Saturday 21st January 1843

Born on this day, Émile Levassor, French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France. Levassor built cars with Rene Panhard took part in motor racing, finishing fifth in Paris to Rouen race in 1894, and arriving first in (but not winning) the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race the following year (both in his own cars). In 1896, when taking part in the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris race, he was seriously injured in a crash while trying to avoid hitting a dog. He never recovered from the injury, and died in Paris the following year.