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Turner Sports Cars | Photos by Chassis Number |
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Turner Sports Cars | Photos by Chassis Number |
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| The Alexander Turner GT Prototype Publicity photographs from 1961 courtesy of Tim Christie. This car features in British Specialist Cars, Vol. 1 by Jasper Wilkins. |
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| These photos were provided by ex-works employee Ken Robbins and show the car in the paddock in 1962. The car was being raced by Wing Commander K.W Mackenzie. |
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| Mackenzie at September 1961 meeting - Goodwood. Courtesy of Michael Ware and copyright of the National Motor Museum Beaulieu. [Russ Filby] |
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| Peter Smith at Oulton Park, BARC Spring Meeting, 6th April 1963. Courtesy and property of John Holroyd. [Russ Filby] |
| 1961 Alexander Turner GT Coupe 6751 RO
Alexander Engineering of Haddenham in Buckinghamshire were agents for Turner sports cars. During 1961 Alexanders wanted a car that would publicise their tuning equipment and their agency for Turner Cars, so together with established Turner race car driver Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie they designed and built one off of their own known as the Alexander Turner GT Coupe. The car was based on a Standard MKII Turner Kit supplied by Jack Turner to Mackenzie and was built up on Chassis Number 61/429. The slightly modified Turner ladder chassis was then fitted with one of their own tuned BMC A type engines and Wing Commander Mackenzie designed the GT body for it with assistance from Tim Fry later to be linked with the Hillman Imp and other Rootes group car designs and Ferrari GP driver Mike Parks. The shapely body shell was constructed by London coachbuilders Williams and Pritchard all in Aluminium and the car was road registered 6751 RO on 05/07/1961 in time for racing during the 1961 season where it was to prove very successful. The GT was driven by Wing Commander Mackenzie (an ex Battle of Britain WWII Hurricane and Spitfire pilot) and was entered under the RAF Motor Sports Association banner where it went on to record many wins and class records during the 61 season. For the 1962 season it was fitted with a stage 3 Coventry Climax 1220cc engine giving nearly 100 hp and again was very successful. Mackenzie and Alexanders had tried to encourage Jack Turner to take up the design for a production version but as Jack was well on to designing and building his own Turner GT he declined the approach. This was therefore the only Alexander Turner GT Coupe built. The car was advertised by Mackenzie for sale in an Autosport advert during September 1962 and was later purchased by racing driver Peter Smith who collected the car from the Haddenham workshop and drove the car back to Yorkshire. Pete Smith campaigned successfully in the car during the 1963/4 season at events such as the Oulton Park BARC Spring Meeting 6th April 1963. Peter recalled however at a race meeting, organised by the BRSCC, at Rufforth he suffered an accident when the rear of the car lost traction and came around on itself sliding the car onto the grass infield where there was a large stone hidden in the grass, The GT hit this sideways and flipped over causing severe damage to the car. The car was repaired over a six month period and sold on as Peter bought a Chevron B8 & B16 with which he went on to have great success in the European sports car series. It is believed the car was sold to a Mr Dolman-Stuart and was known to have been raced at Croft during 1965 by a Malcolm Sutherland and later by a Bernard Whealan. In 1990 a long term Turner enthusiast Tony Hockenhull had heard about the derelict car being offered for sale by a Mr Stirling of Bradford West Yorkshire and Tony bought it and placed it in his barn for safe keeping. At some stage in the cars life it had been re-registered RTE 850L. The car was later acquired by Turner registrar Russell Filby and his father during 2004 and the car is currently undergoing a full restoration. |
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