Henri Louis Rougier, (28 October 1876 – July 1956)Champagne, Berceau De L'Aviation Du Monde
Retrieved 29 September 2017 was a French sportsman, racing cyclist, pioneer aeroplane pilot and sporting motorist. He is best remembered for his victory in the inaugural

Monte Carlo Rally The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. From its inception in 1911 by Albert I, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert I, the rally ...

when he drove his

Turcat-Méry Turcat-Méry was a French motor manufacturer from 1899 until 1928. It is now celebrated as the marque that won the inaugural Monte Carlo Rally, but in its prime it was also known for Grand Prix racing and for producing ''The Car of the Connoisseur ...

from Paris to

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

, but he was also a regular competitor in both 'City to City' and Grand Prix races. On 18 November 1909 he was awarded Aviator's Certificate number 11 by the

Aéro-Club de France The Aéro-Club de France () is one of the oldest French aviators' associations still active. It was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la ...

. Throughout 1909 and 1910 he was a very successful competitor at

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are trade fair, exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The ...

s and Grands Prix throughout Europe. Rougier was a successful entrepreneur, owning the Paris agency for Turcat-Méry motor cars, and using his motor racing and rallying prowess to garner publicity. After World War I he manufactured a limited number of Rougier motor cars, based on Turcat-Méry chassis but with mechanical design improvements and exclusive coach-built bodies. Rougier was appointed Chevalier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, plus being awarded the

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

and the 'Medal of Aeronautics'.

Family life

Rougier was born in Marseille, on 28 October 1876.

Motoring

Motor racing

Henri Rougier was the main dealer for Turcat-Méry motor vehicles, and like most other manufacturers he used racing and competition as both a technical development and publicity aid for marketing. In May 1903 Rougier finished 11th overall in the Paris-Madrid race driving a 45-hp

. He was also classified 9th in the heavy car class. On 17 June 1904 Rougier competed in the Gordon Bennett Cup race in Germany driving a 45-hp Turcat-Méry.

Kaiser Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as the Hohenzollern dynasty ...

had decreed that the race start from

Bad Homburg Bad Homburg vor der Höhe (, ) is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus mountains. Bad Homburg is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. The town's official name is ''Bad Homburg ...

in the

Taunus The Taunus () is a mountain range in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located north west of Frankfurt and north of Wiesbaden. The tallest peak in the range is '' Großer Feldberg'' at 878 m; other notable peaks are '' Kleiner Feldberg' ...

mountains. He finished in third place, taking 6 hours 46 minutes 31 seconds to complete the . In 1905 Rougier competed in the Circuit des Ardennes at

Bastogne Bastogne (; ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardi ...

. His

Lorraine-Dietrich Lorraine-Dietrich was a French language, French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer ''Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville'' (k ...

set the fastest lap of 68.51 mph. In 1906 Rougier finished third in the Circuit des Ardennes at Bastogne, driving a Lorraine-Dietrich. His time was 5 hours 50 minutes 11 seconds. At the inaugural

1906 French Grand Prix The 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, commonly known as the 1906 French Grand Prix, was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans. The Grand Prix was organised by the Automobile ...

he was unclassified, over 1 lap behind the winner. In 1907 Rougier competed in the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championship. It is one of the oldest ...

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

, driving a

but retired on lap 5. On 19 May 1908 Rougier competed in the

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

-Moscow race driving a

but retired early. In the

1908 French Grand Prix The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908. Formula Changes The race was run under a new formula agreed in Ostend in 1907. There was no fuel consumption limit, but the cars had a minimum weight of 110 ...

at Dieppe, he retired on the first lap with magneto problems on his Lorraine-Dietrich. In 1923 Rougier competed in the

Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

, driving a '

Voisin Voisin (French for "neighbour") may refer to: Companies *Avions Voisin, the French automobile company :* Voisin Laboratoire, a car manufactured by Avions Voisin * Voisin (aircraft), the French aircraft manufacturer * Voisin, a Lyon-based chocol ...

Laboratoire' he retired after 19 laps. In the

1923 Italian Grand Prix 1923 in Grand Prix racing, Italian Grand Prix 1923 in Italian motorsport, Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix European Grand Prix ...

Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...

he retired after 28 laps.

Monte Carlo rally

In 1909 the ''Automobile Club de Monaco'' (''Sport Automobile Velocipedique Monégasque'') started planning a car rally at the behest of

Albert I, Prince of Monaco Albert I (Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi; 13 November 1848 – 26 June 1922) was Prince of Monaco from 10 September 1889 until his death in 1922. He devoted much of his life to oceanography, exploration and science. Alongside his expeditions, ...

. The

was to start at points all over Europe and converge on Monte Carlo. In January 1911 23 cars set out from 11 different locations and Rougier was among the nine who left Paris to cover a route. The event was won by Henri Rougier in a Turcat-Méry 25 Hp. The rally comprised both driving and then somewhat arbitrary judging based on the elegance of the car, passenger comfort and the condition in which it arrived in the principality. The outcry of scandal when the results were published changed nothing, so Rougier was proclaimed the first winner.

