Weymann Fabric Bodies is a patented design system for fuselages for aircraft and superlight
coachwork
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
for motor vehicles. The system used a patent-jointed wood frame covered in fabric. It was popular on cars from the 1920s until the early 1930s as it reduced the usual squeaks and rattles of
coachbuilt
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
bodies by its use of flexible joints between body timbers.
[A-Z of British Coachbuilders. Nick Walker. Bay View Books 1997. ]
The system when used on cars provided quieter travel, and improved performance because of the body's light weight; but gave little protection in the event of a serious accident, and without care (the materials being prone to rot), a potentially short life. Fabric provided a matt surface and the framework sharp corners. Later supporting metal corner-inserts were employed to smooth corners and the fabric could be finished with layer upon layer of hand-sanded paint, called ''Tôle Souple'', giving the impression of polished metal panelling.
Introduced to the market in 1921, Weymann's bodies fell out of popularity within a decade.
Weymann body system
![1928 Bentley Saloon at Toddington Railway Gala, 0513 8979023957](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/1928_Bentley_Saloon_at_Toddington_Railway_Gala%2C_0513_8979023957.jpg)
The Weymann system comprises an ultra-light wood framework with special metal joints so that timber does not touch timber. Small metal panels are inserted between the fabric and the framework to make rounded external corners. Straining wires are fitted to hold the doors in shape when they are stressed by acceleration or bumps. The frame is then covered with
muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...
over
chicken wire
Chicken wire, or poultry netting, is a mesh of wire commonly used to fence in fowl, such as chickens, in a run or coop. It is made of thin, flexible, galvanized steel wire with hexagonal gaps. Available in 1 inch (about 2.5 cm) diameter, ...
with a thin layer of cotton
batting Batting may refer to:
* Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs
* Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...
used to span large open areas and over this a top layer of fabric, usually a pigmented
synthetic leather, is placed. Any exposed joints in the fabric are covered with aluminium
mouldings. The seats are fixed directly to the chassis.
Passengers were therefore in almost direct contact with the firmly mounted engine. Where the market permitted some isolation was provided by luxuriously sprung passenger-seating often topped with inflated pneumatic cushions. For the luxury market it further encouraged the development of inherently smoother multi-cylinder engines in place of sixes and eights and, too late for Weymann, the introduction of
flexible engine mounts and better chassis suspension systems in place of primitive
leaf springs
A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, ...
.
Advantages when compared with conventional coachbuilt construction
J Gurney Nutting of Chelsea, London, assured purchasers of his Weymann bodies, including The Prince of Wales:
* Absolute silence
* As durable as any other body
* Withstands rough roads and speed
* No squeaks, rattles, or draughts
* Absence of drumming and rumbling
* Lightness increases operating economy and speed
* Most luxurious
* Perfect comfort in any weather
* Less expensive than coachbuilt composite bodies of similar quality
* Easily cared for
* Easy to wash and clean
* Easily repaired in case of accident
Designer and patent holder
The system was invented by
Charles Weymann
Charles Terres Weymann (2 August 1889 – 1976) was a Haitian-born early aeroplane racing pilot and businessman. During World War I he flew for Nieuport as a test pilot and was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Early years ...
(1889–1976). An early portrait may be seen in the archives of ''FLIGHT'' magazine.
[''FLIGHT'' July 8, 1911]
/ref>
Weymann's Paris coachbuilding business was located at Carrossier Weymann, 20 rue Troyon, Paris and their elegant and luxurious Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, etc. bodied limousines and cars bore the label ''Les Carrosseries C. T. Weymann, 18-20 rue Troyon, Paris''.
Construction Z
Daimler had always built their own bodies though as usual in that period to suit customers they provided a large number of chassis to external coach builders. In the second quarter of 1924 Daimler began building Weymann flexible framed fabric bodies for their "natural silence, the entire absence of drumming and all those attributes which make for comfortable long-distance touring with a minimum of fatigue". Seats were ''Dryad'' basket-chairs of wicker button-quilted in Bedford cord. Daimler chose to name its Weymann-type bodies ''Construction Z''.[Lord Montagu and David Burgess-Wise ''Daimler Century'' ; Stephens 1995 ]
Coachbuilder licensees
The licensing company which provided customers with permits to make Weymann fabric bodies for fitting to chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
was based in Paris. Weymann claimed 123 licensees of his patents and that he received payment for around 70,000 bodies.
Licensed manufacturers included:
*Weymann Motor Bodies limited, founded in England in 1922 with the first licences issued in 1923 to, amongst others, the Rover Company.[ In 1925 a move was made into actual body production as well as licensing and the ]Cunard
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
coachbuilding company based in Putney, South London, was purchased. The enterprise was a success and a move was made to larger premises at what had been the Blériot aircraft factory, Addlestone
Addlestone ( or ) is a town in Surrey, England. It is located approximately southwest of London. The town is the administrative centre of the Runnymede (borough), Borough of Runnymede, of which it is the largest settlement.
