A speed record holder: The "Easter Egg," designed by Frenchman Léon Serpollet, who reached 120.805 km/h with his steam-powered car! The car was driven by its designer himself.
It was on April 13, 1902, on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice during the Rothschild Cup (which consisted of a one-kilometer speed test)... a record that stood for a few weeks before being surpassed in early August 1902 by a Mors with an internal combustion engine. It would remain the first steam-powered car to set a world speed record (against electric cars, which held the exclusive right to set speed records). However, it was not the last, as the Stanley Steamer set a record of 195.65 km/h in 1906.
Léon Serpollet came from a family of artisans established in the Ain region who manufactured various tools, particularly for wood cutting. They built machines using steam engines purchased from other companies. In 1978, Henri Serpollet, Léon's brother, discovered instantaneous vaporization, and this marked the beginning of the two brothers' steam engine design. In order to target the widest possible market, they built engines for all types of activities. It wasn't until the late 1880s that Serpollet became interested in automobiles and marketed a steam tricycle in 1888, one of the first industrially produced. Léon Serpollet subsequently obtained one of the first permits to drive this vehicle in Paris. In the early 1890s, Serpollet and Peugeot reached an agreement to produce motor vehicles, before Peugeot turned to the internal combustion engine.
Léon Serpollet nevertheless remained loyal to the steam engine, even though almost all manufacturers at the time were opting for the internal combustion engine. To win the battle, Serpollet innovated with this engine and expanded its range to include utility vehicles, and turned to motor racing. Ten years later, Serpollet had partnered with the American Gardner, and the new money gave the French company a new lease of life, and Léon Serpollet entered the competition circuit again.
After a victory in the Nice-Draguignan-Nice race, Serpollet won the Rothschild Cup that same year, a speed event over a flying kilometer held in Nice on the Promenade des Anglais. Serpollet reached a speed of 100.55 km/h, just shy of the Jamais Contente record. Léon Serpollet felt he was capable of beating this record, so he started working on a car to claim this honorary title in 1902.
Léon Serpollet said after his race: "As soon as I approached the limit of the measured distance and opened the additional pump, I felt an enormous acceleration. It felt like a shot fired from a revolver."
Léon Serpollet called his car The Easter Egg because of the atypical shape of his vehicle, which resembles an egg, and the date of his world record attempt, whose date of April 13th is close to that of Easter, which was March 30th, 1902. After this record, the Easter Egg was exhibited at motor shows to boost the firm's sales, and participated in some sporting events. At that time, Speed was considered a very strong argument for the seriousness of each brand (it was clearly more attractive as an argument than the lifespan, operating efficiency, comfort, safety or economy of operation of the vehicle itself).
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