4 replies to this topic

[GPevolved]

I am currently researching the great Chevalier René de Knyff.  I am conducting research for a short article on my blog.  

 

Basically, de Knyff lived from 1865 - 1954.  He was an active racer from 1897 - 1903.  Thanks to Gerald Rose's "A Record of Motor Racing," I have a solid record of the Chevalier's racing exploits.  I have also read Jarrott's comments on de Knyff from his book on early motorsport.  

 

However, there is one period that I am particularly interested in, but can't seem to find any information.  I understand that from 1922-1946, he was the president of the C.S.I. (Commission Sportive Internationale).  During this period, he would have been involved with some serious changes to the industry of racing.  But, I can't find any information or sources related to the Chevalier's later year.  

 

Does anyone have any insight into René de Knyff's later years and/or is administrative exploits?  

 

I'm guessing he was decent at what he did, or he wouldn't have remained in such a post for more than two decades.  I just wanted to throw out a question here to see if anyone had any insight.

 

Thanks for any thoughts or information!

 

 

 

In the interest of not being a leach, I offer up some interesting pictures I came across:

https://www.photo.rm...&RW=1585&RH=853

[guiporsche]

The French press would be a good place to start, not only the digitized automotive revues but the main dailies as well. I did a very perfunctory search through Gallica and this was the result:

 

https://gallica.bnf....s=René de Knyff

 

Examples of some of the search results:

 

https://gallica.bnf....em.r=Knyff.zoom

 

https://gallica.bnf....f8.item.r=Knyff

Edited by guiporsche, 07 October 2018 - 20:05.

[GPevolved]

Thanks for the tip.  This forum is continually a wealth of information.  

[Vitesse2]

Gallica would certainly be the primary source. However, detailed accounts of CSI meetings are hard to find, mainly because the two big CSI gatherings both took place in the autumn - in mid-September, primarily to determine the main events on the International calendar and in October to confirm the full calendar and any rule changes etc. The latter was always during the Paris Salon, when the press were of course more concerned with events in the exhibition halls, so reports of AIACR meetings tended to be brief, seemingly generally based on press releases, since the press weren't admitted to the meetings; when you read the brief press reports the same phrases tend to turn up across different papers and even different languages. These press releases only report conclusions, almost always without naming individual CSI members.

 

You may find La Vie Automobile useful too:

 

http://cnum.cnam.fr/...redira.cgi?P575

 

De Knyff does seem to have held a personal grudge against the Germans though. The May 8th 1935 CSI meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Berlin, but had to be rearranged after he refused to travel there; the CSI eventually met in Paris.

[GPevolved]

This is all great background.  For the sake of complete disclosure, I do not speak French--or, at least, as an American--my ability to read French is rudimentary at best.  Regardless, I certainly appreciate these tips as well as the context.  My essay on him won't be overly long, so this already gives me a few ideas.