting hotels and restaurants issuing aa star classification to those deemed to be of sufficient quality and introduced pre purchase and post accident repair checks in the 1920s . 2 in 1920 members were issued with keys to roadside wooden telephone boxes which could be used to call the organisation for assistance the boxes began to be erected in 1912 as shelters for watchmen or patrolmen . there were almost 1 000 boxes in their heyday and they remained in use until the 1960s . 2 a former aa bsa patrol bike from 1951 1949 saw the launch of a night time breakdown and recovery service initially in london only then extended nationally . the aa insurance brokerage service was started in 1967 . 2 after the war the aa led protests against petrol rationing which was repealed in 1950 . 2 the organisation campaigned for the compulsory wearing of seat belts and for the introduction of unleaded petrol . seat belt legislation became law in the uk in 1983 as required by the transport act 1981 . 2 they have lobbied successive governments over what they describe as unfair motoring taxes . 8 in february 1972 the aa relocated from its central london offices to basingstoke . 9 it began broadcasting aa roadwatch traffic reports on uk commercial radio stations the following year . aa relay was also introduced in 1973 a service that will deliver a broken down vehicle its driver and passengers luggage and trailer to anywhere in britain . 2 for profit company edit the association demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which was bought later the same year by centrica best known for its british gas and scottish gas brands . 10 in 2002 the aa motoring trust charity was created to continue its public interest and road safety activities . 11 centrica sold the aa in 2004 to two private equity firms cvc and permira who in 2007 merged the aa with saga under acromas holdings . 12 in july 2013 the company launched aa cars linking buyers of used cars with sellers . the service is a partnership with vcars rebranding its partner s existing online service and providing a check of the car s history . 13 14 at the time of rebranding over 110 000 cars were available for purchase via 2 000 registered dealers . 13 the aa became listed on the london stock exchange as aa plc in june 2014 through an initial public offering in which acromas sold all its shares . 15 16 in 2015 the aa acquired the garage booking service motoriety . 17 aa ratings and awards edit hotels guest accommodation and self catering accommodation edit the aa awards ratings according to a system based on quality standards agreed by the aa and the various uk tourist authorities . 18 properties are awards a star rating from one to five stars . in addition each hotel receives a merit % score to enable comparison of hotels with similar star ratings . hotels that are deemed to stand out may also receive a red star aa inspectors choice award . a similar award for guest accommodation is the gold star award for properties deemed to stand out . campsites and caravan parks edit the aa award a pennant rating to campsites and caravan parks based on a five point scale . a percentage score is also awarded to enable comparison of parks with the same pennant rating . restaurants edit aa inspectors award aa rosettes based on a zero to five system . the standards are quite high and only about one in ten restaurants are deemed worthy of even one rosette . 18 see also edit aa ireland american automobile association canadian automobile association dominion automobile association campaign for safe road design f d ration internationale de l automobile good garage scheme vehicle recovery widmerpool hall references edit a b c annual report 2015 pdf . the automobile association . retrieved 28 march 2016 . a b c d e f g h i about us . the aa . retrieved 26 february 2010 . a b the automobile association handbook 1926 . the automobile association . 1926 . village name marker a relic from devon s motoring past . exeter express & echo . 1 october 2009 . ja coutts obstructing the police 1956 19 mlr 411 road traffic 1900 1929 . swarb.co.uk . retrieved 27 february 2010 . massey ray 4 february 2010 . drivers face breakdown nightmare after aa staff ballot for first strike in 105 years . the daily mail . history . we have lobbied successive governments over unfair motoring taxes . motorweek the aa are to withdraw from london . motor 47 . 12 february 1972 . power firm buys aa . bbc news business . 5 july 1999 . retrieved 15 september 2016 . select committee on european union memorandum by the aa motoring trust . www.parliament.uk . april 2004 . retrieved 15 september 2016 . wachman richard 1 july 2007 . a sorry saga at the aa . the guardian . retrieved 15 september 2016 . a b the aa launches into used car classifieds through vcars partnership . am online . retrieved 11 december 2013 . jones rupert 9 july 2013 . aa to start selling used cars . the guardian . retrieved 21 august 2016 . macalister terry 6 june 2014 . aa owner accelerates ipo plan with major sell off . the guardian . retrieved 10 april 2016 . david ruth 23 june 2014 . aa drops in first day of trading after 2.4 billion ipo . bloomberg . retrieved 15 september 2016 . lyster gordon . the aa enter online service booking market motor trade news . www.motortradenews.com . retrieved 2016 07 04 . a b guide to aa ratings and awards external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to the automobile association . official website aa garage guide coporate website court case in 1910 regarding possible obstruction of a police officer by an aa patrolman saving aa box 472 images of aa boxes at flickr v t e automotive industry in the united kingdom manufacturing in the united kingdom economy of the united kingdom companies and marques commercial vehicle producers current alexander dennis plaxton dennis eagle ibc vehicles jcb leyland trucks the london taxi company optare smith electric vehicles stevens wrightbus former albion aec bedford bristol clough smith commer daimler erf foden ford southampton plant guy jensen karrier ldv modec scammell seddon atkinson sentinel shelvoke and drewry straker squire thornycroft tilling stevens motorsport advanced engine research arena motorsport carlin chevron cars cosworth dowdeswell and hardie engine developments ltd. force india ford world rally team fortec hewland ilmor lola cars manor racing marussia f1 mclaren mercedes amg high performance powertrains mercedes amg m sport munchi s prodrive radical red bull racing renault sport f1 team ricardo rml group roger dowson engineering sumo power team dynamics triple eight van diemen williams f1 wirth xtrac zytek motorsport passenger car producers current ariel ascari aston martin bentley crewe plant bmw group mini plant oxford plant swindon rolls royce goodwood plant briggs bristol caparo caterham electric car corporation fenix ford of britain bridgend engine dagenham plant dunton technical centre ginetta honda uk jaguar land rover jaguar land rover daimler castle bromwich plant gaydon centre halewood plant solihull plant whitley engineering centre lagonda lightning lister lotus mclaren mclaren technology centre saic motor uk eco concept mg longbridge plant morgan nissan uk noble peel engineering radical spyker toyota uk vauxhall ellesmere port westfield zenos kit cars caterham davrian gkd gtm jba motors marc nordon racing onyx quantum sylva ultima sports westfield former alvis austin austin healey bmc bmh british leyland mg rover morris riley rootes rover company rover group standard sunbeam triumph wolseley more ... retail and services the aa ats euromaster autoglass auto windscreens british car auctions british vehicle rental and leasing association green flag halfords autocentre halfords kwik fit leaseplan lex autolease national tyres and autocare rac we buy any car dealership groups arnold clark carcraft ford retail group group 1 automotive inchcape jardine jct600 lookers mercedes benz retail group h.r. owen pendragon perrys robins & day stoneacre sytner vertu suppliers and consultancies current caparo vehicle technologies cosworth cummins uk gkn gkn driveline johnson matthey lotus engineering mira perkins engines pilkington quaife ricardo tata steel europe tickford tomkins trl unipart wipac wmg zytek former dunlop rubber ferodo gardner hardy spicer henry meadows laycock engineering lucas industries lucasvarity white and poppe government and regulatory bodies department for transport driver and