Maurice Gatsonides
Encyclopedia
Maurice Gatsonides (Gombong
, Kebumen Regency
, February 14, 1911 — Heemstede
, November 29, 1998) was a Dutch rally driver and inventor. Gatsonides was born in Central Java
in the former Dutch East Indies
(now Indonesia
). He founded the company "Gatsometer BV" in the Netherlands in 1958.
Today, Gatsonides' fame largely results from inventing the Gatso
speed camera, a speed measuring device used today by many police forces to catch speeding drivers. He originally invented the Gatso speed camera to measure his cornering speed in an attempt to improve his driving.
, passing all of the opponents including MG's. Maurice was forced to sell the Flatty to pay creditors after trying to put his own V8 sportscar into production. The Flatty however, survived. It was found abandoned in the 1970s and has now been restored by Joop Bruggeman. It is the last surviving Gatso car. Gatsonides won the Monte Carlo Rally
in 1953 driving a Ford Zephyr
.
Gombong
Gombong is a mountain in the county of Yeongwol, Gangwon-do in South Korea. It has an elevation of ....
, Kebumen Regency
Kebumen Regency
Kebumen is a regency in the southern part of Central Java province in Indonesia, west of Yogyakarta. The population in 2007 was estimated at 1,231,872 and the total land area is 3,081 km². Its capital is Kebumen. There is an area in this regency which is used for geology research, namely...
, February 14, 1911 — Heemstede
Heemstede
Heemstede is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History :Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built on the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
, November 29, 1998) was a Dutch rally driver and inventor. Gatsonides was born in Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
in the former Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(now Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
). He founded the company "Gatsometer BV" in the Netherlands in 1958.
Today, Gatsonides' fame largely results from inventing the Gatso
Gatso
Gatso is the brand that Gatsometer BV use on their traffic enforcement cameras, most notably their speed cameras and red light cameras. The most commonly encountered Gatso speed cameras emit radar beams to measure the speed of a passing vehicle...
speed camera, a speed measuring device used today by many police forces to catch speeding drivers. He originally invented the Gatso speed camera to measure his cornering speed in an attempt to improve his driving.
Motor racing
Gatsonides is primarily known for inventing the speed camera, but his primary interest was in motor racing. Maurice was a passionate about racing and raced in many events. However in 1949, he built his own car. It was nicknamed the "Flatty" because of its aerodynamic shape. The car caused sensation at the Dutch Zandvoort RacetrackCircuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
, passing all of the opponents including MG's. Maurice was forced to sell the Flatty to pay creditors after trying to put his own V8 sportscar into production. The Flatty however, survived. It was found abandoned in the 1970s and has now been restored by Joop Bruggeman. It is the last surviving Gatso car. Gatsonides won the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
in 1953 driving a Ford Zephyr
Ford Zephyr
The Ford Zephyr was a car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom. Between 1950 and 1972, it was sold as a more powerful six-cylinder saloon to complement the four-cylinder Ford Consul: from 1962 the Zephyr itself was offered in both four- and six-cylinder versions.The Zephyr...
.