The Paris-Rouen motor race, held way back in 1894, is often hailed as the world’s first organized automobile race. You can become a member of the website 1xbet.com.zm/en – sports betting Zambia can be made on modern racing events.
However, calling it a “race” is kind of misleading by today’s standards. Instead, it was more of a test to see if these early horseless carriages could even make it from Paris to Rouen, a distance of about 126 kilometers. All kinds of racing events are featured at the sports betting 1xBet Zambia website.
A day that entered the history books
Now, imagine this: 21 machines lined up on July 22, 1894, at Porte Maillot in Paris. These weren’t sleek sports cars. Instead, they were a mixed bag of steam-powered vehicles, gas-powered contraptions, and even some that looked more like souped-up carriages. Make sure to visit top Zambia online slots sites if you want to wager on racing events of the current day.
The event was organized by a French newspaper, “Le Petit Journal,” which offered a 5,000-franc prize for the vehicle that was “easy to use, safe, and cheap.” In today’s money, that’s roughly €17,000 or about $18,000. If you want to win great prizes, you may want to visit the top online slots sites available at the 1xBet Zambia website.
A turning point
Among the 21 competitors, only 17 made it to the starting line, and only 9 of them managed to finish. Overall, the fastest vehicles were those powered by steam. De Dion-Bouton finished in 1st place after reaching Rouen in 6 hours and 48 minutes. He managed an average speed of 19 km/h. That might sound laughably slow today, but back then, it was unbelievably fast. Making live betting is easy at the 1xBet platform, where the fastest cars are featured too.
Other fast cars were those manufactured by:
- Panhard;
- Peugeot;
- and Levassor.
However, despite arriving first, De Dion-Bouton didn’t win because it required a stoker. This was basically a person who needed shovel coal to keep the car running. The organizers considered this less than ideal for a “self-propelled” vehicle. So, the prize went to Panhard, Levassor and Peugeot, whose cars ran on petrol engines, which were more in line with what the judges considered the future of transportation. Performing betting is easy at the 1xBet live platform, where modern races can be enjoyed in a way you never did before.
This race wasn’t just a contest; it was a turning point. It proved that the internal combustion engine had serious potential. The race also showed that people were ready to embrace these weird and wonderful machines as more than just novelties. In a sense, Paris-Rouen was the spark that ignited the automotive revolution.
