1911 Grégoire with a coachwork by Alin and Liautard, especially designed to reduce the dust cloud created by the aerodynamic turbulences at the rear of a fast driven motor vehicle.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
The selection of outstanding aerodynamic designs up to 1930 that I will present to you is by nature, very arbitrary. During those years there were many other very original automotive creations as well.
However, the concepts I have chosen, have at least two things in common:
1. All of them incorporated new ideas that have influenced future automobile designers.
2. Most of them must have disappointed their designers/creators, as not a single one did everything they expected or became a commercial success. The only exception is Jenatzy’s electric record beater, because with that car he realized his dream to go faster than 100 km/h. But he did call his machine ‘Jamais Contente (Never Satisfied).
Jenatzy's electric powered 'Jamais Contente' was very advanced and streamlined. But the heavy Fulmen batteries were housed in a large square box under the chassis, the car measured 1,40 m. above street level. However, Camile Jenztzy’s large torso and head towering over the streamlined body and the rather unsophisticated undercarriage (chassis) must have spoiled its low drag.