 Bollée was the eldest son of Ernest-Sylvain Bollée, a bellfounder and inventor who moved to Le Mans in 1842.He became seriously ill in the 1860s and was obliged to delegate the day-to-day running of his businesses to his three sons.Amédée-Ernest was given charge of the bell foundry, while Ernest-Jules (1846–1922) supervised the hydraulic ram business and the youngest son, Auguste-Sylvain Bollée (1847–1906) assumed control of the "Éolienne Bollée" wind-turbine factory.