Local interest in motorsport around Clermont-Ferrand dates to proposals in 1908 for a street circuit, though nothing came of those early plans. After the Second World War, Jean Auchatraire, President of the Sports Association of the Automobile Club of Auvergne, and accomplished racer Louis Rosier designed a course by adapting pre-existing public roads around the Puy de Dôme, an extinct volcano dominating the city skyline. Construction began in May 1957 and the first race was held in July 1958, with an endurance race won by Innes Ireland in a Lotus 1100 and a Formula Two race won by Maurice Trintignant in a Cooper T43.
The original layout measured 8.055 km and was described as an even twistier and faster version of the Nürburgring. The track featured a relentless sequence of sharp curves and elevation changes with almost no discernible straights, built over the volcanic terrain surrounding the Puy de Dôme. Despite the relentless nature of the layout, lap speeds were relatively high: Chris Amon set the lap record in a Matra MS120 during the 1972 French Grand Prix at an average of 167 km/h.
The circuit's character was so demanding that some drivers experienced motion sickness. Jochen Rindt reportedly wore an open-face helmet during the 1969 French Grand Prix as a precaution. Stirling Moss, after first competing there in 1959, declared: "I don't know a more wonderful track than Charade."
The volcanic terrain that made the circuit so distinctive also created persistent hazards. Dark volcanic rocks routinely fell from the mountainside onto both sides of the track. During the 1972 French Grand Prix alone, ten drivers including Chris Amon suffered tyre punctures from rocks on the racing surface. The most severe consequence came when a rock penetrated Helmut Marko's helmet visor, blinding his left eye and ending his racing career.
The circuit first gained international prominence when it hosted the French motorcycle Grand Prix in 1959, won by John Surtees riding an MV Agusta. It hosted that event ten times between 1959 and 1974.
The 1964 Trophées d'Auvergne Formula Two race previewed a generation of great drivers: Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Jochen Rindt all featured on the podium. The circuit hosted its first Formula One French Grand Prix in 1965, when Jim Clark won for Team Lotus. During that same visit, director John Frankenheimer filmed sequences for his film Grand Prix at the circuit in front of 3,000 local inhabitants acting as race spectators.
Charade hosted the French Grand Prix on four occasions: 1965, 1969, 1970, and 1972. The 1971 French Grand Prix moved to the newly built and safer Circuit Paul Ricard, which then became the event's regular home. Charade continued to host smaller categories including Formula Three, sports cars, touring cars, rallying, and hillclimbing after losing the grand prix.
The combination of volcanic rock hazards, mountainous topography preventing run-off areas, and the use of public roads made the circuit increasingly difficult to reconcile with evolving safety standards. In 1971, Circuit Paul Ricard permanently replaced Charade as the French Grand Prix venue. In 1980, three track marshals were killed at a touring car race. A drivers' protest over safety conditions followed in 1984. With the natural landscape making any meaningful run-off additions impossible, the final race on the original 8.055 km circuit took place on 18 September 1988.
The only driver fatality at the circuit occurred in 1959 when Ivor Bueb, winner of the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, died following a crash. The only motorcyclist fatality occurred on 1 June 1963, when Marcelin Herranz was killed during the 250cc race of the French motorcycle Grand Prix.
Following closure of the original layout, the Conseil Général de Puy-de-Dôme financed construction of a new 3.975 km circuit using only the southern portion of the original track, completed with a new link road. The new Circuit de Charade opened in 1989 and returned to hosting national championship events including the 1994 French Supertouring Championship and the 1998 FFSA GT Championship.
In 2000 the public roads were closed permanently, making the venue a fully permanent facility with new pit garages and a widened pit lane. The original 8.055 km sections remain in use as public roads. The current circuit hosts track days, driving courses, and historic motorsport events. In 2025, part of the circuit was used by riders on stage 10 of the Tour de France.