Torleiv Corneliussen

Torleiv S. Corneliussen was a pioneer in the Norwegian automobile industry. He started introducing American Kelly tires to Norway and founded his TSC company in 1919. When the Automobile Rubber Importers Association was founded in 1923, he was already general manager of various member companies. In the next decade he diversified by buying companies with different portfolios. In 1932, however, he sold his shares and resigned as manager. Through several mergers, the company survived as TSC-KC 73 A/S.

In 1926, Corneliussen married his wife Randi (née Jacobsen). The couple had one son named Per. Torleiv’s father was a theologian and school principal. In December 1942, under the German occupation Torleiv was imprisoned in the Grini prison camp for assisting people to escape from Norway. He had to stay there until the liberation in 1945. The camp museum has a small guitar on display that he made during this time.

In the 1912 Olympic sailing events, the Norwegian boat Taifun with Corneliussen as a crew member won both races of the 8 metres class and won gold in a superior manner. Much later he became a legendary figure in Norwegian sailing circles due to the international success with his Dragon yacht “Spadilje VIII” shortly after World War II.