Turner 950 Sports

First registered November 1959.

Photo: John Barbes. Pilgrim Rally in 1961

This car was bought new in 1959 by John Barnes of Selsey. He was a very good amateur rally driver and a very skilled competitor in hill-climb and sprint events.

In 1960, John, with Gerry Clear from Emsworth as co-driver, competed in the RAC Rally of Great Britain. The car also competed in many Southern motor sports events and in 1961 ventured north for its second international, the Scottish Rally,

this time with the present owner’s father, Peter Brierley.As rallies began to use rougher roads the Turner became less competitive and John began using it more for hill climbs and sprints.

In 1960, John had bought a Works Formula Junior / Formula 2 engine from BMC to use in his Lotus seven hill climb car. He sold the Lotus in 1964 to Derek Bell, another member of the Bognor Regis Motor Club, and this became Derek’s first racing car. Derek wanted to use a Ford engine so John used the engine in the Turner. With this engine the Turner really flew and gained many class wins and for a time held the class record at Wiscombe park hill climb.

Photo: Retrieving the car from Jersey

Peter Brierley purchased the car in 1984, a few years after John died. John had moved to Jersey in his retirement and so the car had to be rescued from the garage there where it had sat for at least ten years unused. Although in working order, it was a further year or two wait to return to the road while an appeal was processed by the DVLA to reinstate the car’s deleted registration number. Once back on the road, the car returned to competitive sprints hill climbs and historic rallies.

Photo: Peter Brierley. Gurston Down 1987

In 1988, it received a cosmetic restoration. On route to a Goodwood track day on the day after its return, it was hit by an oncoming car travelling on the wrong side of the road. It was written off and initially the insurance money was not enough to cover the rebuild. This was challenged in court and eventually the other insurance company agreed a sum which enabled the rebuild to be completed.

Photo: Wreck arriving at the Broken Spur Garage near

Chiddingfold.

The car is now owed by Peter Brierley’s son, Stuart. There is still some work to do to return it to its original rally spec but it is now in the original colour and has a set of genuine Turner steel wheels. An original roof light and a Halda Speed Pilot have been located. A set of bumpers are still required to complete it.

Goodwood Revival 2011.