Albert Lemaître

Paris–Rouen 1894. Albert Lemaître (pictured on left) was classified 1st in his 3hp Peugeot Type 7. Bicycle manufacturer Adolphe Clément-Bayard was the front passenger.

Albert Lemaître (5 February 1864 – 27 July 1912), (aka Georges Lemaître ), was a French sporting motorist and early racing driver. He was the first petrol powered finisher in what is described as 'the world's first competitive motoring event' when he drove his Peugeot Type 7 from Paris to Rouen at in 1894. The Comte de Dion had finished first but his steam-powered vehicle was ineligible for the main prize which was shared between the manufacturers Peugeot and Panhard.

Throughout the 1890s he competed in a range of events and races driving Peugeots, but after their withdrawal from competition in the early 1900s he was contracted to drive Mercedes.

In 1906, while he was in Paris, he murdered his wife in a domestic argument after she had filed for divorce. He then fired the third gunshot into his own head, but survived. In September 1906 he was acquitted of a crime of passion.

Family life Albert Lemaître was born in 1864 in Aÿ, a village outside Épernay, where he worked in partnership with his brother as an exporter in the champagne industry. His brother's name is not established, but could be Joseph "Georges" Lemaître, born in 1868 in Aÿ as the son of the wine dealer Louis-Emmanuel Lemaître and M. Julie Fabry. This Georges Lemaître married into the Mercier champagne family and was also involved in motoring during the 1900s. Circa 1901 (1900

Car racing 1894 – Paris to Rouen

On 22 July 1894, Pierre Giffard organised what is considered to be the world's first competitive motoring event from Paris to Rouen to publicise his newspaper, Le Petit Journal. The paper promoted it as a Competition for Horseless Carriages (Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) that were not dangerous, easy to drive, and cheap during the journey. The 'easy to drive' clause precluded the use of a travelling mechanic or technical assistant, thereby making steam-powered vehicles ineligible for the main prize.

On 24 July 1897 he finished 20th in the Paris–Dieppe Trail driving a Peugeot. He completed the event in 5 hours 27 minutes 46 seconds, an average speed of .

On 21 March 1899 Lemaître won the Nice–Castellane–Nice race driving a Peugeot. He completed the in 2 hours 52 minutes 50 seconds, an average speed of . He was driving the latest version of rear engined, two cylinder, (140 mm bore x 190 mm stroke) Peugeot, in which he also achieved a standing start mile in 1 minute 35 seconds.

On 24 March 1899 Lemaître won the La Turbie Hill climb in 24 minutes 23 seconds in the new 17 h.p. Peugeot.

On 6 April 1899 he won the Pau-Bayonne-Pau race in a 10 hp Peugeot. He completed the event in 3 hours 57 minutes 36 seconds, an average speed of .

On 27–29 June 1901 he finished 28th in the Paris-Berlin Trail (Subsequently, named VI Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.) driving a Mercedes. He completed the event in 23 hours 9 minutes 53 seconds, an average speed of .