May 15, 1898, in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.
That day, driving her Delahaye, traveling at less than 20 km/h, the Duchess of Uzès obtained her “certificate of driving ability”.
At 51, the aristocrat - jack of all trades and a real daredevil - is the first Frenchwoman to obtain this official document.
But the very first to take the exam was Léon Serpollet, in August 1889, before obtaining, in 1891, the first authorization to travel at 16 km/h.
A piece of pink paper which, a few years later, on December 31, 1922, is renamed "driver's license".
Under this name, it has just celebrated its 100th anniversary.
freedom on the road
In a century, how many changes around this exam!
Each stage and modification reflects the evolution of the place and uses of the automobile in France.
Before December 31, 1922, while the car took its first steps in the restricted circles of the upper middle class and the adventurous nobility, a few initiatives were quickly taken to supervise the…
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