The History of KEMPF
In 1954 Jean-Pierre KEMPF, a polio victim who had lost the use of both legs, invented the accelerator ring on the steering wheel to be able to drive his car keeping both hands on the steering wheel. He founded his company in his garage and became the leader in his field in France.
First the accelerator ring was a mechanical device with a rod going through the steering column and pushing on the original accelerator pedal.
When steering wheels started having airbags, the accelerator ring became an electronic device and today it uses digital technology.
At the end of his life in 2002, Jean-Pierre KEMPF had sold over 100 000 accelerator rings. Using an accelerator ring became the standard way of driving for a paraplegic driver in France and many other European countries.
Martine KEMPF, Jean-Pierre's daughter is today CEO of KEMPF in Europe and in the US.
Jean-Pierre Kempf
1954 the first accelerator ring
Martine and Jean-Pierre Kempf