Louis Mantell (c1874-1949)
1949 Obituary
Mr. Louis Mantell whose death took place in Bangor on Sunday, was a member of a family that for many years was intimately identified with the business, professional and social life of Belfast and also prominent in musical circles.
Mr. Mantell. who was aged 72. was a son of the late Mr. Louis Mantell, many years ago deputy American Consul in Belfast and well known in musical and operatic circles. Also for a number of years he was contributor on musical and theatrical topics to the "Belfast Telegraph."
The deceased, who was chief engineer of the world wide known firm of "Solex" (Carburettors), Ltd.. London, was educated at Methodist College and Queen's College (now University). His studies were originally directed to medicine, but he preferred engineering as a career and the change he made had been fully justified by the great success he achieved.
Mr. Mantell wrote several standard works as well as special articles which were published in leading London journals. He was well known in the motoring engineering trade as an expert consultant. He attended all the Tourist Trophy races that were held on the Ards Circuit, his firm having supplied equipment to many of the cars that took part in the events.
In the first World War Mr. Mantell served in the Research Department of the Royal Flying Corps and was also attached to the R.A.C. established at Farnborough. Subsequently he was appointed to the Aeronautical Inspection Corps at headquarters. When on a visit to Belfast in 1938 Mr. Mantell addressed a meeting of the motor trade (Ulster Branch) on "Engine Efficiency".
1950 Obituary [1]
Louis MANTELL, whose death in his seventy-fifth year occurred on 1st January 1949, was for almost the whole of his career a specialist in carburation.
He received his general education at the Methodist College, Belfast, and later continued his studies at the Queen's University College in that city, where he took a course in medicine. He began his connection with the motor industry in 1904, and gained experience at Messrs. Colville Motor Works, Ltd., of Chiswick.
After first specializing in coil ignition his attention was soon attracted to problems connected with carburation, and in 1908 he joined Messrs. S. Wolf and Company, Ltd., who were the first concessionaires of the Solex Carburettor. He was with that firm as chief of technical staff until 1925, with the exception of the years 1916 to 1919 when he served as experimental officer in France and England with the R.F.C. and R.A.F.
The remainder of his professional career was spent as carburation specialist with Messrs. Solex, Ltd., London.
Mr. Mantel made numerous contributions to the technical journals of the motor industry, and was the author of a "Manual of Motor Mechanics" which was adopted by the War Office as a standard text-book for the Mechanical and Transport Schools of the R.F.C. and R.A.S.C. He also published a book entitled "Theory and Practice of Carburation".
He was elected a Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers in 1937.