Transportation Then and Now

I'm leasing a Renault for our European trip this spring. I've always liked Renaults; I even raced a Renault Gordini for a year in California. But what got Renault started? I knew Renault was one of the world's first cars, but I just learned the details from our Classic Cars site:

After his military service, Louis turned a De Dion-Bouon cycle into a four-wheeled small car equipped with one of his inventions: a universal jointed propeller shaft that included a three-gear box with reverse, with the third gear in direct drive. He patented this principle in 1899. This little car, soon to be named the Renault Type A, was the inspiriration for Louis Renault to become an auto manufacturer when he won a bet with friends that it could drive up the slope of Lépic Street in Montmartre. Afterwards, he received twelve orders for the car.

And just think, today you can zoom up the hills of Paris without a care in the world, except for the cost of gas in Europe.

You can even take your car and race it at legendary Nurburgring on your vacation. You don't even have to do it on your own, you can take a tour like the Nurburgring Experience out of London and have a whole support team behind you (not to mention you'll get to pilot one of Michael Shumacher's carts on the way back.)

Just remember to keep the shiny side up.