Edward Turner
Encyclopedia
Edward Turner was a British motorcycle designer. He was born in Camberwell
in the London Borough of Southwark
, on the day King Edward VII was proclaimed King.
In 1915, Turner had his first ride on a motorcycle, a Light Tourist New Imperial
.
single he had designed, using a series of vertically stacked gears to drive the overhead camshaft. A subsequent redesign used bevel gears to drive a vertical camshaft, operating the valves through rockers. The only shared aspects of the two designs were the bore and stroke, 74 millimetre, with the barrel being sunk into the crankcases. The head could be removed from either design complete with undisturbed valve gear.
Turner built his first bike in 1927, using his second design, a 350 cc OHC single. The Motor Cycle published a photograph of Turner's patented engine, mounted in his motorcycle called the Turner Special. The Special was registered for road use with the London County Council as YP 9286. It used Webb forks, and a three-speed Sturmey-Archer gearbox.
and East Dulwich
, in the London Borough of Southwark and running Chepstow Motors, a Peckham Road motorcycle shop with a Velocette
agency, Turner conceived the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufacturers. The engine was essentially a pair of 'across frame' OHC parallel twins joined by their geared central flywheel
s, with a one-piece four-cylinder
block (or Monobloc) and single head. The idea for the engine was rejected by BSA
, but adopted by Ariel
. Thus it became the Ariel Square Four
, and not the BSA Square Four. Turner was then invited by Jack Sangster
to join Ariel.
By 1929, at Ariel, Jack Sangster had Edward Turner and Bert Hopwood
working under Val Page
in design. Turner, now 28, married Edith Webley.
in 1930 in chain-driven overhead camshaft 500 cc form.
Ariel released the 600 cc Square Four in 1931.
The 40-year old Val Page, formerly a designer for JAP
, and more lately Ariel (where he was Turner's boss), gave up on Ariel in 1932, and joined Triumph. (Ariel had closed in 1930 but was reconstituted in 1931–32).
In 1936 Triumph
decided to create separate motorcycle and car companies, and sell the motorcycle company. Ariel owner Jack Sangster bought it and changed the name to Triumph Engineering Company. The Ariel Square Four changed from the 4F 600 cc OHC version to the 4G OHV
995 cc version that year.
Turner examined the line of 250, 350 (3H) and 500 cc Mk 5 singles, and rationalised them into three sports roadsters: the Tigers 70, 80, and 90. He added single-tube frames, enclosed valve gear, upswept exhausts, polished cases, new paint designs, and chrome petrol tanks.
car) became the standard by which other twins were judged, and its descendants continued in production until the 1980s. The original 27 bhp parallel-twin was capable of exceeding 90 mph (145 km/h) and weighed 361 lb (166 kg).
Turner's wife Edith died in a car crash near Coventry on 8 July 1939; the same crash which killed Gillian Lynne
's mother and two other friends.
Turner's "sprung hub" was supposed to go into production in 1941, adding 17 lb to the weight of a bike. But the war delayed its introduction until 1948.
In 1942, Turner designed a generator, using an all-alloy Triumph vertical twin engine, for the Air Ministry. After a heated disagreement with Jack Sangster, Turner quit his position at Triumph and promptly became chief designer at BSA, where he worked on a side-valve vertical twin for the War. Bert Hopwood was made Triumph's new designer and Sangster put him to work on a 500 cc side-valve twin competing for the same contract.
By 1943 Bert Hopwood completed the design, but it was never produced. Triumph's prototypes were released in February, before BSA's planned launch. The design later became the post-war TRW model. In late October, Turner went back to Triumph. Hopwood had been working on a design for a 700 cc inline four-cylinder engine that could produce 50 bhp, but Turner's return to Triumph put an end to that plan.
Turner was Managing Director once again by 1944.
