Camille Jenatzy exceeds 100 km/h in La Jamais Contente
- When
- 1899
- Where
- Achères, Yvelines near Paris
- Episodes
- 1
Belgian driver Camille Jenatzy established a land speed record on 29 April or 1 May 1899 (disputed) at Achères, near Paris. Driving the electric vehicle La Jamais Contente, he reached 105.88 km/h, becoming the first person to exceed 100 km/h. The run occurred during a competitive rivalry with carriage-maker Jeantaud, marking a significant milestone in early automotive history.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Camille Jenatzy, a Belgian race car driver, sought to establish a presence in the Parisian electric carriage market. He engaged in publicity stunts to compete with carriage-maker Jeantaud for the title of fastest vehicle. This rivalry led to a series of record-breaking attempts, culminating in Jenatzy's historic run in late April or early May 1899, a date given variously as 29 April or 1 May.
La Jamais Contente. The vehicle, known as La Jamais Contente, was a Belgian electric car with a light-alloy torpedo-shaped body. It was the first purpose-designed land speed racer. Despite its aerodynamic shape, the high position of the driver and exposed chassis reduced efficiency, yet it achieved speeds exceeding 100 km/h.
Competitive Context. Jenatzy's record was part of an ongoing competition with Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, who drove a Jeantaud. Chasseloup-Laubat had previously set a record of 92.78 km/h on 4 March 1899. Jenatzy's achievement surpassed this previous benchmark, solidifying his status as the first to break the 100 km/h barrier.
People involved
- Camille Jenatzy · Driver
- Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat · Rival Driver
Sources
- La Jamais Contente Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-02
- Camille Jenatzy Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-28
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.