Thursday 12th February 1987

Dennis Poore a British entrepreneur, financier and sometime racing driver, died in Kensington, London aged 70. He used his personal wealth to bankroll the founding, in 1950, of the motor racing journal Autosport. He was briefly involved in the Connaught team and raced two Grands Prix for the team, his best result being a 4th place finish at the 1952 British GP. He later raced successfully in the Aston Martin sports car team, sold off the propeller business and tried in vain to save Britain’s motorcycle industry by buying Associated Motorcycles, the company which owned Norton, AJS and Matchless, also acquiring Villiers, Triumph and BSA. With the motorbike business having failed, Manganese Bronze developed a car component division, which Dennis ran until his death.