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| G.N. Georgano, A Motor Racing Camera 1894-1916, David and Charles, 1976 |
The racing Torpilleur Type B sporting a "streamlined" body, as well as pneumatic tires and a real steering wheel. Four of these cars competed in the Paris Amsterdam-Paris race of 1898, two of them finishing 3rd and fifth , no doubt assisted by the aerodynamic V-shaped radiator.
All of the Bollée family seemed to be craftsmen, inventors and manufacturers. Amédée Dad was a bellmaker and inventor who built steam powered vehicles in the later 1800s, his son Amédée continued developing vehicles with internal combustion engines, racing them himself. Another brother Léon Bollée, ran an self-named automobile company till his death in 1913, the factory being bought by Morris in the 1920s.
Leon Bollee was instrumental in helping the Wright Brothers with their enterprises in Europe. Interesting and unselfish entrepreneur. And motorhead.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got an idea why so much ground clearance seemed a good feature?
ReplyDeleteI am under the impression that it was do to the condition of the roads at the time. Most roads were used by horse drawn vehicles and as such unpaved.
ReplyDeleteI think that's just where they were with design at the time, they were not that far removed from hors edrawn wagons at that point!
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