Prior to 1954 there was nothing in the regulations for the Manx Grand Prix, or in the policies adopted by the organising Manx Motor Cycle Club (MMCC), to preclude previous MGP winners from re-entering, and the winner of the first two MGPs was former First World War dispatch rider Len Randles, riding a 500cc Sunbeam.
A decade later came another multiple winner, the subject of this profile, the inimitable ‘Mr MGP’, Denis Parkinson, who took a hat-trick of wins in the 1936, 1937 and 1938 Lightweight events, each time riding an Excelsior Manxman.
Denis’s MGP debut had been in the 1932 Junior race, finishing 29th on a Norton, so beginning a remarkable Isle of Man career which lasted until his winning ride in the 1953 Senior, his fifth MGP victory. To fully appreciate Denis Parkinson’s MGP achievements, consider his record: 1932 Junior (29th), 1933 Junior (23rd), Senior
