Wiesmann & Whitman

When I was a boy, my dad and I often toured public exhibitions of private automobile collections. Every time my eyes caught the voluptuous curves of a Wiesmann I was starstruck. This lust for Wiesmanns only increased in my teen age years when my testosterone fueled desire to impress women took over. When I heard the personal anecdote of one of my family friends, who test drove a Wiesmann and was immediately engaged by the beautiful woman in the car next to him at an intersection, the love was complete. So when my english teacher made me write an essay on Whitman I automatically thought of the phonetically similar and equally magical Wiesmann.

Wiesmann was a relatively small German car manufacturer based in Westphalia, Germany. Martin and Friedhelm Wiesmann founded Wiesmann in 1988 with a mission to produce custom made, rare, high quality sports convertibles. Similar to Walt Whitman’s poetry the design of Wiesmann cars is grounded in proven classics but incorporates new elements. Both Wiesmann and Walt Whitman use this melange of old and new to create an iconic and unique style.

Both Wiesmann and Whitman base their pieces on tried and tested techniques. Whitman uses motives popularized by fireside poets and European Romanticism. He often explores people around him through his own perspective. An example of this is Canto 12 in “Song of Myself”, where he examines the butcher boy from the first person perspective, “The butcher-boy puts off his killing-clothes, or sharpens his/ knife at the stall in the market/ I loiter enjoying his repartee and his shuffle and break-down” (Whitman, Canto 12). This intuitive exploration of another person’s emotions is prevalent in both European Romanticism and previous fireside poetry. Whitman also used the aria and recitative music found in Opera. He values fluidity in the music and the sequence of his lines. Wiesmann emphasizes this fluidity in the silhouette of its cars. Wiesmann constructed a flat and swift contour made famous by previous convertible design icons like the Jaguar E Type and the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (I challenge you to click on these links without drooling). Wiesmann also appropriated the classic grille design popularized by Alfa Romeo. Furthermore, Wiesmann’s cylindrical headlights hint at those of icons like the Jaguar XK 10. Furthermore the use of quilted car upholstery alludes to the interior of a classic bentley. Circular gauges underscore this retro appearance. The bread and butter of Wiesmann cars, however, are their sturdy and tried BMW M engines. Instead of venturing into their own motor experiment, they relied on a renowned engine manufacturer. For both Wiesmann and Whitman innovation is only possible on top a sturdy framework of proven methods.

Whitman and Wiesmann sought to weave in elements of innovation throughout their works. Although Whitman insured that his works used vernacular language he often incorporated his own eccentricities, such as the word “presidentiad” and the spelling of Canada with a K. Although Whitman’s form often seems unorganized and arbitrary it is indispensable to the creation of his unique voice. “Song of Myself” expresses a deep level of observation and exploration of Whitman’s surroundings that would not have been possible in a strict framework of rhyme and meter. Whitman’s experimentation with meter, rhythm, and form was indispensable for poetic innovation and progress from the already written and rhymed. An example of one of his unique techniques was his cataloguing and listing of persons, animals, and places in “Song of

Myself”. He rightly described his own poetry as "a new and national declamatory expression". Wiesmann also honors this commitment to the law of changing times. They apply their classic design elements in an aggressive and wide body. The fenders and rear are modern and push the boundaries of contemporary car design. Wiesmann emphasizes this commitment to innovation not only in their design but also in technology. While their first car only had 231 horsepowers and took a whole 5.9 seconds from 0-100 km/h their newest model boasts 420 horsepowers and takes a lighting fast 4.1 second to reach 100 km/h. The Wiesmann MF4 has all the features we lazy and entitled motorists enjoy while keeping the weight at an impressive 1310 kg. Whitman and Wiesmann both have this commitment to not only visible sportiness but also what really counts, under the hood power.

Although Walt Whitman and Wiesmann share several similarities they also share significant differences. Most significantly, Whitman had a much greater contribution to poetry than Wiesmann had to the car industry. Wiesmann remained on the fringes of the car industry, resulting in its 2014 disbandment. Because of its relative insignificance, its agreeable design, and its non-establishment threatening business model (BMW owned shares in Wiesmann) Wiesmann did not face backlash from critics and consumers. You probably saw the car above and were just infatuated as I was as a 8 year old boy. Whitman, however, initially faced immense criticism for his new form and style, a critic even described him as “chaotic and fragmentary.” After reading some of this poetry you might be convinced that this critic is right on the money. I certainly thought so after my first few cantos, but I experienced a conversion experience. Although Whitman won the hearts of many during his lifetime his works were only recognized for their grandeur posthumously, which is probably why we are studying so extensively in high school. This struggle for recognition and revolutionary ideas is the reason for Whitman’s greatness and Wiesmann’s relative triviality.

Whitman and Wiesmann are both parables of successful innovation. While Whitman had a greater influence in his field, both Wiesmann and Whitman show that innovation is only possible on top of a sturdy fundament of tried and tested technology. Whitman demonstrates that innovation is not a smooth process and that the recognition of one’s innovation is an even rougher one. In addition, Wiesmann teaches us that failing is a possibility and not fatal. Let's keep in mind these two examples to motivate and instruct us in the process of creating something new, however small, personal, or insignificant.