The Speed Twin, Tiger 100 and 350 cc 3T models emerged in 1945. They now had telescopic forks, originally designed by Turner, but modified by Freddie Clarke after it was found that fork oil would spew out on bottoming.
on a Tiger 100 built by Freddie Clarke using an alloy wartime generator engine and the unreleased sprung hub in 1946. Turner, away in America, and anti-racing, was furious when he heard, but threw Lyons a victory dinner anyway, and a small batch of replica T100 were made for sale. Clarke resigned and joined AMC as Chief Development Engineer. Bert Hopwood had an argument with Turner over racing, left Triumph, and stayed away for 14 years.
The Mark I sprung rear hub was introduced in late 1947.
In 1948, Turner was persuaded to allow the entry of three 500 cc twins in the Senior TT, but none of them finished, so the experience only added to Turner's opposition to factory racing.
, as designed by Turner, and further developed by Jack Wickes, was launched on 20 September 1949, when three models covered 500 miles at 90 mph (800 km at 145 km/h) in a demonstration at Montlhery. Essentially an enlarged tourer version of the Speed Twin, the 6T was designed to satisfy the substantial American export market, and was advertised as capable of a genuine 100 mph (161 km/h). The Thunderbird became a favourite of police forces worldwide.
For 1950, Turner went for a "low-chrome" policy, and banned the use of chrome fuel tanks. A chrome tank did not reappear till the 1981 Bonneville
T140LE Royal Wedding edition.
Once in production, the first performance improvements came mid-way through the first year when the carburettor size was increased. This was the year Turner expressed the belief that 650 cc was the practical limit for the traditional British 360° vertical twin. It was the last year for the T100 GP model, although the T100C carried on, and the Mark 2 sprung hub was released.
Turner became involved in the establishment of the US-based Triumph Corp. in Maryland, a distribution company created to serve East Coast US markets. After 1950, America became Triumph's biggest customer.
In 1951 Sangster sold Triumph to BSA for £2.5 million, having previously sold Ariel to BSA in 1939. As part of the sale agreement, he joined the BSA Group as a member of the board. Turner's holdings in Triumph gave him 10% of the sale.
A race kit for the Tiger 100 was introduced, bikes were restyled with new paint and the first dual seat appeared.
By 1954 the sportier 200 cc version was available, and called the Tiger Cub
.
The Tiger 100 race kit was dropped, and the T100C came with the kit already installed. The T100C had twin-carburettors for this year only.
In 1952, Turner married Shirley Watts. They had two daughters and a son.
became Chairman of BSA Group, succeeding Sir Bernard Docker
. He appointed Turner Chief Executive of the Automotive Division (comprising BSA
, Ariel
, Triumph, Daimler
and Carbodies
– makers of London taxicabs).
The first unit construction
twin-cylinder motorcycle made by Triumph, the 350 cc (21 ci) 'Twenty One' 3TA , designed by Turner and Wickes, was introduced for the 21st Anniversary of Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd in 1957. Unfortunately it also had the first "bathtub
" rear enclosure, which proved to be a major styling mistake, with dealers reputedly having to remove enclosures to sell bikes. Turner's new unit Triumph Speed Twin
, the 5TA, introduced in 1959 was a 500 cc version of this engine and was similarly styled. The 6T Thunderbird and T110 models also acquired the bathtub rear fairing. Although quickly mimicked by competitors, eventually Turner relented on this unpopular feature, the 'bathtub' becoming more and more abbreviated until disappearing altogether on the final 1966 versions. Sportier versions of both the 5TA (the Tiger 100) and 3TA (the Tiger 90)were produced from 1960-1974 and 1963-1969, respectively.
hit 128 mph on a prototype Triumph Bonneville T120
at the Motorcycle Industry Research Association (MIRA) test track. The "Bonnie" was a show stopper at the 1958 Earl's Court
Motorcycle Show.
Turner, wary of racing and high-performance options, thought the Bonnie was a bad design and reputedly said to Frank Baker, Triumph's experimental department manager, "This, my boy, will lead us straight into Carey Street (where the bankruptcy courts were)."
Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 litre
V8 engine
s used in the Daimler SP250
sports car and Daimler Majestic Major
respectively. The valve gear was more similar to the Chrysler Hemi than the Triumph motorcycle, itself based on Riley.
In 1960 Turner went for a tour of the Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha plants in Japan and was shaken by the scale of production.
By 1961 Turner was under pressure to retire. Bert Hopwood
resigned from AMC, and accepted Turner's offer to work for Triumph as Director and General Manager. It was at this time that Hopwood conceived the idea of a three-cylinder bike and engineer Doug Hele
completed the drawings. Daimler was sold to Jaguar, and Edward Turner's V-8 was put into a Jaguar Mark 2
body with an upgraded interior and trademark Daimler grille, and called the Daimler 2½ litre V8
.
In 1962, the last year of the "pre-unit" models, Triumph used a frame with twin front downtubes, but returned to a traditional Triumph single front downtube for the unit construction models that followed.
From 1963 all Triumph engines were of unit construction.
(later called the T10), a Turner-designed 100 cc automatic transmission scooter for shopping.
had hopes of being appointed Turner's successor, but the job went to BSA's Harry Sturgeon.
BSA management now took over Triumph policy completely. Sturgeon decided to streamline motorcycle operations after McKinsey, an international business consultant, recommended treating the two companies as one.
1966 saw Turner working on a large-displacement, four-cylinder engine design which was not built.
In 1967, Turner, at 66, retired from the BSA Board and Harry Sturgeon took his place. Unlike Turner, Sturgeon was convinced Triumph had to be involved in racing, and John Hartle won the 1967 Isle of Man TT
production event on a Bonneville, just before Harry Sturgeon suddenly died, and was replaced by Lionel Jofeh.
. It was to be sold both as the Triumph Bandit
and BSA Fury
each distinguished by minor cosmetic changes and paint schemes), with 34 bhp capable of 110 mph, and it was already included in Triumph's brochures, when financial problems forced the model to be cancelled before it could be produced. Several pre-production prototypes were made and still exist.
The BSA Fury was an attempt by BSA to compete in the 350 c.c. Double Overhead Cam category. This displacement was, at the time, one of the largest selling in motorcycling. In an early 1970s issue of Cycle Buyers Guide (a yearly listing of all available Motorcycles) it was stated that in that year prior to that issue, Honda had sold more 350 c.c. Motorcycles than Yamaha had sold Motorcycles.
Both BSA and Triumph marketed two versions of exhaust system on the Bandit and Fury: a Street Scrambler 'SS' version had a high mounted system finished in matt black with both pipes to one side of the engine; the other version had a bright chromed exhaust system conventionally mounted low to either side of the chassis (see picture).
BSA-Triumph both made a major media push with multi page brochure inserts in all of the major US Cycle publications and the 350s were prominently displayed. This represented a determined response to the challenge put forward by the Japanese by designing a competitive and aesthetically current 350. The look was very well received and many enthusiasts were looking forward to their arrival in America.
Unfortunately, BSA-Triumph was in a deteriorating financial condition (labor disputes, engines with bad electrical systems and leaking oil gaskets and aging looks). Faced with limited resources, the Company made a decision to neither produce nor export either 350 and to instead concentrate on the "proven models". Whether this decision contributed to their eventual demise is a point of argument that will never really be resolved.
issued six postage stamps on 19 July 2005 each featuring a classic British motorcycle, Turner was the only designer cited by name in the accompanying presentation packet notes. This was in relation to the 47 pence stamp featuring his 1938 Triumph Speed Twin
.
In 2008, an address where Turner lived and worked in Peckham
, South-East London was awarded a Blue Plaque
by Southwark
London Borough Council following a popular public vote in 2007. The Blue Plaque at 8 Philip Walk, where he lived whilst working for his father's bottle-brush factory itself now at 6 Philip Walk, was unveiled by his son, Edward Turner Jr on Sunday 25 October 2009 in the presence of his siblings, Jane Meadows and Charmian Hawley .
