The Autódromo was built in 1952 under president Juan Perón on swampland in the Villa Riachuelo barrio, the southernmost district of Buenos Aires. It was initially named Autódromo 17 de Octubre after the date of Loyalty Day, before being renamed following Perón's overthrow and eventually receiving its current name in honour of Argentine racing driver brothers Juan Gálvez (1916–1963) and Oscar Alfredo Gálvez (1913–1989).
The circuit's flat terrain, surrounded by large grandstands, gives spectators broad sightlines across the layout. One of its defining characteristics is the large number of alternative configurations it can accommodate. Different sections of the infield can be combined in various ways, producing circuits with significantly different lap times and characters. Formula One alone used multiple distinct numbered layouts across its various visits.
Formula One first used the Autódromo for the Argentine Grand Prix in 1953, running on the No.2 circuit through 1960. The championship then dropped Argentina from the calendar. When it returned in 1971, the race was held on the No.9 configuration, which continued to be used through 1972 and into 1973.
The No.9 layout preceded the No.15 circuit, which was introduced in 1974 and remained in use through 1981. The No.15 added two long straights and a long third corner between them that was often taken flat in top gear at around 305 km/h (190 mph), giving spectators particularly dramatic viewing. By comparison, the No.9 layout was a more conventional road circuit configuration.
Beyond Formula One, the Autódromo has hosted extensive motorsport activity across multiple disciplines. Ten Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix rounds were held at the venue between 1961 and 1999, with a return planned for 2027 as part of a major redevelopment programme intended to bring the circuit to FIA Grade 2 standards to host MotoGP again. The Buenos Aires Grand Prix for domestic and regional formulae ran at the Autódromo from 1952 to 2009.
The 1000 km Buenos Aires sports car event used the circuit — combined with sections of nearby highway for some editions — from 1954 to 1960, and then returned from 1970 to 1972 using only the Autódromo section. Formula One visited again from 1995 to 1998, this time using the No.6 configuration with the Senna S chicane, though that version was not well regarded within the Formula One paddock and the race was dropped after 1998 when funding could not be secured to continue it.
Domestic Argentine series including Turismo Carretera, TC2000, and Turismo Nacional have used the Autódromo consistently across many decades, and international series including the Stock Car Pro Series, TCR South America, and Formula 2 Argentina have also competed there in more recent years.
The Autódromo's history across more than seven decades makes it one of South America's most significant motorsport venues. Its multiple numbered configurations represent an unusual form of circuit flexibility, and the No.9 layout occupies a specific place in that history as the configuration used during the early-1970s return of the Argentine Grand Prix to the World Championship calendar — a period that included some of Formula One's most intense competitive seasons.