White and Poppe History

Car Engine and carburettor manufacturer 1903-1922

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White and Poppe was a Coventry based proprietary engine and gearbox manufacturer established in 1899 by Alfred James White and Peter August Poppe

The company initially worked on the design of a single cylinder engine but this was interrupted by manufacture of munitions for the Boer war (1899-1902).

1903 The first engine produced was for a motor bike (80mm bore 85mm stroke, air cooled).

1905 They introduced a 80mm bore 90 mm stroke engine in 2, 3 and 4 cylinder versions (7-14 hp).

1906 White and Poppe were a proprietary engine manufacturer and became a preferred supplier to Dennis Brothers, at which point White and Poppe were supplying 22 different motor manufacturers including Morris and Ariel

1914 The company employed 350 people

1916 When the first German airship was shot down (Schutte-Lanz SL11) on 3rd September, it was fitted with a White and Poppe carburettor.

1918 The company employed 12,000 people due to the large contracts they had to build munitions

1919 On 5th November, in the post World War I recession, Dennis Brothers purchased White and Poppe by exchange of shares to the value of £204,365.00. By then, White and Poppe had produced nearly 12,000 engines in total, including approximately 5,000 for Dennis Bros.

Alfred White was offered a knighthood after World War I, but turned it down because Peter Poppe was not eligible, being a foreign national.

1919 March. Advert for their engines and carburettors.

1920 Alfred White sold his shares to Dennis Brothers but stayed on until 1922 when he joined Rover as Chief Engineer