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
in the London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, on the day King Edward VII was proclaimed King.
In 1915, Turner had his first ride on a motorcycle, a Light Tourist New Imperial
New Imperial Motors Ltd
New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long...
.
Turner Special
On April 16, 1925 "The Motor Cycle" published drawings by Turner of an OHCOverhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
single he had designed, using a series of vertically stacked gears to drive the overhead camshaft. A subsequent redesign used bevel gears to drive a vertical camshaft, operating the valves through rockers. The only shared aspects of the two designs were the bore and stroke, 74 millimetre, with the barrel being sunk into the crankcases. The head could be removed from either design complete with undisturbed valve gear.
Turner built his first bike in 1927, using his second design, a 350 cc OHC single. The Motor Cycle published a photograph of Turner's patented engine, mounted in his motorcycle called the Turner Special. The Special was registered for road use with the London County Council as YP 9286. It used Webb forks, and a three-speed Sturmey-Archer gearbox.
Ariel designer
By now, living at various addresses in PeckhamPeckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
and East Dulwich
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is a district of South London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern one third of Dulwich, with the Dulwich Wood area, Dulwich Village and West Dulwich to its South and West making up the remaining two thirds...
, in the London Borough of Southwark and running Chepstow Motors, a Peckham Road motorcycle shop with a Velocette
Velocette
Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns...
agency, Turner conceived the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufacturers. The engine was essentially a pair of 'across frame' OHC parallel twins joined by their geared central flywheel
Flywheel
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia, and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed...
s, with a one-piece four-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
block (or Monobloc) and single head. The idea for the engine was rejected by BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
, but adopted by Ariel
Ariel (vehicle)
Ariel was a bicycle, motorcycle and automobile marque manufacturer based in Bournbrook, Birmingham, England. Car production moved to Coventry in 1911. The company name was reused in 1999 for the formation of Ariel Ltd, a sports car producer.-History:...
. Thus it became the Ariel Square Four
Ariel Square Four
The Square Four was an Ariel motorcycle designed by Edward Turner, who devised the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufacturers. The engine was essentially a pair of 'across frame' OHC parallel twins joined by...
, and not the BSA Square Four. Turner was then invited by Jack Sangster
Jack Sangster
John Young Sangster was an industrialist who became an important figure in the history of the British motorcycle industry. He is more commonly known as Jack Sangster.-Early life:...
to join Ariel.
By 1929, at Ariel, Jack Sangster had Edward Turner and Bert Hopwood
Bert Hopwood
Herbert "Bert" Hopwood was a British motorcycle designer. He helped with some of the most influential designs for the British motorcycle industry and worked for Ariel, Norton, BSA and Triumph.-Motorcycle design career:...
working under Val Page
Val Page
Valentine Page was a British motorcycle designer born in 1892. Described as Britain's greatest motorcycle designer, he worked for most of the leading marques, including Ariel, Triumph, and BSA. He died in 1978.-J.A Prestwich:...
in design. Turner, now 28, married Edith Webley.
Ariel Square Four
The first Ariel Square Four 4F was shown at the Olympia Motorcycle ShowOlympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
in 1930 in chain-driven overhead camshaft 500 cc form.
Ariel released the 600 cc Square Four in 1931.
The 40-year old Val Page, formerly a designer for JAP
JA Prestwich Industries Ltd
JA Prestwich Industries, was an English engineering company named after founder John Alfred Prestwich, which produced cinematographic equipment, internal combustion engines , and other examples of precision engineering.-History:J. A...
, and more lately Ariel (where he was Turner's boss), gave up on Ariel in 1932, and joined Triumph. (Ariel had closed in 1930 but was reconstituted in 1931–32).
