Frank Perkins

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Frank Perkins (20 February 1889 Peterborough, United Kingdom - 1967) British engineer, businessman, creator of the Perkins Diesel Engine, and founder of the Perkins Engines Company.

He was a third generation engineer, following both his grandfather and father, who both worked for Barford and Perkins, that family firm that manufactured road construction rollers/compactors, agricultural rollers, and other agricultural machinery.

Frank started working on a high-speed, light-weight, diesel engine with Charles Chapman while working at Aveling & Porter in Rochester, Kent. Before the pair could complete the project, Aveling & Porter went bankrupt. Convinced that they were on to a profitable niche to serve the agricultural tractor market, the two were forced to form their own company, Perkins Engines Company, on 7 June 1932. Champman was technical director and Perkins president of the new concern.

Perkins would go on building new engines and his company until, at age 70, he sold a majority stake in the company to his largest customer, Massey-Ferguson, in 1959. At that time he would also retire from day-to-day management activities at the company. He would pass away eight years later in 1967.