David Allen Wickins was an English accountant-turned-entrepreneur, best known for founding the vehicle remarketing business British Car Auctions, and saving Lotus Cars.
17 Facts About David Wickins
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David Allen Wickins was born in Tilehurst, near Reading, Berkshire on 15 February 1920.
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The seventh child of an architect-turned-builder who was 64 when David was born, his father was one of the first civilian casualties killed in London at the start of the Luftwaffe air raids during the Second World War.
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David Wickins's mother was a successful antiques dealer, enabling him to be educated at St George's College, Weybridge, by Josephites.
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David Wickins described his schooling as "very academic, very hard", though an aptitude for figures allowed him to run a betting book for fellow pupils.
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In 1946 and still a Royal Navy officer, David Wickins was offered a commission in the South African Navy, with immediate deployment on their duties in managing the reconstruction of Japan.
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David Wickins then rented a farmer's field at Frimley Bridges, now under junction 4 of the M3 motorway, and set up his first public auction.
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David Wickins then expanded the company across Europe and the United States through acquisition.
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In 1987, Ashcroft bought out the existing shareholders of BCA via Hawley Goodall, and closed down David Wickins treasured aviation division, which flew both Jet Ranger helicopters and Beechcraft King Air turbo prop aircraft.
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David Wickins initially had offices at the Frimley Bridges site, but later moved to purpose-built premises at Blackbushe Airport, Yateley, where the aviation division was based.
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David Wickins oversaw the sale of the business to General Motors in 1986.
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In March 1983, David Wickins was asked to lead a private-sector consortia to help save the Meriden Workers Co-operative.
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In 1985 Ashcroft and David Wickins bought car sales dealership Henlys Group via a Canadian-registered company.
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David Wickins became involved with Charles Forte, Baron Forte, joining the board of Forte Group to enable the family to sell-off the catering and restaurant business to concentrate on their hotel business.
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David Wickins learnt to ride in his 40s, and founded the Priory Equestrian Centre at Frensham.
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David Wickins later agreed to sponsor Mark Thatcher's motor racing activities through BCA.
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David Wickins had been married at least once and possibly twice before he left South Africa.