Louis Rigolly

{{Short description|French racing driver and first person to drive a car over 100 mph (1876–1958)}} thumb|Louis Rigolly in his car which first exceeded 100 mph in 1904 '''Louis Rigolly''' (1876–1958), a Frenchman, was the first man to drive a car at over {{convert|100|mph|km/h}}.<ref>[http://www.racingcampbells.com/content/world.land.speed.record.asp World Land Speed Records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831073900/http://www.racingcampbells.com/content/world.land.speed.record.asp |date=2007-08-31 }}</ref>

He set a record of {{convert|103.561|mi/h|km/h|3|abbr=on}} on a beach at Ostend in Belgium on 21 July 1904, driving a 13.5 litre Gobron-Brillié<ref>[http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/world_land_speed_record_10.htm 1904: Gordon-Brillie driven by Louis Rigolly]</ref> racing car. He covered a 1 kilometre course in 21.6 seconds, beating Belgian Pierre de Caters mark of {{convert|97.25|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}, set the previous May over the same 1 kilometre course in Ostend. The record stood for just three months. Rigolly also participated in early Grand Prix motor racing, winning the Light car class of the inaugural Circuit des Ardennes in 1902, driving a Gobron-Brillié.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sheldon |first1=Paul |title=A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 1 |date=1987 |isbn=0951243306 |pages=19–21}}</ref>

==See also== *Land speed record

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rigolly, Louis}} Category:Land speed record people Category:1876 births Category:1958 deaths