In 1936 Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
decided to create separate motorcycle and car companies, and sell the motorcycle company. Ariel owner Jack Sangster bought it and changed the name to Triumph Engineering Company. The Ariel Square Four changed from the 4F 600 cc OHC version to the 4G OHV
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
995 cc version that year.
Triumph general manager and chief designer
Sangster made Turner, now 35, General Manager and Chief Designer. (In this new position Turner received a 5% commission on the company's net profits, and became a shareholder with 4.9% of the equity). The first thing he did was clear space on the production floor for an office and an adjoining drawing office. Val Page had left Triumph four months before and joined BSA. Bert Hopwood came to Triumph as Turner's Design Assistant. Ted Crabtree, who was also at Ariel before, became Chief Buyer, and Freddie Clarke was made Chief Development Engineer: both were motorcycle racers.Turner examined the line of 250, 350 (3H) and 500 cc Mk 5 singles, and rationalised them into three sports roadsters: the Tigers 70, 80, and 90. He added single-tube frames, enclosed valve gear, upswept exhausts, polished cases, new paint designs, and chrome petrol tanks.
Triumph Speed Twin
In July 1937, Turner introduced the 500 cc Speed Twin, selling at £75. It was smaller and weighed five pounds less than the £70 Tiger 90, and proved very successful. The 5T Speed Twin (some say based on the engine design of Turner's Riley NineRiley Nine
thumb|250px|Riley Nine Kestrel Saloon 1933The Riley Nine was one of the most successful light cars produced by the British motor industry in the inter war period. It was made by the Riley company of Coventry, England with a wide range of body styles between 1926 and 1938.The car was largely...
car) became the standard by which other twins were judged, and its descendants continued in production until the 1980s. The original 27 bhp parallel-twin was capable of exceeding 90 mph (145 km/h) and weighed 361 lb (166 kg).
Turner's wife Edith died in a car crash near Coventry on 8 July 1939; the same crash which killed Gillian Lynne
Gillian Lynne
Gillian Barbara Lynne , CBE, born , is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director, television director and choreographer noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with the iconic musicals Cats and the current longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.-...
's mother and two other friends.
Turner's "sprung hub" was supposed to go into production in 1941, adding 17 lb to the weight of a bike. But the war delayed its introduction until 1948.
In 1942, Turner designed a generator, using an all-alloy Triumph vertical twin engine, for the Air Ministry. After a heated disagreement with Jack Sangster, Turner quit his position at Triumph and promptly became chief designer at BSA, where he worked on a side-valve vertical twin for the War. Bert Hopwood was made Triumph's new designer and Sangster put him to work on a 500 cc side-valve twin competing for the same contract.
By 1943 Bert Hopwood completed the design, but it was never produced. Triumph's prototypes were released in February, before BSA's planned launch. The design later became the post-war TRW model. In late October, Turner went back to Triumph. Hopwood had been working on a design for a 700 cc inline four-cylinder engine that could produce 50 bhp, but Turner's return to Triumph put an end to that plan.
Turner was Managing Director once again by 1944.
The Speed Twin, Tiger 100 and 350 cc 3T models emerged in 1945. They now had telescopic forks, originally designed by Turner, but modified by Freddie Clarke after it was found that fork oil would spew out on bottoming.
Triumph T100 GP
Ernie Lyons won the first Manx Grand PrixManx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course every year for a two-week period usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' is considered to be the amateur riders' alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races held in May and June...
on a Tiger 100 built by Freddie Clarke using an alloy wartime generator engine and the unreleased sprung hub in 1946. Turner, away in America, and anti-racing, was furious when he heard, but threw Lyons a victory dinner anyway, and a small batch of replica T100 were made for sale. Clarke resigned and joined AMC as Chief Development Engineer. Bert Hopwood had an argument with Turner over racing, left Triumph, and stayed away for 14 years.
The Mark I sprung rear hub was introduced in late 1947.
