Turner Race Engines

Having purchased engines from Lea-Francis for chassis 003, 004, 005, and 006 in both 1500 cc and 2.0 litre forms, Turner designed and manufacture his own alloy cylinder heads featuring dual spark plugs. Having achieved reasonable race success with these engines and seeing the potential for further weight losses, Turner persuaded Lea-Francis to produce a series of aluminium alloy cylinder blocks. It is thought that twelve such cylinder blocks were produced. The cylinder blocks are identified by the initials 'LFT' as casting marks.

It is known that Turner built at least three all alloy LFT engines, and it is believed that at least twelve of the LFT cylinder blocks were sold to Connaught Engineering to form the basis for their Formula 2 engine.

Engine No.1. A 1.5 litre version fuelled by twin SU carburettors

This engine was sold to George Nixon (formally owner of the ALTA, race prepared by Turner) who installed the engine into a Lotus Mk.8 sports racing car.


Colin Chapman driving a Lotus Mk.8 similar to the one being sold by Nixon.
An advert from Autosport magazine, 7th October, 1955.

Engine No. 2

The 2.0 litre version fuelled by an SU Mechanical fuel injection system for the 1953 Turner F2 single-seat race car. This engine was the personal property of John Webb.

Engine No. 3

In May 1955 Kieft installed a 1500 cc Turner LF engine into one of its sports cars for Welsh club racer Berwyn Baxter. The car ran in several club races before it was entered for the Paris 24 Hour Race at Montlhery where unfortunately it retired. After replacing the SU fuel injection system with special SU carburettors, the car ran in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, but disappointingly retired on its sixth lap due to cooling problems.


The 1.5 litre version fitted into a Kieft sports racing car, fitted with SU mechanical petrol injection.

The following comments were made to the Turner Register following tributes to Jack Turner on his death:

May I add a little concerning Jack Turner, certainly a highly skilled engineer, innovative thinker and an engaging character. He had a persuasive manner with the propensity to avail upon others to work for little or no reward. He did not design the aluminium cylinder block for the Lea-Francis engine but persuaded our engineers to undertake the project. The drawings are still in our possession. He did, however, design his own cylinder head with valves too large with twin plugs per cylinder; this was not a success! The 500 cc 4-cylinder engine was certainly Jack's idea but he persuaded our late Technical Director, Hugh Rose to undertake all the drawings, which were done at Hugh's home in Wolverhampton. Free of charge of course!

Signed by A. B. Price, Managing Director, Lea-Francis Cars Limited.

The Turner 500 cc Engine

Having experienced 500 cc racing with his involvement with the Bardon-Turner racing car, Jack Turner embarked on the design and development of his own small, light and high revving alternative to the JAP, Norton and Matchless engines which dominated the 500 cc scene at the time.

The engine consisted of a water-cooled twin overhead camshaft cylinder head mounted on four individual air-cooled cylinder barrels. The roller bearing crankshaft with dry-sump lubrication, was carried in a separate crankcase.
Seeing its potential, Kieft offered the Turner 500 as an engine alternative for its Formula 3 racing car. Three engines were built, two were to be fitted in the Kiefts of Jim Burgoyne and Wally Ford, whilst Jack Turner retained the third. In effect some parts were cannibalised to keep the Burgoyne engine running.


Jack Turner is seen discussing the engine with Cyril Kieft.


Jim Burgoyne racing his Turner powered Kieft F3 during the 1953 season.


Turner 500 installed in the Burgoyne Kieft.

Disappointingly in competition, due to an inappropriate choice of gear ratios, the Turner 500 engine did not fulfil its full potential, falling short of the power and torque outputs developed by the JAP and Norton engines favoured at the time.

The Turner Formula 2 Race Car Chassis No. 007

In 1952 John Webb, now a Director of the newly formed company Turner Sports Cars (Wolverhampton) Limited, commissioned and financed the building of a racing car to comply with the FIA Formula 2 regulations at the time. Webb continued to drive the Turner MG Formula Libre race car during 1952 while the Formula 2 car was built ready for the 1953 race season.

John Webb's initial drawings for an F2 car:
The car was built on the shorter 7ft 6in. wheelbase chassis with 11inch Girling brakes and Turner Magnesium wheels. The engine was an all-aluminium version of the Lea-Francis Turner 2 1itre unit and was fuelled by an SU Mechanical petrol injection system. Power was transmitted through an Armstrong Siddeley pre-selector gearbox and a chassis mounted ENV differential.

