Michelin also publishes the Green Guides , a series of general guides to cities, regions, and countries. In , there were fewer than 3, cars on the roads of France. It provided information to motorists such as maps, tyre repair and replacement instructions, car mechanics listings, hotels, and petrol stations throughout France. In , an English-language version of the guide to France was published.
During World War I , publication of the guide was suspended. After the war, revised editions of the guide continued to be given away until Based on the principle that "man only truly respects what he pays for", Michelin decided to charge for the guide, about 7. Following the usage of the Murray's and Baedeker guides , the guide began to award stars for restaurants in Initially, there was only a single star awarded. Then, in , the hierarchy of zero, one, two, and three stars was introduced.
Finally, in , the criteria for the rankings were published: [ 3 ]. In the cover was changed from blue to red and has remained so in all subsequent editions. In , at the request of the Allied Forces , the guide to France was specially reprinted for military use; its maps were judged the best and most up-to-date available. Publication of the annual guide resumed on 16 May , a week after VE Day.
In the early post-war years, the lingering effects of wartime shortages led Michelin to impose an upper limit of two stars; by the French edition listed 38 establishments judged to meet this standard.
It awarded no stars in the first edition. In , the first guide to Britain since was published. Twenty-five stars were awarded. In , Michelin published its first American guide, covering restaurants in the five boroughs of New York City and 50 hotels in Manhattan. In , a Tokyo guide was launched. In , a Hong Kong and Macau volume was added. In , the German restaurateur Juliane Caspar was appointed the first woman and first non-French national editor-in-chief of the French edition of the guide.