In 1948, Turner was persuaded to allow the entry of three 500 cc twins in the Senior TT, but none of them finished, so the experience only added to Turner's opposition to factory racing.
Triumph Thunderbird
The 6T 650 cc ThunderbirdTriumph Thunderbird
The Triumph Thunderbird is a British motorcycle that was introduced by Triumph in 1949 and produced in its original form until 1966. The name was used three more times for new and distinct Triumph models.-Original model:...
, as designed by Turner, and further developed by Jack Wickes, was launched on 20 September 1949, when three models covered 500 miles at 90 mph (800 km at 145 km/h) in a demonstration at Montlhery. Essentially an enlarged tourer version of the Speed Twin, the 6T was designed to satisfy the substantial American export market, and was advertised as capable of a genuine 100 mph (161 km/h). The Thunderbird became a favourite of police forces worldwide.
For 1950, Turner went for a "low-chrome" policy, and banned the use of chrome fuel tanks. A chrome tank did not reappear till the 1981 Bonneville
Triumph Bonneville
The Bonneville is a range of British motorcycles, made in three different production runs from 1959 to 1983, and 1985 to 1988, by the now-defunct Triumph Engineering in Meriden; and since 2001, by Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, where Triumph and...
T140LE Royal Wedding edition.
Once in production, the first performance improvements came mid-way through the first year when the carburettor size was increased. This was the year Turner expressed the belief that 650 cc was the practical limit for the traditional British 360° vertical twin. It was the last year for the T100 GP model, although the T100C carried on, and the Mark 2 sprung hub was released.
Turner became involved in the establishment of the US-based Triumph Corp. in Maryland, a distribution company created to serve East Coast US markets. After 1950, America became Triumph's biggest customer.
In 1951 Sangster sold Triumph to BSA for £2.5 million, having previously sold Ariel to BSA in 1939. As part of the sale agreement, he joined the BSA Group as a member of the board. Turner's holdings in Triumph gave him 10% of the sale.
A race kit for the Tiger 100 was introduced, bikes were restyled with new paint and the first dual seat appeared.
Triumph Terrier and Tiger Cub unit construction singles
The first lightweight for Triumph since 1933, a 150 cc OHV Terrier T15, four-speed unit construction single with a sloping engine, was introduced in 1953. As a result Triumph directors Turner, Bob Fearon and Alex Masters rode from Land's End to John O'Groat's for a 1,000-mile Terrier demonstration and publicity stunt – the "Gaffers' Gallop.". 'Travelling With Mr Turner', a 2011 book by Nigel C Winter (Panther Publishing ISBN 978-0-9564975-4-3), recreated and commented upon this journey.By 1954 the sportier 200 cc version was available, and called the Tiger Cub
Triumph Tiger Cub
The Triumph Tiger Cub is British motorcycle made by Triumph Motorcycles at their Meriden factory. Designed by Edward Turner and launched at the Earls Court show in November 1953 the Tiger Cub competed well against the other small capacity motorcycles of the time such as Villiers...
.
The Tiger 100 race kit was dropped, and the T100C came with the kit already installed. The T100C had twin-carburettors for this year only.
In 1952, Turner married Shirley Watts. They had two daughters and a son.
Triumph T110 Tiger
The production 650 cc Thunderbird was a low-compression tourer, and the 500 cc Tiger 100 was the performance bike. That changed in 1954, along with the change to swing arm frames and the release of the alloy head 650 cc Tiger 110, eclipsing the 500 cc Tiger 100 as the performance model.Chief Executive of BSA Group (BSA, Ariel, Triumph, Daimler, and Carbodies)
In 1956, after a boardroom struggle over power and control, Jack SangsterJack Sangster
John Young Sangster was an industrialist who became an important figure in the history of the British motorcycle industry. He is more commonly known as Jack Sangster.-Early life:...
became Chairman of BSA Group, succeeding Sir Bernard Docker
Bernard Docker
Sir Bernard Dudley Frank Docker was an English industrialist.Bernard Docker was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the only child of Frank Dudley Docker an industrialist....
