La Jamais Contente
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La Jamais Contente ("She Who is Never Satisfied") was the first vehicle to go over 100 km/h (62 mph). It was an electric vehicle with a light alloy torpedo shaped bodywork, although the high position of the driver and the exposed chassis underneath spoiled much of the aerodynamics[1].
The land speed record was established, according to sources, on April 29 or May 1, 1899 at Achères, Yvelines near Paris, France. The vehicle had two direct drive Postel-Vinay 25 kW motors, running at 200 V drawing 124 Amperes [2] for about 68 hp, and was equipped with Michelin tires. Chassis number was n°25.
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[edit] Driver
The vehicle was driven by Camille Jenatzy, a Belgian. Camille was the son of Constant Jenatzy, a manufacturer of rubber tires, which were still a novelty at the time. Camille had studied as an engineer, with an interest in electric traction automobiles. He became known for his record-breaking speed runs, and was nicknamed Le Diable Rouge ("The Red Devil") for the colour of his beard. He died in 1913, after being accidentally shot in a hunting accident.
[edit] Motivation
Willing to carve a place in the then promising Parisian electric carriage market, Jenatzy started a manufacturing plant which would produce many electric carriages and trucks. He fiercely competed against carriage maker Jeantaud in publicity stunts to see which made the fastest vehicles. In order to assure the triumph of his company, Jenatzy built a bullet shaped prototype, conceived by the carriage maker Rothschild in partinium (an alloy of laminated aluminum, tungsten and magnesium).
[edit] Speed Record
Jenatzy reached the speed of 105.882 km/h (65.792 mph), besting the previous record, held by Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, who had attained 92.78 km/h (57.65 mph) on March 4, 1899. After this exploit the gasoline-fuelled combustion engine would increasingly supplant electric technology for the next century.
The Jamais Contente is now on display at the automobile museum in Compiègne, France.
[edit] See also
- AC Propulsion tzero
- Keio University Eliica
- Lightning GT
- Tesla Roadster
- Think Global AS
- Venturi Fétish
- Wrightspeed X1
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- (French) La Jamais Contente - fact sheet
- (French) National car and tourism museum in Compiègne
