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Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2013 => Topic started by: ropat53 on June 21, 2013, 01:06:58 AM

Title: Solved ropat#61: Michel Zélélé Count Albert de Dion's chauffeur
Post by: ropat53 on June 21, 2013, 01:06:58 AM
Who is this?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on June 23, 2013, 12:00:33 AM
Up
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 10, 2013, 08:14:16 PM
Up
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 11, 2013, 08:21:46 AM
Pre WW1 car, WW1 uniform, 1940s spectators. Interesting. Was the driver connected with something extraordinary which happened in WW1 ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 11, 2013, 11:44:18 AM
Pre WWI car yes but not a soldier. The driver was not connected with anything that happened in WWI, but he did become quite famous at one time.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 11, 2013, 01:39:40 PM
Argentine personality?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 11, 2013, 01:59:05 PM
No nothing to do with Argentina.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 11, 2013, 06:06:21 PM
Although the person in question doesn't look European, the other people in the picture do.  Was the picture taken in Europe, with the puzzle subject as a visiting dignitary?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 11, 2013, 06:14:05 PM
The picture was taken in Europe, the puzzle subject was a resident of the country and not a dignitary.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: D-type on July 11, 2013, 06:18:59 PM
Kwame Nkruma?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 11, 2013, 07:28:13 PM
As I answered before not a dignitary and born a few years before Mr. Nkrumah and not in the Gold Coast.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 11, 2013, 10:40:34 PM
Paul Robeson in Spain during the Spanish Civil War?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 12, 2013, 12:02:10 AM
Not Paul Robeson and this picture was taken a few years after the Spanish Civil War had ended.
Not USA related in any way and it is not a military uniform.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 12, 2013, 02:41:16 AM
Is the person in question an actor, with the other persons being onlookers to an on location production, hence a vintage car in a more modern setting?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 12, 2013, 09:35:57 AM
Is the person in question an actor, with the other persons being onlookers to an on location production, hence a vintage car in a more modern setting?
The person in question is not an actor, it is not a film location but the other people are onlookers and the car is earlier than vintage in a more modern setting.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: D-type on July 16, 2013, 12:17:14 PM
Is the driver a sportsman?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 16, 2013, 12:30:45 PM
Not a sportsman, an employee.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 23, 2013, 03:24:27 PM
France,circa 1939 ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 23, 2013, 04:00:53 PM
Yes France but later and on the occasion of ;)
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 23, 2013, 04:08:34 PM
Yes France but later and on the occasion of ;)

Is this a celebration of the end of WW2 ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 23, 2013, 04:51:10 PM
No nothing to do with any war, not a soldier.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 24, 2013, 06:21:09 AM
So he must be a chauffeur. Now we've got to solve why he was famous for a short time. Was he driving someone famous in this car in some sort of parade ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 24, 2013, 10:18:46 AM
So he must be a chauffeur. Now we've got to solve why he was famous for a short time. Was he driving someone famous in this car in some sort of parade ?
Yes he was the chauffeur of a well known person that was a guest of honour during this celebration and is standing next to the car, not visible in the puzzle picture.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 24, 2013, 10:35:56 AM
Wild guess. Coco Chanel ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 24, 2013, 10:54:18 AM
Not Coco Chanel and not fashion related.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 25, 2013, 07:22:22 AM
I would guess from the clothes of the spectators that this is no later than 1955, probably earlier. It's just a case of working out which celebration it was.

Is there a connection with motoring, or is it unconnected in any way ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 25, 2013, 09:35:27 AM
Before 1955 and yes connected with motoring.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: nicanary on July 25, 2013, 09:44:15 AM
Anything to do with the re-opening of Le Mans in 1949 ?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 25, 2013, 10:55:08 AM
No Le Mans connection and earlier.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 25, 2013, 06:05:32 PM
Perhaps a chauffeur associated with Ettore Bugatti?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 25, 2013, 07:26:07 PM
No the person he chauffeured was 25 years older than Ettore Bugatti.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: 4popoid on July 25, 2013, 09:04:04 PM
Perhaps a chauffeur associated with Philippe Pétain?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 26, 2013, 10:42:26 AM
yes connected with motoring.

No not Philippe Pétain, by the time this picture was taken the Maréchal had already been found guilty of treason and was imprisoned.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: Otto Puzzell on July 26, 2013, 10:56:31 AM
An anniversary or re-enactment of the 1894 Paris–Rouen race?
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 26, 2013, 11:46:39 AM
Anniversary yes, but not something that happened in 1894, but very close and not a race.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: Bill Murray on July 26, 2013, 12:06:49 PM
50th Anniversary of the Paris Motor Show??  1898-1948.

Bill
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: ropat53 on July 26, 2013, 01:24:02 PM
50th Anniversary of the Paris Motor Show??  1898-1948.
[/s]
Bill
Between the last two suggested dates but very close to the first one.
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: pnegyesi on July 26, 2013, 01:34:01 PM
50th anniversary of the Automobile Club de France 1895-1945
The man is named Zelele, he was the chauffeur of Cmte Albert de Dion

Original caption:
En 1945 a Paris, place de la Concorde, devant l'ACF (Automobile Club de France) le marquis Albert de Dion (qui a fonde l'Automobile Club le 12 novembre 1895) et son chauffeur abyssin Zelele, au volant de la Clement de Dion 1898 du Museon di Rodo (Uzes) --- In 1945 in Paris, marquis Albert de Dion (who founded Automobile Club de France on november 12, 1895) and his driver Zelele driving the 1898 Clement
Title: Re: ropat#61
Post by: Otto Puzzell on July 26, 2013, 02:10:08 PM
Now that was a fine group effort!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Solved ropat#61: Michel Zélélé Count Albert de Dion's chauffeur
Post by: ropat53 on July 26, 2013, 04:33:32 PM
Yes that's right.
Please forgive the poor Google translation:

"Michel Zélélé son of a great Ethiopian leader was brought to France in 1896 by Henri d'Orléans, explorer prominent at the time. Zélélé literally fell into a swoon when he saw a car for the first time in his life.
The Comte d'Orleans recommended Michel Zélélé to a friend, Count de Dion. So at De Dion-Bouton he learned driving and mechanics with such passion that he became in 1900 the personal driver of the Comte de Dion. Besides his boss, he had the opportunity to drive many personalities, including King Leopold II and learned to drive to Belle Otero. What could be more normal so that it appears in photos and on official posters of the brand ...
After the death of the Marquis de Dion (now Marquis the death of his own father), entered the Zélélé Andre Vallut Service, one of the constructors of the Paris metro. Such record holder, he flew the De Dion-Bouton for over 50 years."


Title: Re: Solved ropat#61: Michel Zélélé Count Albert de Dion's chauffeur
Post by: Bill Murray on July 26, 2013, 05:02:57 PM
Marvelous story, Ropat and thanks for this very interesting bit of history most of us would have otherwise never have known about.

Bill