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Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally

 

 
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Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally
 
 
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The Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally of June 1895 was the first automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 Grand Prix
Grand Prix

Grand Prix may refer to:...
 in history. The distance of the race was 1,178 km and there was a mass start. The race was a triumph for Emile Levassor
Emile Levassor

?mile Levassor was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France....
 who won it in 48 hours and 47 minutes, finishing nearly six hours before the runner-up.

Levassor, who drove one of his cars, a 1205 cc (74 ci) Panhard & Levassor
Panhard

Panhard is now a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its current incarnation was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005....
, started carefully, observing his opponents; he overtook the then leading Marquis
Marquis

Marquis is a French title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
 de Dion
Albert de Dion

Marquis Jules F?lix Philippe Albert de Dion was a pioneer of the automobile industry in France....
 who stopped to refuel water to his steam car
Steam car

A steam car is a Automobile powered by a steam engine....
.






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The Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally of June 1895 was the first automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
 Grand Prix
Grand Prix

Grand Prix may refer to:...
 in history. The distance of the race was 1,178 km and there was a mass start. The race was a triumph for Emile Levassor
Emile Levassor

?mile Levassor was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France....
 who won it in 48 hours and 47 minutes, finishing nearly six hours before the runner-up.

Levassor, who drove one of his cars, a 1205 cc (74 ci) Panhard & Levassor
Panhard

Panhard is now a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its current incarnation was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005....
, started carefully, observing his opponents; he overtook the then leading Marquis
Marquis

Marquis is a French title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
 de Dion
Albert de Dion

Marquis Jules F?lix Philippe Albert de Dion was a pioneer of the automobile industry in France....
 who stopped to refuel water to his steam car
Steam car

A steam car is a Automobile powered by a steam engine....
. Levassor led the race since then, stopping regularly to check his car's components. He came to Bordeaux
Bordeaux

is a Port city on the Garonne in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its aire urbaine at a 2008 estimate. It is the Capital of the Aquitaine regions of France, as well as the Prefectures in France of the Gironde Departments of France....
 several hours before any driver was expected to come which resulted in the fact that he had to drive back to Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 as well (the driver who was his change was still asleep in a hotel, and no-one knew which one). Levassor accepted the situation calmly, waking the organisers up to prove his coming and his time, had some sandwiches and champagne, took a brief walk and set off for Paris at 2:30 am. When Baron
Baron

Baron is a specific title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English language beorn meaning "nobleman."...
 René de Knyff
René de Knyff

Baron Ren? de Knyff was a French pioneer of car racing and later a president of Commission Sportive Internationale , now known as F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile....
 met him en route, he was so surprised by Levassor's time that he nearly crashed. Levassor, after spending two days and nights behind the wheel, came triumphantly to Paris, reaching average speed of 24,5 km/h. He said after the race "Some 50 km before Paris I had a rather luxurious snack in a restaurant which helped me. But I feel a little tired."

The race proved that both the riders and the cars were capable of driving such distances, and it also proved that the audience will love such enterprises.

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