Camille Jenatzy set a new world land speed record of 68.8 mph in December of 1899 in this streamlined car weighing in at 1,450Kg. The 100 kph barrier had been broken along with the Compte Chasseloup-Labatt's original land speed record set near Paris, France of 39.24 mph (63.13 kph).
Camille Jenatzy (1868 - 1913) was a Belgian race car driver. Jenatzy is known for breaking the land speed record three times. On January 17, 1899 in Achères, France he achieved a speed of 66.66 km/h (41.42 MPH) over 1 kilometer, driving a CGA Dogcart. That same day the record was broken by Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, but ten days later on January 27 he achieved a speed of 80.35 km/h (49.93 MPH). This record was again broken by Chasseloup-Laubat, but Jenatzy set his third and final land speed record on April 29, reaching 105.88 km/h (65.79 MPH) in the CITA No 25 La Jamais Contente. This was the first record over 100 km/h.
He also won the 1903 Gordon Bennet Cup race in Athy, Ireland, driving a Mercedes. Jenatzy died in 1913 in a hunting accident. He went behind a bush and made animal noises as a prank on his friends who were hunting with him. It worked too well, they heard the noise and shot because they thought there was an animal there. When they realised it was Jenatzy they tried to rush him to hospital but he died on the way. This fulfilled his own prophesy that he would die in a Mercedes.
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Jenatzy "Never Satisfied"
Looking like a torpedo on wheels, Camille Jenatzy's electric car hurtled down a road outside Paris on April 29, 1899, achieving a world-record average speed of 66 mph for the flying kilometer. Dubbed the "Never Satisfied," this was the first motor car to break the 100 kilometer-an-hour (62 mph) barrier.
The Electric Alternative
At this time, it was still not clear that gasoline powered motor vehicles would soon win the competition against their steam and electric rivals. Jenatzy was dedicated to electric propulsion. He built his first car, a four-seat electric model, in late 1897 and began building similar autos the following year. In making the "Never Satisfied," he compensated for the heavy storage batteries by ordering the cigar-shaped body built in partinium, an early aluminum allow. The wheelbase was only six ft. long. The motors were geared directly to the back axle.
Racing Devil
Jenatzy was a lively character called "The Red Devil" for his red forked beard. He raced gasoline-powered cars for other manufacturers, and between 1902 and 1904 he made gasonline-electric automobiles under his own name or the name Jenatzy-Martini. He was killed in a 1913 hunting accident that resulted from imitating the sound of a wild boar.
Specifications
Performance:Top speed of 75 mph
Engine Type/Drivetrain:Two electric motors
Power Rating: 50 kilowatts (67 hp)
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Chassis:Rearwheel brakes; tiller steering
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