The Argentine Grand Prix at the newly built Autodromo in central Buenos Aires first joined the Formula One calendar in 1953. The success of Formula One's visit led to the decision to also include the track in the newly formed World Sportscar Championship the following year. The 1000km Buenos Aires thus became only the second 1,000 km event in the WSC's history, following the 1000km Nurburgring of the previous year.
The initial layout used a 9.5 km circuit that combined long sections of the Avenida General Paz highway with the Autodromo section used by Formula One. In 1955 an even longer segment of the Autopista General Pablo Riccheri route was added, extending the circuit to 17.1 km before it returned to the original size in 1956. In 1957 the race moved to the Costanera street circuit before returning to the Autodromo in 1958.
The race ran as a World Sportscar Championship event from 1954 to 1960, making it one of the earliest international long-distance races held outside Europe. Ferrari dominated the event in this period, winning five of the six championship runnings. American driver Phil Hill was the only driver to win the race more than once during the championship years.
Both Formula One and sports car racing made a final appearance at the Autodromo together in 1960 before both disciplines departed Argentina for the time being.
The 1000km returned in 1970 as a non-championship exhibition round. By that time the Autodromo had been expanded in 1968 to a 6.1 km circuit that eliminated the use of public highways. World Championship status was restored in 1971, coinciding with Formula One also holding an exhibition Argentine Grand Prix to test the ground for its own return. The circuit was further modified in 1972, shortening the sports car lap to 6.0 km. Formula One officially restored the Argentine Grand Prix to its calendar that same year and would retain it for nearly a decade.
The sports car race was abandoned after the 1972 running as the World Sportscar Championship eliminated several fly-away events in an effort to reduce costs for teams and constructors.
The 1000km name was revived in 2017 by Turismo Carretera, the Argentine stock car category, as one of its Carreras Especiales to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of that series. This version of the race was held twice, in 2017 and 2018, with Ford winning the first running and Chevrolet the second. This revival was unrelated to international sportscar competition and represented a domestic tribute to the historical race name.
The 1000km Buenos Aires occupied a distinctive place in the World Sportscar Championship calendar as the series' gateway to South America and as one of the few genuine intercontinental rounds in endurance racing during the 1950s. Its traditional season-opening slot meant the race set the tone for the championship each year it ran, and Ferrari's record of dominance there reflected the Italian manufacturer's broader strength during the early years of the WSC.