Serpollet Remembered today.

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by Leo McAllam:
Frenchman Léon Serpollet (1858-1907) was by far the most successful builder of steam-powered automobiles in Europe. He was the inventor of the flash-boiler used in all his vehicles, he held the first driving license in Paris in 1888, sold his first motorcars in 1891, (2) and set the Land Speed Record at 120 kph in 1902. (3)
His cars financed by Frank Gardner impressed all those who owned or rode in them, including the Prince of Wales and the Shah of Persia. (4)
When he died at the age of 49, steam car development in Europe all but died with him. He was held in such high esteem by his contemporaries that they collected funds to create a memorial to his achievements. His monument (5,6) still stands in the Place St Ferdinand, off the Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris, and was unveiled 100 years ago on the 16th of June 1911.          

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