Wathing a Columbo episode last weekend, I was wondering what was that superb car with a split windshield.
After a quick google, it appeared to be a Stutz car. The wikipedia article was of interest. It mentioned a Charles Weymann as a french car inventor, a name that I never heard of.
Charles Weymann was also an early aviator as it revealed to be. As his genealogy seemed to be unclear I decided to investigate.
Picture : La vie au grand air 11/25/1911 (The life in open air)
Charley Weymann
winner of military aviation contest (300 kilometers at 117 km/h - 2 hours and 34 minutes) on the only monoplane (a Nieuport 100 HP).
In 1920, an article recalls that the 1911 victory of Weymann was as an American citizen.
in the 1922 issue, an article sets the history of aviation recors and lists Weymann as recordman in 1911 for speed (at Eastchurch).
Several issues show that Weymann also piloted seaplanes for races (Saint Malo in 1912 or Monaco-San Remo in 1913).
Military record
Charles Terres Weymann (Matricule 6613)
born on 2 August 1889 in Port au Prince (Haïti)
from Charles Weymann and Marie Miot
in 1920 he is naturalized French (17 April 1920) as of his military file.
in xxxx Charles is listed as industrialist, 198 avenue Victor Hugo in Paris (16th district) with his parents. (as of his military file). His next address are 253 rue Saint Honoré
traduction des ses états de services
Car industry references
in 1918 (29 April 1918, Automobilia) Charles Terres Weymann registered a patent for better mix in carburators.
in 15 August 1919 Automobilia issue, an article explains the Wyemann "exhauster". You can find a video of a working "exhauster" here.
Charles Weymann also worked on car bodies as it reads in this early edition of the code de la route. He improved seats, frames and bodies, and the result is a comfortable and silent journey, and easy to repair car.
Family
Other Paris military file : of his supposed brother
Maurice, Eugène Weymann (Matricule 3407)
born on 25 June 1892 in Port au Prince (Haïti) (no parents listed on his file), living at the same address in Paris as Charles Terres Weymann : 198 avenue Victor Hugo
His father was born in France (as shown below).
Citizenship; Franco-American?
If what I am reading on the net, Charley, of American father, was not legitimately an American citizen by birth. He was presumably Haitian and at some time he was an American citizen as listed in the French documents :
In 1920, Charles Terres Weymann, manufacturer, 08/02/1898 Port au Prince, from American father and living in Paris acquired French citizenship (38953 X 14 French Ministry of Justice 17 April 1920)).
In 1921, his parents Charles Weymann, no profession, born on 2 September 1850 à Thann (Haut Rhin) and Cornélie, Marie Miot, his wife, bon on 13 January 1862 in Port au Prince (Haiti), both Paris residents, are naturalized French (5376 X 20). As it reads in the document, the couple is re-integrated as French after losing the French nationality while having acquired the US citizenship.
Decorations
Charles Weymann is said to be Knight of the French Legion of Honor. There is no record of such decoration on the LEONORE DATABASE. But some records are missing.
The Indianapolis race - 1927
in October 1927, as related in the Match article, Mr. Moskowizs, director of Stutz cars and Charles Weymann, industrialist and parisian sportsman, made a bet of the best car in a 24-hr race.
Weymann is reported to have said : "I, I bet the amount that you want that I can beat any American car with my personal car. And I will come and beat you at your place, at the gates of your manufacture; I will drive by my own with my friend Bloch, in order that it cannot be said that the victory is due to the skills of professional drivers. You can take a brand new car; tune it on the track, at your gates, on a track that is familiar to you, and on which I accept to compete. You can take American professional drivers. We will see.
...
after the first hour of race, his Hispano car had 40 kilometers of avance on the Stutz car. After 6 hours the French car advance was of 250 kilometers... The finely prepared Stutz had trouble over trouble, all repaired, but abandoned on transmission shaft break.
... The race was stopped after 20 hours. Mr. Moskowizs offered a $25.000 check to victorious Weymann.
Weymann wanted to acknowledge the loyalty and fairplay of his opponents.
Note : in 1928, Charles Weymann was still racing in Sportscar Grand Prix racing in France. This Sportscar Grand Prix was succeeding to Speed Grand Prix.
Astral theme
http://www.janinetissot.fdaf.org/jt_weymann.htm
I cannot end this post without mentioning that Charles Weymann took part to the first Schneider Cup (seaplane race) in 1913. This cup has seen the most beautiful seaplanes : the Supermarine S.6B and Macchi M.67 in the late 20's.
