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A Turner slinkily posing in the evening light at Goodwood Revival 2004John (Jack) H Turner built the first Turner in The Smithy, Seisdon, South Staffordshire.  The cars featured a large diameter steel tube ladder frame chassis,  aluminium or fibreglass bodies, and power plants included an engine designed by Turner.  The lightweight bodies gave a good power to weight ratio, and the cars handled well.  Turners were initially road cars, Petula Clark owned several, but were also very competitive winning the Autosport Team prize in 1958 and 1959 and competing at Sebring.

A Turner racing, we think in the US, we'll know more when Spadge tells us ... WON'T YOU SPADGEThe Sports Mk 1 became available towards the end of 1959.  It was basically a re-styling but with Triumph Herald front suspension similar to the Ginetta G4.  Alongside the BMC engined model, at a basic kit price of £550, the customer had the choice of the 1098cc Coventry Climax FWA or the 1216cc FWE variant.  The tuners and Turner dealer Alexander, offered an alloy crossflow head and special camshaft for the "A" series engines.  Along with front discs (standard only on the Climax-engined cars) the Turner-Alexanders were spoilt by an uncomfortable flat spot at 3000rpm but had a 0-60 in 13.4sec and a top speed of 95mph.  The FWA Climax-powered cars returned 12.8sec and 104mph.

 

The Sports Mk 1 cars were still criticised for  trim and retardation and in late 1960 the Sports Mk 2 was announced.  It  came with front discs as standard and even more engine options.  Turner had moved from producing Austin A30 and A35 specials to an individual identity enhanced by the race car "Tatty" Turner.  "Tatty" Turner was conceived by dealer Gordon Unsworth and built by Alan Smith who tuned the FWE engine.  Driven by Pat Ferguson in 1961 and Warwick Banks the following year it was capable of beating works Lotus Elites.  "Tatty" is still alive and well and was sold only recently.

 

Dr "Terrible" Ted Carden racing statesideThe 1962 Racing Car Show launched the pretty 2+2 G Turner with a fibreglass body and  a bonded steel floor pan bracing.  Suspension and layout followed established practice except that the rear torsion bars became trailing arms in conjunction with coil springs and Girling dampers.  Turner conceived this car as a model ready should two-seaters become unpopular and it was not promoted.  Available to order only just nine were built, all with Ford 1500cc engines, and all nine survive.

 

Turner rationalised his line in 1963 with the Sports Mk 3 which sold steadily and supplied 80-100 cars to the total of some 800 Turners.  Turner went into voluntary liquidation in January 1966.

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