The Jamais Contente: The Electric Vehicle That Broke the 100 km/h Barrier

Long before the electric car became a symbol of modernity again, La Jamais Contente was already writing a major page in automotive history.

In 1899, this provocatively named vehicle became the first automobile in the world to exceed 100 km/h, a record that has left a lasting mark on collective imagination and reminds us that electricity was, from the very beginning, a credible path for automobiles.

Behind La Jamais Contente is Camille Jenatzy, a Belgian engineer and driver, recognizable by his red beard and bold temperament. At the end of the 19th century, the race for speed involved three technologies: steam, oil… and electricity. Contrary to popular belief, the latter was then dominating several records, thanks to its immediate torque and relative mechanical simplicity. Jenatzy aimed to make a strong impression, and above all, to go fast.

Visually, La Jamais Contente is radically different from the cars of its time. Its torpedo-shaped body is made of partinium, a lightweight alloy of aluminum, tungsten, and magnesium. The driver is literally straddling the machine, exposed to the wind, without protection, just a few centimeters off the ground. Two electric motors, mounted directly on the front axle, develop around 68 horsepower, a considerable power for that era.

What Madness!

On April 29, 1899, on the road to Achères, near Paris, La Jamais Contente reached 105.88 km/h. The record was certified, the myth was born. For the first time, the automobile crossed a symbolic barrier, demonstrating that it could compete with — and even surpass — other means of transportation. The event made headlines around the world and permanently established Jenatzy in history.

However, the fate of the electric car quickly shifted. Advances in the internal combustion engine, the rise of cheap oil, and the constraints of the batteries of the time relegated electricity to the background for over a century. La Jamais Contente then became a forgotten symbol, almost ironically, of a thwarted future.

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Today, as the automobile undergoes a new energy transition, La Jamais Contente finds particular resonance. Housed in the Automobile Museum of Compiègne, it reminds us of an essential truth: electricity is not a recent break, but a return to the roots, born from the ultimate quest for speed and progress.

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