John Black

Who was John Black?

Sir John Paul Black held several senior positions in the British motor industry including chairman of Standard-Triumph.

He was born in Kingston upon Thames on 10 February 1895 the son of a clerk, John George Black and his wife Ellen and studied law at the University of London. 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 war 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. With the possibility of war again looming he enthusiastically backed the government scheme for Shadow Factories and gained contracts to build and operate two.