Sir Kenneth Corley, hailed as one of the greatest champions of the Midlands motor industry, has died at the age of 96.

Sir Kenneth joined car and aircraft component maker Joseph Lucas at the age of 19 and more than four decades later was its chairman and chief executive.

Born in Acocks Green, Birmingham, he was renowned for his optimism, whether it was while his staff built parts for military vehicles in the Second World War or when vehicle production and sales dropped severely in the 1960s.

On his appointment as president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders in 1971, Sir Kenneth told the industry it had "turned the corner after six lost years" of weak sales and strikes.

At first his words held true as that year domestic sales of new cars topped a record 1.2 million and exports hit threequarters of a million.

But by the middle of the 1970s, the industry was yet again in decline with profits falling because of wildcat strikes and stoppages in car factories across the country.

Lucas was left in crisis with £20 million debts when its partner Rolls-Royce collapsed in 1971. Mild-mannered Sir Kenneth is rumoured to have greeted the news with "Mmm, well, well!"

When he stepped down from the chairmanship of Lucas in 1973, having been knighted the previous year, he immediately took up responsibilities in the arts and higher education.

He became a life governor of Birmingham University, governor of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and organiser of the Lucas Festival of Arts, in which employees from across the world exhibited artwork and performed at the Birmingham Rep.

His passion for the motor and aviation industries continued into his eighties as he wrote dozens of letters to newspapers about the immorality of strikes and industrial relations.

Christopher Macgowan, chief executive of The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, yesterday said: " He was a great ambassador for the industry and we are sorry to have lost one of our greatest champions.

"As president of our society, Sir Kenneth oversaw the first rises in new car registrations after six turbulent years.

"He was an integral part of the transformation of the motor industry into a global, lean industry with a very strong footprint in the UK."

Sir Kenneth, who died on March 6, enjoyed bee-keeping, fell-walking and climbing. He was married to Olwen Yeoman in 1937, who died six years before him.

He is survived by a son and a daughter.