Turner Sports Cars
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA defunct British sports-car manufacturer known for lightweight fiberglass cars, kit-built versions, and club-racing success.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Turner Sports Cars was a small British sports-car manufacturer established by Jack Turner near Wolverhampton, England. The company produced cars from the early 1950s until it entered liquidation in April 1966. Its business combined the manufacture of complete lightweight sports cars with the sale of components and kits, reflecting the low-volume and enthusiast-oriented character of much of Britain’s post-war specialist-car industry. Before producing cars for sale, Jack Turner built one-off specials and prepared racing cars during the late 1940s. He also constructed engines for some of his projects. The earliest commercial Turner products evolved from these specials and were sold as chassis and suspension assemblies with Turner alloy wheels, leaving customers to source and install the engine, transmission, and bodywork. Approximately eight examples of this early form are thought to have been made. The first complete production model was the Turner A30 Sports, also referred to as the Turner 803. It used the 803 cc Austin A30 engine, transmission, and suspension, combined with a simple ladder-frame chassis and an open fiberglass two-seat body. Because the British Motor Corporation did not supply components directly to Turner, parts had to be obtained through dealers, increasing the finished car’s cost. In 1956, the company adopted the 948 cc Austin A35 engine and renamed the model the Turner 950 Sports. The revised car was mechanically similar to its predecessor but gained fully hydraulic brakes, with front disc brakes available as an option. Most examples of both versions were exported, particularly to the United States and South Africa. Turner expanded its range with the Sports Mk I in 1959 and the Sports Mk II in 1960. These models retained the company’s lightweight, multi-engine approach while receiving revised bodies, chassis changes, improved interior trim, and, from 1960, Triumph Herald-based front suspension. Buyers could choose from Austin, Coventry Climax, Ford, and later Ford Cortina power units. The Coventry Climax-powered cars, often known as Turner-Climaxes, offered stronger performance than the Austin-engined versions and helped establish the marque’s sporting reputation. The company also pursued competition success. Turner cars were used in club and national racing, and the car identified as VUD 701 achieved notable results in the 1963–64 Autosport National Race Championship. Driven by John E. Miles, it reportedly won 15 of 17 races outright against works-backed Jaguar, Lotus, and Aston Martin entries. Later developed into a space-framed Modsports racing car with a Cosworth-engineered Ford 1,824 cc engine, VUD 701 became associated with class lap records and is regarded as the most highly developed and fastest racing Turner. Turner introduced the fixed-head Turner GT at the London Racing Car Show in early 1962. Its glass-fiber monocoque center section made it structurally different from the earlier open cars, but production remained extremely limited: only nine were made, reportedly all with the Ford 1,500 cc engine. The final road-car design was the Sports Mk III, launched late in 1963 with a tuned Ford 1,500 cc engine as standard and a prominent bonnet air scoop. Approximately 100 Mk III cars were produced. Turner’s business ended in 1966 after Jack Turner suffered a heart attack and the company went into liquidation. The cost and development burden of a proposed new coupe may also have contributed. The unfinished project was intended to use a rear-mounted Hillman Imp engine, but it did not reach production. Turner Sports Cars therefore remained a small, specialist marque rather than becoming a volume manufacturer. Its surviving cars are chiefly valued for their light construction, mechanical flexibility, fiberglass bodies, kit-car connection, and place in British club-racing history.
History
Turner Sports Car Company Limited emerged from Jack Turner’s pre-production work on specials and racing cars in the late 1940s. Based near Wolverhampton, the company initially supplied chassis, independent suspension components, and alloy wheels, allowing customers to provide their own engines, transmissions, and bodies. Around eight examples of these early products are believed to have been built. The first complete production car was the Turner A30 Sports, also known as the Turner 803. Its specification combined an Austin A30 powertrain and suspension with a ladder chassis and open fiberglass body. In 1956, the 803 cc engine was replaced by the 948 cc Austin A35 unit, creating the Turner 950 Sports. The revised car retained the basic architecture but offered hydraulic braking and optional front discs. Export sales, especially to North America and South Africa, accounted for much of the model’s distribution. Contemporary testing of an Alexander-tuned example recorded a top speed of 95.7 mph and a 0–60 mph time of 13.6 seconds. The Sports Mk I arrived in 1959 with revised body and chassis details. It could be specified with the Austin 948 cc engine or with Coventry Climax FWA and FWE engines, the latter versions commonly being described as Turner-Climaxes. The Sports Mk II followed in 1960 with improved trim and styling changes. Its front suspension became Triumph Herald-based, and the engine range broadened to include Ford 105E and 109E units, followed in 1963 by the Ford Cortina 1,500 cc engine. Turner’s cars were also active in competition. VUD 701 became particularly successful in national racing during 1963 and 1964. It was subsequently developed into a space-framed Modsports car with a Cosworth-engineered Ford 1,824 cc engine, giving it a substantially more specialized specification than the road cars. A new direction was represented by the Turner GT, introduced at the London Racing Car Show in early 1962. The GT used a fiberglass monocoque center section and was offered with Ford or Coventry Climax engines. Only nine were produced, reportedly all fitted with the Ford 1,500 cc unit. The last production model, the Sports Mk III, appeared late in 1963 with a tuned Ford 1,500 cc engine and a conspicuous bonnet air scoop. Approximately 100 were built. The company ceased operations and entered liquidation in April 1966. Jack Turner’s heart attack was an important factor in the closure. The company may also have been affected by the expense of developing an entirely new coupe with a rear-mounted Hillman Imp engine; the prototype was unfinished when the business ended. Turner consequently remained a small, defunct British specialist manufacturer whose legacy rests on lightweight fiberglass sports cars, kit availability, multi-source engine options, and notable club-racing results.
