Sunday 10th February 1895

Born on this day, Sir John Paul Black, Managing Director of Standard Motor Company Ltd. and one time owner of Triumph. During World War I he served first in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve before transferring to the Royal Tank Regiment where he gained the rank of Captain. After the WWI he joined Hillman as a sales manager and in 1921 married one of the owner’s daughters. Shortly afterwards he became joint managing director alongside his brother-in-law Spencer Wilks who had also married one of the Hillman girls . In 1928 he joined the boards of Humber and Commer. In 1929, after Hillman, Humber and Commer had become part of the Rootes Group he resigned his posts and took up a new position at the Standard Motor Company and in 1933 he became managing director. During World War II he became chairman of the Aero Engine Committee, a role for which he gained a knighthood in 1943. In the later years of the war he organized the takeover of Triumph and in 1953 he became chairman of Standard-Triumph with Alick Dick taking over control of day to day operations. He was injured in late 1953 in an accident when being given a demonstration of the Swallow Doretti and he was forced to resign in January 1954 officially because of his health. In his retirement he took up farming. He died suddenly on Christmas Eve, 1965 at the age of 70.