Motor manufacture

The Turcat-Méry motor manufacturing business began in 1895 when Alphonse Méry of Marseille bought a

Panhard-Levassor Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

and a

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

. His younger brother Simon Méry and his brother in law Léon Turcat, both engineers, decided to improve on both models with their own design, a 2.6-litre, four cylinder, five speed car with electric ignition, radiators at each end of the engine and two speeds in reverse. Thus in 1899, when the car was ready for sale, they founded Turcat-Méry & Cie. They then established a partnership with Baron Adrien de Turckheim :fr:Adrien de Turckheim of the

De Dietrich The history of the de Dietrich family has been linked to that of France and of Europe for over three centuries. To this day, the company that bears the family name continues to play a major role in the economic life of Alsace. De Dietrich is a h ...

and

company, and produced cars whose slogan was ''The Car of the Connoisseur''. Rougier became the Paris agent and chief publicist for both Turcat-Méry and Lorraine-Dietrich. The liaison with Lorraine-Dietrich lasted until the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1914. Turcat-Méry ceased production in 1928. After World War I Rougier purchased a limited number of completed 1913/14 Turcat-Méry

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

which he then had reworked to improve the engines and four-wheel brakes using

Henri Perrot Henri Perrot (21 August 1883 – 1961, in Paris) was a French engineer who was one of the pioneers of the automobile industry from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was awarded numerous patents in the field of automotive ...

's latest drum/shoe brake design. The chassis were then bodied by coach-builders such as ''Million Guillet'' in

Levallois-Perret Levallois-Perret () is a Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department and Île-de-France Regions of France, region of north-central France. It lies on the right bank of the Seine, some from the Kilometre z ...

Paris and the exclusive finished models were badged and registered as 'Rougier'.

Aviation

In 1909, Rougier learned to fly in a

Gnome A gnome () is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depict ...

''Omega'' engine. On 18 November 1909 he was awarded Aviator's Certificate number 11 by the

. In September 1909 he won the prizes for distance and altitude at the Grand Prix of Berlin, while fellow Frenchman

Hubert Latham Arthur Charles Hubert Latham (10 January 1883 – 25 June 1912) was a French aviation pioneer. He was the first person to attempt to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane. Due to engine failure during his first of two attempts to cross t ...

won the prize for speed. The Grand Prix was the first aviation tournament held in Germany, having been triggered by the public enthusiasm for

Orville Wright The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first succes ...

's demonstration flights at Templehoff and

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

in August 1909. At the 1909 Air Show in

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

, Italy in September Rougier again won the altitude prize, beating

Glen Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

in the Curtiss No. 2. He also competed in the 1909 Air meetings at

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, Germany and

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

, England where he finished in second place. Then in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

(Anvers) he won all the races. At the Air Show in Heliopolis in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, he won first prize for 'aggregate distance' and second prize for 'longest distance without stopping'. In January 1910 in Monaco he became renowned for his exploits over both the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and Mount Agel. He described one particularly dangerous trip from Monaco to

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

: 1 hour 9 minutes * 28 Sept 1909: Voisin:

Johannisthal Air Field The Johannisthal Air Field, located southeast of central Berlin, between Johannisthal (Berlin), Johannisthal and Adlershof, was Germany, Germany's first commercial airfield. It opened on 26 September 1909, a few weeks after the world's first a ...

: 1 hour 20 minutes * 29 Sept 1909: Voisin: Johannisthal Air Field: 1 hour 37 minutes * 28 Oct 1909: Voisin:

: 1 hour 3 minutes * 6 Feb 1910: Voisin: Heliopolis in

: * 11 Feb 1910: Voisin: Heliopolis:

Aircraft manufacture

In 1910 Rougier became a partner of Antoine Odier and Raoul Vendôme in the Odier-Vendôme aeroplane company, building the Odier-Vendôme biplane. Rougier flew the aircraft at locations such as

Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called in French. It is one of Paris's entrances and is located from Notre Dame Cathedral, whic ...

and

Terni Terni ( ; ; ) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria, in Central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera (Tiber), River Nera. It is northeast ...

and

Ghedi Ghedi (Brescian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on November 24, 2001. Ghedi is known for a base of the Italian Air Force, Ghedi Air Base ...

in Italy. Rougier may also have been involved in the independent construction of a 'Rougier' biplane, although there is only a single, hard to identify, photograph which may show a standard Voisin that was owned by Rougier.

Death, honours and commemoration

In retirement he lived at

La Valette-du-Var La Valette-du-Var (; Occitan: ''La Valeta''; Provençal: ''La Valeto'') is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Population Features La Valette-du-Var is home to two of the Jar ...

, near

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

. In July 1956 he died of heart failure. Henri Rougier was appointed Chevalier of the

. He was awarded the

and the 'Medal of aeronautics'.

Notes

References

Sources

Sources quoted b
Philippe Callais in ''History of the 1911 Monte Carlo Rally''
* Jean-François Jacob, "Monte-Carlo, 60 ans de rallyes", éditions Robert Laffont, 1973 * Maurice Louche, "Le rallye de Monte-Carlo au XXe siècle", éditions Maurice Louche, 2001 * Marc-Antoine Collin, "Hotchkiss et le rallye de Monte-Carlo", Automobilia n°22, février 1998

External links

Leif Snellman. – Hans Etzrodt's list of Grand Prix winners 1895–1949
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rougier, Henri French aviation pioneers 1876 births 1956 deaths French rally drivers French racing drivers Knights of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Vintage vehicles French automotive pioneers French automobile designers French founders of automobile manufacturers Sportspeople from Marseille Businesspeople from Marseille