Roger Dennistoun Poore (19 August 1916 – 12 February 1987)[1] was a British racing driver, financier and entrepreneur. He became chairman of Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT) during the final years of the old British motorcycle industry.

Dennis Poore
Poore sitting at the wheel of a historic hillclimb car in 1966
BornRoger Dennistoun Poore
(1916-08-19)19 August 1916
London, England
Died12 February 1987(1987-02-12) (aged 70)
London, England
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Active years1952
TeamsConnaught
Entries2
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points3
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1952 British Grand Prix
Last entry1952 Italian Grand Prix

Background and family

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Poore was born in Paddington, London. His father, Roger Poore, DSO, was killed in action during the First World War on 26 September 1917.[2]

On 24 March 1949, Dennis Poore married Peta Farley nee Coast. They had one daughter, Victoria Borwick MP.[3]

Racing career

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Poore was a keen motor sport participant, and competed in two World Championship Grands Prix in 1952. He made his debut in the British Grand Prix on 19 July 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.[4] 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.[5] After his World Championship Grands Prix, Poore raced sportscars for Aston Martin, winning the Goodwood International Nine Hour race with a DB3S in 1955, co-driven by Peter Walker.[6]

Poore used his personal wealth to bankroll the founding, in 1950, of the motor racing journal Autosport.[citation needed]

NVT career

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Poore became chairman of Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC, an engineering company primarily concerned with making marine propellers. Poore later sold off the propeller business and used the funds to buy up a motley collection failing British motorcycle companies, Associated Motor Cycles, Norton, AJS, James, Francis-Barnett, Matchless, and engine manufacturers Villiers.

Following the collapse of BSA in 1972, the motorcycle interests of Manganese Bronze and BSA/Triumph were merged into Norton Villiers Triumph Ltd. Poore was made chairman of NVT and he quickly sold off BSA's substantial non-motorcycle interests. NVT was assisted by substantial aid from the Government, who were anxious to stave off the collapse of the British motorcycle industry. Poore's restructuring became rather draconian, making 3,000 of the 4,500 workforce redundant. This led to the creation of the Meriden Cooperative which operated for ten years until it became bankrupt. Production of BSA bikes (the A65 twin and the A75 triple) ceased, and with Triumph lost to the Cooperative, the sole NVT model was the Norton Commando. Although this machine won the Motor Cycle News "Bike of the Year" award for several years running, nothing could hide the fact that the Commando was an old design, being a pre-unit pushrod parallel-twin. Eventually Commando production ended and NVT ended up assembling an Asian 125cc trail bike. However, Norton went on to produce a twin-rotor Wankel-engined bike based on David Garside's work at BSA.

Compared with BSA's hopeless management team who had led their once-mighty company to ruin through incompetence, dire business decisions and a failure even to appreciate bikes, Poore at first seemed a breath of fresh air who could be the hoped-for saviour of the British motorcycle industry. His sporting past showed he was in tune with motorsport and engineering. However, his reconstruction and redundancy plans were heavy-handed and some regarded him as little more than an asset-stripper. What is clear is that his actions led to the fragmentation of the industry when consolidation was essential to save the day.[7][full citation needed][dubiousdiscuss]

London cabs

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With the purchase of BSA came its subsidiary Carbodies, builder of the FX4 London taxi; the classic "black cab". After disposing of the motorcycle manufacturing arms, Poore continued to head Manganese Bronze as a taxi and component manufacturer until his death in 1987.[citation needed]

Complete World Drivers' Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WDC Points
1952 Connaught Engineering Connaught Type A Lea-Francis Straight-4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR
4
GER NED 13th 3
Connaught Racing Syndicate ITA
12

References

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  1. ^ Jenkins, Richard. "The World Championship drivers – Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  2. ^ "Lieutenant Colonel Roger Alvin Poore". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  3. ^ Burke's Peerage, 107th edition, p3172
  4. ^ Motor Sport, October 1950, Page 524.
  5. ^ Motor Sport, February 1951, Page 53.
  6. ^ Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 299. ISBN 0851127029.
  7. ^ "BSA – Decline & Fall" – Bill Murray – 1985 monograph
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Sporting positions
Preceded by British Hill Climb Champion
1950
Succeeded by