Leon Serpollet established a new world land speed record of 76.06 mph, the first time that the 75 mph had been exceeded, in his steam powered Gardner-Serpollet Oeuf de Pacques (‘Easter Egg’) at Nice, France


Sunday 13th April 1902

Leon Serpollet established a new world land speed record of 76.06 mph, the first time that the 75 mph had been exceeded, in his steam powered Gardner-Serpollet Oeuf de Pacques (‘Easter Egg’) at Nice, France. Along with his brother Henri, early French steam car pioneers, he had perfected the flash tube boiler that introduced an efficient and new way produce steam. The exact date that their innovative system was first built appears to be unknown, but after further development it went on to make steam power in an automobile more practical because of its advanced design and quick steam output. A steam tricycle was built in the late eighteen-eighties to test the system and it soon convinced others of the merit of the design. In 1898 the brothers met Frank Gardner, a wealthy American and the Gardener-Serpollet Company was soon formed. Shortly afterwards, one of the best-engineered early steam cars to be found entered the automotive marketplace.The flash-tube or mono tube boiler as it is also known, turns a small quantity of water into steam quickly and it also has the ability to provide a continual supply to the engine when correctly designed. The new boiler also reduced the long period of time it took to get a conventional unit up to a useable pressure. Linking it to the advanced four cylinder engine Serpollet designed, resulted in a fast and powerful performer.


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