Émile Constant Levassor (21 January 1843 – 14 April 1897) was a French engineer and a

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

of the automobile industry and car racing in France.

Biography

Levassor was born in

Marolles-en-Hurepoix Marolles-en-Hurepoix (, literally ''Marolles in Hurepoix'') is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. Population Inhabitants of Marolles-en-Hurepoix are known as ''Marollais'' in French. See also *Communes ...

. After studying engineering and graduating from École Centrale Paris, he started his career in 1872 in a company that produced wood-working machines, where he met

René Panhard Louis François René Panhard (27 May 1841 – 16 July 1908) was a French engineer, merchant and a pioneer of the automobile industry in France. Born in Paris, he studied engineering at the Collège Sainte-Barbe and then graduated from École Cen ...

. The company also built gas engines and when, in 1886, a Belgian industrialist Edouard Sarazin got a licence to build

Daimler Daimler is a German surname. It may refer to: People * Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900), German inventor, industrialist and namesake of a series of automobile companies * Adolf Daimler (1871–1913), engineer and son of Gottlieb Daimler * Paul Da ...

engines he chose Levassor to build them in France. When Sarazin died in 1887, Levassor married his widow, Louise, and together with Panhard they started building cars. Levassor, Peugeot and Daimler all met in 1888 at Peugeot's Valentigny Factory to share their knowledge, a summit that led Levassor and Peugeot to cooperate in experimenting with Daimler and Benz engines. However, Levassor gave more thought to the design and operation of the new car than had Benz, Daimler or Peugeot, all of whom had been more concerned with introducing a successful engine into what was still basically a small carriage. The Panhard of 1891, with an engine built under Daimler licence, introduced a series of innovations that effectively created the modern car. Levassor moved the engine from the rear to the front of the car and cooled it via a front-mounted water radiator rather than relying, as had been customary, on natural aspiration, which was often insufficient. He also introduced a crankshaft to link the engine with the gearing, eschewing the bicycle-style belt drive of previous cars; and he installed a clutch pedal and a gear stick, situated between the seats, to operate the gearbox, thus creating the first modern transmission. The siting of the engine on the front of the car rather than the rear provided far more room for passengers. The resultant configuration – unfortunately for Levassor – was soon called the systeme Panhard. Levassor also took part in motor racing, finishing fifth in Paris to Rouen race in 1894, and arriving first in (but not winning) the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race the following year (both in his own cars).

Personal life

Voiture d'Émile Levassor, arrivée première de la course Paris-Bordeaux-Paris de 1895

In May 1890 Emile Levassor married Mme. Louise Sarazin, the widow of Edouard Sarazin, an influential and entrepreneurial Patents lawyer who owned licences for

Deutz Deutz may refer to: People * Emmanuel Deutz (1763–1842), German-born French rabbi * Rupert of Deutz, (–), Benedictine theologian and writer * Simon Deutz (1802–1852), German-born French courtier Places * Deutz, Cologne, a former town, si ...

and

engine manufacture. Both types of engine were manufactured in Paris by Perin, Panhard & Cie and

Panhard & Levassor Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

.James M. Laux: '' In First Gear. The French automobile industry to 1914. '' McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal 1976, ISBN 0-7735-0264-5.

Death

In 1896, when taking part in the

1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris The Paris–Marseille–Paris race was the first competitive 'city to city' motor race originating in Paris, where the first car across the line was the winner, prior events having selected the winner by various forms of classification and judging. ...

race, he was seriously injured in a crash while trying to avoid hitting a dog. He never recovered from the injury, and died in Paris the following year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levassor, Emile 1843 births 1897 deaths École Centrale Paris alumni French automotive pioneers French racing drivers French founders of automobile manufacturers Panhard 19th-century French businesspeople