On This Day

Saturday 24th December 1898

121 years ago

Louis Renault at the age of 20, made a brilliant entrance into the emerging world of the motor car. He converted his De Dion-Bouton tricycle into a small, four-wheeled vehicle and added another of his inventions that would soon propel the motor car into a new era: the "direct drive", the first gearbox. It instantly dethroned the transmission chains and cogs that had been used until then. Confident about his invention, Renault bet them on this day that his vehicle could climb the 13% slope of the Rue Lepic in Montmartre. Although they were incredulous at first, his friends were soon forced to believe their eyes. Not only did Louis win his bet - he also pocketed his first 12 firm orders, along with cash deposits. His career was under way. A few months later he filed the patent for the direct drive system that would make his fortune. It was soon adopted by all the manufacturers of the time. His company continued to grow as Renault began winning road races, including the Paris-Berlin, and the Paris-Vienna.