| Guy Vaughan | |||||||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Guy Warner Vaughan | ||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 15 August 1884 | ||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Bayshore, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Death Place: | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
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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.
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]