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 de ...

of the

automobile industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...

and

car racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

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 École Centrale Paris (ECP; also known as École Centrale or Centrale) was a French grande école in engineering and science. It was also known by its official name ''École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures''. In 2015, École Centrale Paris mer ...

, he started his career in 1872 in a company that produced wood-working machines, where he met René Panhard. The company also built gas engines and when, in 1886, a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

industrialist Edouard Sarazin got a licence to build Daimler 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 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 ...

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 The Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trail race of June 1895 is sometimes called the "first motor race", although it did not fit modern competition where the fastest is the winner. It was a win for Émile Levassor, who came first after completing the 1,1 ...

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 Louise Sarazin, Louise Sarazin-Levassor, (November 6, 1847, Foix, † 16 October 1916, Paris), played a significant role in early automotive history having been party to its beginnings in France and Germany. She was the wife of Edouard Sarazin, ...

, the widow of Edouard Sarazin, an influential and entrepreneurial Patents lawyer who owned licences for Deutz and Daimler engine manufacture. Both types of engine were manufactured in Paris by Perin, Panhard & Cie and Panhard & Levassor.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