Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, was the first man to drive a car at over 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h).

He set a record of 103.561 mi/h on a beach at Ostend

Ostend

Ostend  is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....

 in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 on 21 July 1904, driving a 13.5 litre Gobron-Brillie racing car. He covered a 1 kilometre course in 21.6 seconds, beating Belgian Pierre de Caters

Pierre de Caters

Baron Pierre de Caters was a Belgian adventurer, aviator and car and motorboat racer. He was the first Belgian to fly an aircraft in 1908....

 mark of 97.25 mi/h, set the previous May over the same 1 kilometre course in Ostend. The record stood for just three months. Rigolly also participated in early Grand Prix motor racing

Grand Prix motor racing

Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...

.