The circuit was conceived by industrialist Alexandre Lamblin, who hired engineer René Jamin to design a 2.548 km (1.583 mi) oval track capable of handling vehicles of up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) at speeds of 220 km/h (140 mph). The facility was initially called the Autodrome Parisien. Its banked oval was built with particularly steep banking to allow sustained high-speed running. A road circuit was added to the complex in 1925 to extend the variety of events that could be held at the venue.
In 1939 the track was sold to the French government, which meant it received little maintenance during World War II. In December 1946 ownership passed to the Union technique de l'automobile et du cycle (Utac), which has operated the facility since.
The circuit's most prominent period in Grand Prix racing spanned the 1920s and 1930s. The first race held at the Autodrome, the 1925 French Grand Prix organised by the Automobile Club de France on 26 July 1925, saw Robert Benoist win in a Delage. That same race saw Italian driver Antonio Ascari fatally crash in his Alfa Romeo P2, a loss that shook the early Grand Prix world. The French Grand Prix returned to Montlhéry in 1927 and then each year between 1931 and 1937, establishing the circuit as a recurring home for France's premier motor race during the interwar period.
In July 1926 Violette Cordery led a team that averaged 113.8 km/h (70.7 mph) over 8,047 km (5,000 miles) driving an Invicta, becoming the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club.
In 1929 Hellé Nice drove an Oméga-Six to victory in the all-female Grand Prix of the Journée Feminine at Montlhéry, one of the earliest all-women motor racing events in history.
In 1933 the circuit hosted the UCI Road World Championships for cycling, demonstrating the versatility of the facility for different sporting disciplines.
In 1961 the British manufacturer Veloce used a team of eight riders, including managing director Bertram Goodman, to set a world record aboard a near-standard Velocette Venom Clubman machine, sustaining a speed in excess of 100 mph (161 km/h) for 24 continuous hours for a 500cc machine — a record that still stands.
Fatal accidents marked the circuit's history. Benoît Nicolas Musy died at Montlhéry in 1956, and in 1964 a crash claimed the lives of Peter Lindner, Franco Patria, and three flag marshals.
Montlhéry was also a significant venue for motorcycle racing. The Grand Prix de France was organised at the circuit in 1925, 1931, 1935, and 1937. The Bol d'Or, France's premier 24-hour motorcycle endurance race, was held at Montlhéry before the Second World War from 1937 to 1939, and returned there after the war in 1949, 1950, 1952 to 1960, 1969, and 1970. French racer Gustave Lefèvre holds the record for most Bol d'Or victories with seven wins, all achieved riding solo for the full 24 hours aboard a Norton Manx; his average speed of 107 km/h (66 mph) in 1953 stands as one of his career benchmarks.
The circuit's last certification for competitive racing was obtained in 2001. In 2010 the banked Speed Ring portion of the complex hosted Ken Block's Gymkhana Three video, introducing the facility to a new global audience. Today Montlhéry primarily serves as a vehicle testing ground for Utac, while historic racing events periodically return to the circuit. Events including the Coupe du Salon and the Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or have been held at the circuit on an irregular basis over the decades.
The Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry is one of the few surviving venues from the original era of Grand Prix motor racing. Its combination of banked oval and road course sections made it an early precursor to combined-configuration race facilities. As the scene of the 1925 French Grand Prix — among the first major Grand Prix races — it holds a foundational place in the history of European motor racing, and the deaths of significant figures such as Antonio Ascari gave it a sombre place in the annals of the sport's early years.