Amde Bolle

Vocation

Notable

French bellfounder and inventor who specialized in steam cars. After 1867 he was known as "Amédée père" to distinguish him from his similarly named son, Amédée-Ernest-Marie Bollée (1867–1926). Amédée père manufactured his first steam vehicle in 1873, and in 1875 his L'Obéissante ("The Obedient") made the first road trip between Le Mans and Paris in 18 hours. L'Obeissante carried 12 passengers and had a cruising speed of 30 km/h (19 mph) and a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). It was driven by two V-twin steam engines, one for each rear wheel. In 1878, Amédée père designed the Mancelle, which is regarded as the first automobile to be put into series production, 50 being manufactured in all. The public demonstrations of L'Obeissante and La Mancelle had secured orders for the Bollée factory, and Amédée père accepted an order for a road train which was completed in 1879. Developing 100 hp, the Marie-Anne had a three-speed gearbox and was capable of towing 35 tons on a 6% slope. La Rapide ("Rapid") was built in 1881 and was noted for achieving a speed of 62 km/h (39 mph). La Rapide grouped the boiler, the engine and the controls at the front of the vehicle, thus making it possible for it to be driven by a single operator. He died on 20 January 1917. Link to Wikipedia biography