Gobron-Brillié again: Rigolly's 100 mph racer

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We've treated you to several Gobron-Brillié stories in recent months. The first appeared in May, followed by another one of the marque's racing cars in June. Now that another month has passed, we'd like to devote one more article to this most extraordinary French manufacturer.

The car shown here is believed to be Louis Rigolly's 100 hp Gobron-Brillié at the Côte de Gaillon hill climb, held on 30 October 1904. It was powered by the opposed-piston engine design we described previously and is likely to be the very same machine that Rigolly drove during Ostend Automobile Week in Belgium on 21 July 1904. There, he achieved a remarkable 166.665 km/h over the flying kilometre, making headlines as the first person to drive a car at more than 100 mph.

Rigolly's Gobron-Brillié is said to have featured a lightweight body mounted on a tubular chassis, although reliable information about the car appears to be surprisingly scarce. Perhaps one of our readers knows more? We did discover that Rigolly's racing career proved relatively short, coming to an end in 1906 as Gobron-Brillié gradually withdrew from top-level international motor racing. Thereafter he lived a private life in France, surviving both World Wars before passing away in 1958 at the age of 82.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: Source unknown

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