History
The town is ...
near Weybridge, Surrey, England. By 1930 the company had turned its attention to bus body construction and in 1932 became part of the Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann Ltd. (MCW) was once a major contributor in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was established in 1932 by Metro-Cammell's bus bodybuilding division and Weymann Motor Bodies to produce bus bodies.
...
organisation.[
*Weymann American Body Company of Indianapolis, USA
* Carrozzeria Touring, Milan Lombardy Italy and its own development, ]Superleggera
Superleggera (Italian for ''Superlight'') is a custom tube and alloy panel automobile coachwork construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. A separate chassis was s ...
. See detail in Wikipedia en français
English licensees 1928
From a joint advertisement by the following Makers of Genuine Weymann bodies, placed by Weymann Motor Bodies (1925) Limited, 47 Pall Mall, London, SW1
Gallery
Image:Mathis_MY_1924_face.jpg, Mathis MY 1924
File:1926 Bentley.jpg, Bentley 3 Litre
The Bentley 3 Litre was a car chassis manufactured by Bentley. The company's first, it was developed from 1919 and made available to customers' coachbuilders from 1921 to 1929. The Bentley was very much larger than the 1368 cc Bugattis that d ...
1926
File:1926 Bentley 3 Litre saloon by Gurney Nutting.jpg, Bentley 3 Litre 1926
Image:Tatra 12 IMG 6851.JPG, Tatra 12
The Tatra 12 is a model of vintage automobile made by Czech manufacturer Tatra. It was manufactured between 1926 and 1933. It was replaced by the Tatra 57 in 1932.
All Czech car manufacturers were making large and expensive cars at the beginnin ...
produced 1926-1933
Image:Stutz Vertical Eight AA Limousine 1927.jpg, Stutz Vertical Eight AA 1927
Image:PV4_1.JPG, Volvo PV4 1928
File:1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Weymann body by H J Mulliner DSCF1651Kop Hill 2013.jpg, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
Phantom II 1929
by H. J. Mulliner & Co.
Image:1929RoverLightSixTM6124.jpg, Rover Light Six
The Rover Light Six was a narrower lightweight short wheelbase variant of their Two-litre sports saloon produced from 1929 to 1930 by the Rover Company of Coventry. The following season it was sold with a 2½-litre 20 hp engine under the nam ...
"Blue Train" 1929
File:1930 Sunbean 16 (MullinerWeymann) Fabric Bodied Saloon.jpg, Sunbeam 16 1930
File:1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo by Weymann 8409209219.jpg, Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo 1930
File:1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Weymann Sportsman's Coupe.jpg, Bentley Speed Six
The Bentley 6½ Litre and the high-performance Bentley Speed Six were rolling chassis in production from 1926 to 1930. The Speed Six, introduced in 1928, would become the most successful racing Bentley. Two Bentley Speed Sixes became known as th ...
1930
with ''Tôle Souplé'' finish
File:Invicta ca 1930 Knebworth.JPG, Invicta circa 1930
File:1930 Bentley 4-12 Litre Supercharged.jpg, Bentley 4½-litre Supercharged 1930
File:Lagonda - Flickr - exfordy (1).jpg, Lagonda
Lagonda is a British luxury car brand established in 1906, which has been owned by Aston Martin since 1947. The trade-name has not had a continuous commercial existence, being dormant several times, most recently from 1995 to 2008 and 2010 to 2 ...
2-litre 1932
File:1933 Duesenberg J Weymann Speedster - fvr 2.jpg, Duesenberg J Speedster 1933
File:RollsRoyce 20-25 1934 1.jpg, Rolls-Royce 20/25
The Rolls-Royce 20/25 was the second of Rolls-Royce Ltd's pre-war entry level models. Built between 1929 and 1936, it was tremendously popular, becoming the most successful selling inter-war Rolls-Royce. Its success enabled Rolls-Royce to surv ...
1934
See also
* Body-on-frame
* Spaceframe
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...
* Monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
References
*
External links
*Coachbuilt Weymann American webpage, including numerous technical illustrations, and the following references to Weymann bodies: May, 1927 issue of MoToR; a 1930 Stutz brochure; January 1930 issue of Autobody; the August 1929 "press release" detailing the new Stutz Weymann Chateau model; mention of J. Gurney Nutting Co., Ltd
* Gabriel Voisin#Switch to car production: Avions Voisin, Voisin C7 (a Weymann-bodied Voisin) under restoratio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weymann, C T
Coachbuilders of France
Automotive technologies
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France
Vintage vehicles