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The ‘Jamais Contente’: Electric, lightning fast and Belgian - video

Electric ‘Jamais-Contente’ broke the world speed record exactly 115 years ago.

A circuit amid pine-trees

A circuit amid pine-trees

Lucien Harmegnies

Zolder, April 25, 2014 – This coming Tuesday, April 29, 2014, marks the day 115 years ago when Belgian engineer Camille Jenatzy was the very first go over 100km/h in a vehicle. An electric vehicle at that, called ‘Jamais Contente’ (Never Satisfied), a name that has since become known around the world. To commemorate this achievement during the Clean Week at the Zolder Circuit will welcome a replica of this legendary speed demon, which will attempt to repeat the feat of the original vehicle.

We are writing on April 29, 1899. In Archères near Paris, the cream of the Parisian banking sector, sports world and artistic milieu are gathered along a long straight stretch of road. The lively chatter is suddenly interrupted by the bang of starting shot that went off two kilometres away. On the horizon, appears a silvery cigar that approaches almost silently. Its driver, a man with a red beard and wearing goggles, is holding on to the speeding vehicle like a jockey. The timekeeper can hardly believe his eyes. For the first time in the world, a human has gone over 100 km/h in a vehicle. The hero is called Camille Jenatzy and is Belgian. His car, the ‘Jamais-Contente’, is electric.

Circuit Zolder

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