- 1966
Company enters liquidation
[1]Turner Sports Car Company Limited ceased operations and entered liquidation in April, ending production.
- 1963
Turner Sports Mk III introduced
[1]The final production model adopted a tuned Ford 1,500 cc engine as standard and received a prominent bonnet air scoop.
- 1963
VUD 701 achieves national racing success
[1]The Turner competition car reportedly won 15 of 17 races outright in the 1963–64 Autosport National Race Championship.
- 1962
Turner GT presented
[1]A larger fixed-head GT with a fiberglass monocoque center section debuted at the London Racing Car Show.
- 1960
Turner Sports Mk II introduced
[1]The Mk II brought updated trim and styling, Triumph Herald-based front suspension, and additional Ford engine options.
- 1959
Turner Sports Mk I launched
[1]The Mk I introduced substantial body and chassis revisions and could be fitted with Austin or Coventry Climax engines.
- 1956
A30 Sports becomes the Turner 950 Sports
[1]The model adopted the 948 cc Austin A35 engine and gained hydraulic braking, with optional front disc brakes.
- 1951
First Turner cars offered for sale
[1]Turner began offering low-volume chassis and component-based sports cars derived from Jack Turner’s earlier specials.
- 1951
Turner A30 Sports introduced
[1]The first complete Turner production car used an Austin A30 engine and running gear in a lightweight open fiberglass two-seater.
- 1948
Jack Turner develops specials and racing cars
[1]Before commercial production, Jack Turner built one-off specials, prepared racing cars, and developed engines near Wolverhampton.
Products and positioning
A low-volume British specialist marque positioned around lightweight construction, accessible proprietary and sourced mechanical components, customer-build flexibility, and sporting performance in road and club-racing applications.
Open sports car · 1951
Turner A30 Sports / Turner 803
Turner’s first complete production car was a lightweight two-seat roadster with an open fiberglass body, a simple ladder-frame chassis, and Austin A30 803 cc mechanical components. It represented the company’s basic formula of combining readily available production-car components with a specialist sports-car structure and body.
Open sports car · 1956
Turner 950 Sports
Introduced in 1956 as an evolution of the A30 Sports, the 950 Sports used the 948 cc Austin A35 engine and retained the earlier car’s lightweight open body and ladder chassis. Hydraulic brakes were fitted, with front discs available as an option. Approximately 170 Austin A35-engined examples were produced, and many were exported to the United States and South Africa.
Open sports car · 1959
Turner Sports Mk I
The Sports Mk I, launched in 1959, revised the body and chassis of the earlier Turner design. It was offered with the 948 cc Austin engine and with larger Coventry Climax FWA and FWE engines in Turner-Climax versions. Fewer than fifty examples were made, preserving its status as a highly limited specialist model.
Open sports car · 1960
Turner Sports Mk II
The Mk II added improved interior trim and further styling revisions. From 1960 it used Triumph Herald-based front suspension. Engine choices included Austin and Coventry Climax units, followed by Ford 997 cc and 1,340 cc engines and, from 1963, the Ford Cortina 1,500 cc engine. About 150 examples were produced.
Fixed-head sports coupe · 1962
Turner GT
The Turner GT was a larger fixed-head model with a fiberglass monocoque center section. It could be ordered with Ford or Coventry Climax power, although the nine cars built are believed to have used the Ford 1,500 cc engine. The model was discontinued before Turner’s final production phase.
Open sports car · 1963
Turner Sports Mk III
The Sports Mk III was Turner’s final production road car. It used a tuned Ford 1,500 cc engine as standard and was visually distinguished by a large bonnet air scoop. Approximately 100 were built before the company entered liquidation in 1966.
Competition car · 1963
VUD 701
VUD 701 began as a Turner racing car and was later developed into a space-framed Modsports competition machine. Its later specification included a Cosworth-engineered Ford 1,824 cc engine. The car achieved notable national-racing results and became associated with multiple British class lap records.
Brand decisions
1966
Unfinished rear-engined coupe projectStrategyBackground
Turner was developing a completely new coupe during the final period of the business.
Action taken
The proposed car was designed around a rear-mounted Hillman Imp engine, but development was not completed.
Aftermath
Development costs may have contributed to the company’s financial difficulties, and the project ended when Turner entered liquidation.
1963
Introduction of the Sports Mk IIIProduct launchBackground
Turner refreshed its open sports-car range while seeking to offer stronger performance from readily available Ford components.
Action taken
The Mk III was introduced with a tuned Ford 1,500 cc engine as standard and a large bonnet air scoop.
Aftermath
Roughly 100 cars were produced before the company’s liquidation in 1966.
1962
Launch of the Turner GTProduct launchBackground
Turner explored a larger and more enclosed sports-car format beyond its established open two-seaters.
Action taken
The company presented a fixed-head GT with a fiberglass monocoque center section and Ford or Coventry Climax engine options.
Aftermath
The GT remained an ultra-low-volume model, with only nine examples produced.
1960
Introduction of the Sports Mk IIGeneration changeBackground
Turner continued refining its open sports-car range after the Mk I.
Action taken
The company introduced revised styling and trim, adopted Triumph Herald-based front suspension, and broadened available engines to include Ford units.
Aftermath
Approximately 150 Mk II cars were produced, making it one of the more numerous Turner models.
1956
Adoption of the Austin A35 power unitGeneration changeBackground
Turner sought a more capable power unit for its first complete sports-car design.
Action taken
The company replaced the 803 cc Austin A30 engine with the 948 cc Austin A35 unit and renamed the model the Turner 950 Sports.
Aftermath
The revised model continued the original car’s lightweight formula and became one of Turner’s principal export products.
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