Beschreibung
GOODWOOD MEMBERS' MEETING
16 April 2023, 13:00 BST
Chichester, Goodwood
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LOT 31*, N
The ex-Wing Commander K W Mackenzie DFC AFC
1960 Turner 950 Sports
GOODWOOD MEMBERS' MEETING
16 April 2023, 13:00 BST
Chichester, Goodwood
Lot to be sold without reserve
£25, 000 - £35, 000
1960 Turner 950 Sports
Registration no. Not UK Registered
Chassis no. 60/ 307
• Delivered new to K W Mackenzie by Alexander Engineering and prepared by them
• Considerable period race history
• Known ownership history
• Present ownership since 1985
• Restored to original specification over a 10-year period
• Exceptionally well researched and documented
"Those of us who raced Turners, of whatever mark or power, enjoyed some classic sport, safe, reliable and competitive." - Wing Commander Kenneth William Mackenzie DFC AFC (1916 - 2009)
Welsh engineer Jack Turner (1916 - 2011) started out by making a special for his own use and only became involved in motor manufacturing when he was asked to make others. Turners were built initially in Selsdon, Staffordshire and then at Pendeford Aerodrome, Wolverhampton. The first Turner road car was the Sports, seven examples of which were made as 'rolling chassis' kits during 1951/ 52, leaving customers to source their own engines and bodies. Like the contemporary Cooper and Tojeiro, the Turner used a ladder-type frame chassis with independent suspension all round by means of lower wishbones and transverse leaf springs. Unusually, Turner made his own alloy wheels, supplying them also to Tojeiro.
In 1955 Turner returned to motor manufacturing with a fully developed product – the A30 Sports – which, as its name suggests, used the Austin A30 engine, gearbox and running gear. Sold in kit form like the original model, the A30 Sports boasted a particularly handsome two-seater glassfibre body and was fairly successful, 90 examples finding customers between 1955 and 1957. The successor 950 Sports used the A35 engine and was easily distinguishable by its triangular tail fins. Coventry Climax FWA engines were fitted to some examples.
In 1959 Turner introduced another 'Sports', which retained the existing chassis but featured a striking new bodyshell. BMC's A-Series unit remained the standard engine, with Climax units an option, as were front disc brakes and wire wheels. The bulk of production was exported, mainly to the USA, and Turners were highly successful in production sports car racing in both North America and Europe. Regarded by many enthusiasts as the definitive Turner, the Sports evolved through Marks II and III before production ceased in 1966, Jack Turner having become too unwell to continue.
Light in weight and possessing a good power-to-weight ratio, Turner's cars were renowned for excellent handling, both on the road and the racetrack. Turners excelled in motor sport: in the UK they won the Autosport team prize in 1958 and 1959 and achieved a class win in the Autosport Championship in 1960 as well as many individual successes in club racing between 1956 and 1966. Initially success was in the up-to-1, 000cc class using BMC A-Series engines and later in the larger-capacity classes with Coventry Climax FWA and FWE power units, followed by Ford engines. In the USA, Turners won the 1957 and 1958 Sam Collier Memorial Trophy race, and competed at Sebring in 1959 and 1960. Turners also won three SCCA D-Production National races in 1966 and a number of SCCA Production National Championships over the years. Turner's products were often able to 'surprise' the better known cars from the likes of Lotus, MG and Austin-Healey on the racetrack, and continue to be successful in Historic motor sport around the world today.
Originally registered in the UK as '208 JJH', this Turner Sports has been restored by the current vendor, Dutch enthusiast Bob Knijnenburg. Turner Registrar Russell Philby had this to say about Bob's Turner: "208 JJH has a significant racing history and was raced in the 1960 Autosport Championship by Wing Commander K W Mackenzie. The car has been rebuilt by Bob to its original 1960 specification and is regarded as one of the very best Turners still roadworthy today."
Kenneth Mackenzie had started racing while in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1939. He flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain but did not resume his racing career until 1956. Late in 1959 Turner had announced its redesigned 950 Sports model, which featured a new full-width grille, curved windscreen and smoothened rear end. At the same time, Michael Christie, MD of Alexander Engineering of Haddenham, informed the press that they would become the new distributor of Turner Sports Cars Ltd for Southern England. Mackenzie decided that Alexander should tune his factory-assembled Turner, not only because they delivered the car but also because of the long-standing relationship between Mackenzie and Fred Hillier, Alexander's 'chief mechanic'.
Mackenzie did a deal with Michael Christie to race the Alexander-tuned Turner for the 1960 season, the chassis and 948cc BMC engine of which would be prepared by Fred Hillier and his colleagues at Alexander. Mackenzie's Turner 950 Sports, chassis number '60/ 307', was registered as '208 JJH' on 21st March 1960 in Hertford. Competing in the Autosport Series Production Sports Car Championship, Mackenzie finished 3rd in the up-to-1, 000cc class at the season's end. Full race-by-race details of Mackenzie's 1960s seasons may be found in the vendor's copiously illustrated 31-page account of the Turner's history, which is one of the very best single-car histories we have ever seen. It features correspondence with Ken Mackenzie dating from the mid-1980s when he was living in Cyprus, with hand written and typed memories of the way he had built his Turners (including many scanned photographs with his notes).
The car continued to be raced in the years thereafter with differing success, from 1962 running with a Coventry Climax FWA engine ('FWA 6231'), and in the 1970s was re-registered as 'AWA 8' and then '956 JGU' (see old-style continuation logbook on file). Sold to Keith A Price in 1962, the Turner enjoyed a handful of further owners in the UK (list available) before being sold in 1977 to racer/ journalist Peter Ecury in the Netherlands. The Coventry Climax engine was sold on and replaced with a BMC A-Series unit (possibly the original) which had come with the car.
Current owner Bob Knijnenburg acquired the Turner in December 1985 and fully restored it over a 10-year period. As the restoration progressed it became clear that the car retained many authentic details which have been kept (as much as possible) rather than being removed or replaced by new parts. The restoration is fully described and illustrated in the aforementioned account of the car's history.
Bob describes the car as in very good condition. Regular mechanical and cosmetic updates have been made but always in accordance with the 1960 specification, meaning no modern replacements, the only concession being the installation of Michelin 155R15 radial tyres (with tubes) instead of period-correct cross-ply tyres. Another 'deviation' is the use of silicon brake fluid right from the start, which is the reason the brake system has require no attention in 35 years!
Included in the sale is a large stock of period-correct spare parts such Lucas ignition components, oil filters, etc plus many ultra-rare parts unique to an Alexander-prepared Turner (list available). Accompanying paperwork includes thousands of Alexander and Turner related documents, brochures, road tests, books, etc as follows:
• Photographs of the restoration and later
• Original folders of all Turner models from 1955 to 1965
• Original Turner Owner's Manual
• Turner Spare Parts catalogues for Mk1
• All (relevant) copies of Autosport and Motor Sport with references of Turners and race results
• The book Hurricane Combat by Ken Mackenzie
• Numerous technical papers and brochures of Turner parts
• Complete drawing of the steel inner body
Eligible for numerous Historic events and race series, including Goodwood's Fordwater Trophy, this quite exceptional Turner 950 Sports is worthy of the closest inspection.
Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance formalities. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.
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