Reliability Contest, Hackney Carriages, Electrical Engine, Men

There were 16 different automobile contests at the 1900 Paris Exposition. A hackney carriage is an automobile for hire, or effectively a taxi. Over a century before the Tesla electrical car, this event required electrical engines, and was held over five days, from 6-11 August, save 9 August, with 60 km per day covered on the road, and another 33.6 km on the track at Lac Daumesnil each day.

There were six vehicles entered in the category. Parisian Louis Kriéger (*1868-†1951) produced his first car in 1897, electrically propelled, introducing such novelties as braking on all four wheels. The constructor of the second vehicle winning second prize was Charles Jeantaud. Kriéger had been Jeantaud’s mechanic when Jeantaud took part in the 1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race.