Léonard Laspougeas cars from 1896.
For many months, Léonard Laspougeas worked, between two clients, empirically on the creation of a horse-free carriage.
In 1896, his prototype of a bench chariot, with iron-rimmed wooden cart wheels, was operational. Among the remarkable elements, a quasi-diesel starting system since it is necessary to heat with a blow torch. The car also has a differential for the rear wheels copied from that of the mowers, a three-speed gearbox plus a reverse gear and a rear leg, which acts as a hand brake. As for the steering system, Laspougeas opted for a rack system, long before André Citroën!
Léonard Laspougeas then tested his machine, which ran on petroleum, on the small roads of Haut-Viennese (France).
Launched at 30 km/h at top speed, it made a hell of a din, roaring and being heard long before its passage, according to the testimony of the time. And this, despite the installation of a silencer at the exhaust pipe.
