Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,410 pages of information and 246,085 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Dennis Poore

From Graces Guide

Roger Dennistoun "Dennis" Poore (19 August 1916, Paddington, London – 12 February 1987, Kensington) was a British entrepreneur, financier and sometime racing driver. Poore used his personal wealth to bankroll the founding, in 1950, of the motor racing journal Autosport. He himself was a keen motor sport participant, and competed in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix in 1952. He made his debut in the British Grand Prix on July 19, 1952, where he finished fourth. He scored 3 championship points.

Poore won the British Hill Climb Championship in 1950 driving a 3.8 litre twin-Wade-blown Alfa Romeo. He finished second at Shelsley Walsh, first at Prescott, second at Bo'ness, taking the win at Rest and Be Thankful, then second at Bouley Bay and first at Val des Terres, rounding off the season with another win at Prescott.[3]

1960 Appointed a director of the Manganese Bronze and Brass Co [1]

1964 Appointed chairman of Manganese Bronze Holdings [2]

Later Poore sold off the ship-propeller business of Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC and used the funds in an attempt to stave off the collapse of the British motorcycle industry. At one time iconic brands Norton, AJS, Matchless and BSA were all owned by the Manganese Bronze group.

1973 Following the collapse of BSA the motorcycle interests of Manganese Bronze Holdings and BSA were put into Norton-Villiers-Triumph, and the non-motorcycle interests of BSA were separated by Manganese Bronze. With the purchase of BSA came its subsidiary Carbodies, builder of the FX4 London taxi; the classic "black cab". Dennis Poore headed the new business. [3]

1985 Shown as the chairman of Scottish and Mercantile Investment [4]

After disposing of the motorcycle manufacturing arms, Poore continued to head Manganese Bronze as a taxi and component manufacturer until his death in 1987.


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. The Times, Saturday, Dec 31, 1960
  2. The Times, Wednesday, Dec 30, 1964
  3. The Times, Tuesday, Mar 20, 1973
  4. The Times, Wednesday, Jul 17, 1985