Ferdinand porsche hans ledwinka biography

Jean Albert Gregoire was a Humanist, a man of many disciplines. He graduated from the Polytechnique, a famous French school, and was a Doctor of Law Gregoire published many books on automobile history and engineering, and also wrote mysteries and fiction.

He was an Oenologue and a Mucicologue (an expert in wines and mushrooms).

Ferdinand porsche hans ledwinka biography

In 1926, with his partner Pierre Fenaille, Gregoire invented a constant velocity joint (CV joint) under the name of Tracta. This Tracta CV joint was very strong and easy to manufacture.

Up until this time, front wheel drive cars were mostly prototypes usually built in small series mainly for racing: Christie, Gregory and Miller of the United States; Alvis and Bucciali in Europe.

Gregoire and Fenaille began producing a car under the name of Gephy and soon the Tracta. With four or six cylinders, these were race cars, sport cars, coupes or limousines which could be driven either on the race track or on the road.

From 1927