Known race entries:

1953

18th April. West Hants & Dorset Car Club Event at Ibsley, Hampshire. Driver: J. Webb. Entered for 15 Lap Race for cars over 500 cc and 7 Lap Handicap Race.

7th May. Silverstone International Trophy Meeting. J. Webb finished 16th and last in the 15-lap heat. In the 35-lap final he finished 19th out of 21 finishers.

25th May. Crystal Palace International Car Race Meeting. J. Webb finished 9th in a field of 16 in the race for non-supercharged cars over 500 cc and up to 2 litres.

25th July. Snetterton Internation Meeting. Driver: Jack Fairman. U.SAF. Trophy Race. Retired after two laps when the engine stopped after the ignition was inadvertently switched off.

3rd August. Thruxton. Driver: J. Webb. No record of results.

15th August. Charterhall, Scotland. Driver: Jack Fairman. Retired due to engine mechanical failure.

19th September. Crystal Palace. Driver: J. Webb. Race ran in two heats. Finished heat 1, not known if he finished in heat 2.

26th October. Goodwood International Meeting. Madgwick Cup 7-lap race. J. Webb Woodcote Cup race. J. Fairman Did Not Finish.

1954 

19th April. Goodwood. Driver: J. Webb. Retired after only one lap.

15th May. Silverstone International Trophy Driver; Jack Fairman. Finished 13th in a strong international field.

30th May. Aintree 200. Driver: Jack Fairman. Feature race for Formula Libre cars. Fairman finished 9th in the first 17-lap heat and lined up on the 4th row of the starting grid in a field of 20 starters, but as yet there is no record of where he finished.

7th June. Goodwood. Driver: J. Webb. Finished 5th in a 5-lap race.

15th June. Silverstone International Trophy. Driver: J. Webb. Result not known.

2nd August. Crystal Palace. Driver: Driver: J. Webb. August Trophy Final, 5th. Glade Trophy Race 5th.

17th August. Oulton Park Gold Cup Meeting. Driver: Jack Fairman. As Fairman came out for the Formula 1 race a half-shaft broke, posting him as a non-starter.

24th August. Snetterton. Driver: Jack Fairman. Retired with mechanical failure on lap 13 of a 40 lap race.

31st August. Castle Combe. Driver: Jack Fairman. Retired with 'smoke' emitting from the engine bay.

25th September. Goodwood. BARC International Meeting. Driver: Jack Fairman. Madgwick Cup Race. Problems in practice leading to Did Not Start.

1955

11th April. Goodwood. Driver: Ron Flockhart. 7-lap race for old 2 litre F2 cars. Retired after 4 laps. F1 Race: Did Not Start.
30th May, Crystal Palace, Whit Monday. Driver: John Webb. Overturned at Ramp bend when the brakes locked on. Webb was unhurt and able to walk away.

30th July. Crystal Palace. Driver: J. Webb. Failed to qualify for the final of the London Trophy. Finished 3rd in Formula Libre Consolation Race.

13th August. Snetterton. Driver: J. Webb. In what was to be Webb's last race, ended in another disappointment with another retirement.
During 1955 John Webb became engaged to be married, and although his fiancée had supported him in his motor racing, John decided the time had come to call an end to his racing activities to concentrate on the family business and his forthcoming marriage. After its final race at Snetterton, the car and its race tender were advertised for sale in Autosport magazine during September 1955. Following the end of the F2 race program in 1955, Turner decided to build a production run of small two-seater open sports cars powered by the Austin A30 engine.
In 1956 the company moved from Merridale Street to former RAF premises at Pendeford Airport, Wolverhampton.
Turner engines were featured and described in Motor Racing magazine, November, 1954.

Rewritten and amended by Ken Robbins, 2018

References and Sources

A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing, Volumes 5 and 6, by Paul Sheldon and Duncan Rabagliati
MG K3 Dossier by M. H. Hawke.
Turner Sports Cars by Peter Tutthill.
Kieft Racing Cars by Peter Tutthill.
Powered Vehicles of the Black Country by Jim Boulton.
Grand Prix Cars 1945 to 1965 by Doug Nye.
Motor Racing Magazine, November, 1954.
Jack Turner's Personal Photo Collection.
Turner Sports Car Register Archives and Website.
 
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