Jump to content

Guy Vaughan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guy Vaughan
BornGuy Warner Vaughan
(1884-08-15)August 15, 1884
Bayshore, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 1966(1966-11-21) (aged 82)
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Champ Car career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish5th (1905)
First race1905 Morris Park Race #1
(Morris Park)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 1 0

Guy Warner Vaughan (often seen as Vaughn; August 15, 1884 – November 21, 1966) was an American racing driver[1] and industrialist who served as the president of Curtiss-Wright from 1935 to 1949.

Biography

[edit]

Born in Bayshore, New York, Vaughan completed his education at New Rochelle High School in 1898.[2] Vaughan's career began with the automobile manufacturer Desberon, complemented by continued education through mail-order courses.[2] He later transitioned to the Standard Automobile Company.[2] Vaughan participated in the inaugural AAA Championship car season in 1905, competing in the first-ever Championship event at Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx. He was notable for his successes in long-distance races.[3] In 1908, he finished third in the First American International Road Race, held in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

After the First World War, Vaughan joined Curtiss, initially as an aviation quality manager.[2] The company was later renamed Curtiss-Wright.[2] Vaughan ascended to vice president by 1925, and was appointed president and chairman in 1935.[2] His tenure saw the development of the Wright Whirlwind J-6 engine, utilized by Charles Lindbergh, and the Wright Cyclone engine series, which powered DC-1 aircraft.[4]

During the Second World War, Vaughan dramatically increased production capabilities, expanding from four to seventeen plants. During the war Curtiss-Wright manufactured nearly 150,000 engines and propellers, alongside more than 25,000 aircraft. Under Vaughan's leadership, company sales surged from $11 million in 1933 to $128 million by 1949, the year of his retirement.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Guy Vaughn". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "GUY VAUGHAN, 82, PLANEMAKER, DIES; Led Curtiss-Wright Into Era of Mass Production". November 22, 1966 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ "1,000-MILE AUTO RECORD REDUCED BY TWO HOURS; Vaughn Makes Remarkably Fast Time at Empire City Track. LAST MILE FASTEST OF ALL Major Miller and Oldfield Decline to Race on Wet Track -- Meet Postpones Until To-morrow". The New York Times. 1905-06-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  4. ^ "Guy W. Vaughan - Leadership - Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu.
[edit]