Eugène Brillié facts for kids
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Auguste Eugène Brillié (1863-1940) was a clever French engineer. He is famous for inventing the very first French battle tank, called the Schneider CA1.
Contents
Eugène Brillié: An Inventor's Life
Eugène Brillié was born in Paris, France, on May 8, 1863. After finishing his studies at a top engineering school called École Centrale Paris, he started his career in 1887. For about 11 years, he worked for a railway company, the Compagnie des Chemins de fer de l'Ouest.
Brillié's Amazing Cars
Eugène Brillié was very interested in cars and engines. He helped create some really interesting vehicles.
Gobron-Brillié: Speed Records
Brillié teamed up with Gustave Gobron to start a company called Société des Moteurs Gobron-Brillié. Together, they developed a special type of engine that Brillié had invented. It was called an opposed-piston engine. This engine helped their cars become quite famous.
Gobron-Brillié cars even took part in the Paris–Madrid race in 1903. They also set amazing speed records! One of their cars was the first ever to go faster than 160 kilometers per hour (about 100 miles per hour). That was incredibly fast for its time!
Eugène Brillié: His Own Company
In 1903, Eugène Brillié decided to start his own car company, named Eugène Brillié. He had his car designs built by the workshops of Schneider & Cie in Le Havre. His company made both passenger cars and useful utility vehicles, like trucks.
Over time, Schneider & Cie slowly took over Brillié's company. While working for Schneider, Brillié designed a special artillery tractor. This vehicle was used to pull heavy cannons for the Portuguese army. His design was based on one of his strong dump trucks.
Nagant-Gobron-Brillie: Belgian Cars
In Belgium, two brothers named Leon and Maurice Nagant built some Gobron-Brillié cars under a special agreement. This meant Brillié's designs were used in other countries too!
Brillié's Experimental Locomotive
Eugène Brillié also worked on trains. In 1913, he designed an experimental Naphthalene locomotive. This unique train was built by the Schneider company.
Brillié's Tanks: A Wartime Invention
During the First World War, Brillié met with a military leader named Colonel Estienne. This meeting led to an important project: developing a new type of fighting vehicle, a tank.
In December 1915, they started working on the tank design. By early 1916, Marshal Joffre, a top military commander, approved the project. He ordered 400 of these new "land battleships," which were armed with powerful 75 mm guns. These vehicles became the very first French tanks, known as the Schneider CA1. Brillié's invention played a big role in the war effort.
Later Life
Eugène Brillié passed away on May 28, 1940, in a town called Seignelay, France. His inventions, especially his cars and the first French tank, left a lasting mark on history.
