In 1953, John K. Brisse of England set a 500cc world record by driving for one hour at an average speed of 189.5 kilometres per hour. His achievement remained unbeaten until 1996 when Henri Julien and Bernard Boyer set about building a record car capable of exceeding Brisse’s average speed.
Julien had founded Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives (AGS) in 1968, securing several championships over 36 seasons as an F2 constructor, before venturing into F1 construction in 1986. Bernard Boyer likewise had many years of experience as a racing engineer, particularly with the Matra team, where his cars secured three victories at Le Mans in the early 1970s and won the 1969 Formula 1 Championship and two World Sports Car Constructors Championships.
With support from Michelin and Honda France, among others, initial designs were made in early 1996, and the finished product was ready for testing the following year. Weighing a mere 290 kilograms, Julien and Boyer’s chain-driven aerodynamic streamliner had a carbon fibre and epoxy resin body finished in traditional French blue. A 499cc Honda V-twin engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox was fitted to the lightweight tubular steel chassis with four-wheel independent coil-over suspension. The spartan interior comprised a plastic bucket seat, a simple wooden steering wheel, and two gauges, one for temperature and another for rpm.
| 
|