. He appointed Turner Chief Executive of the Automotive Division (comprising BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
, Ariel
Ariel (vehicle)
Ariel was a bicycle, motorcycle and automobile marque manufacturer based in Bournbrook, Birmingham, England. Car production moved to Coventry in 1911. The company name was reused in 1999 for the formation of Ariel Ltd, a sports car producer.-History:...
, Triumph, Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
and Carbodies
Carbodies
Carbodies LImited is a British company based at Holyhead Road, Coventry. It started business as a coachbuilder, and now, as The London Taxi Company is best known for its production of London taxicabs.-History:...
– makers of London taxicabs).
Triumph 3TA unit construction twin
Unit construction
Unit construction is a term used to describe the design of larger motorcycles where the engine and gearbox components share a single casing. The term is sometimes applied to the design of automobile engines and was often loosely applied to motorcycles with rather different internal layouts such as...
twin-cylinder motorcycle made by Triumph, the 350 cc (21 ci) 'Twenty One' 3TA , designed by Turner and Wickes, was introduced for the 21st Anniversary of Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd in 1957. Unfortunately it also had the first "bathtub
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
" rear enclosure, which proved to be a major styling mistake, with dealers reputedly having to remove enclosures to sell bikes. Turner's new unit Triumph Speed Twin
Triumph Speed Twin
The Speed Twin 5T is a motorcycle that was made by Triumph at their Coventry factory. Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first...
, the 5TA, introduced in 1959 was a 500 cc version of this engine and was similarly styled. The 6T Thunderbird and T110 models also acquired the bathtub rear fairing. Although quickly mimicked by competitors, eventually Turner relented on this unpopular feature, the 'bathtub' becoming more and more abbreviated until disappearing altogether on the final 1966 versions. Sportier versions of both the 5TA (the Tiger 100) and 3TA (the Tiger 90)were produced from 1960-1974 and 1963-1969, respectively.
Triumph T120 Bonneville
In 1958 a twin-carburettor version of the 650 engine emerged. Triumph test rider Percy TaitPercy Tait
Percy Tait is a former professional motorcycle road racer and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have clocked over a million miles of road testing...
hit 128 mph on a prototype Triumph Bonneville T120
Triumph Bonneville T120
The Triumph Bonneville T120 is a British motorcycle that was designed and built by Triumph Engineering between 1959 and 1975, when the engine size was increased to .-Development:...
at the Motorcycle Industry Research Association (MIRA) test track. The "Bonnie" was a show stopper at the 1958 Earl's Court
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
Motorcycle Show.
Turner, wary of racing and high-performance options, thought the Bonnie was a bad design and reputedly said to Frank Baker, Triumph's experimental department manager, "This, my boy, will lead us straight into Carey Street (where the bankruptcy courts were)."
Daimler V8 engines
For 1959 Turner designed the hemi-headHemi engine
A Hemi engine is an internal combustion engine in which the roof of each cylinder's combustion chambers is of hemispherical form.- History :...
Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 litre
Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 litre
The Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 litre V-8 engines were designed by Edward Turner in 1959 and used in several of the cars made by the British Daimler company in the 1950s and 1960s...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
s used in the Daimler SP250
Daimler SP250
The Daimler Dart was a sports car built by British manufacturer Daimler in Coventry.It was launched at the 1959 New York Motor Show, and its greatest success was in the North American market. It had a fibreglass body, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, and a 2.5-litre Hemi-head V8 engine designed by...
sports car and Daimler Majestic Major
Daimler Majestic Major
The Daimler Majestic Major was a large executive saloon made by Daimler in Coventry between 1959 and 1968, using a 4,561 cc V8 engine and offered as a much more powerful supplement to their then current Daimler Majestic....
respectively. The valve gear was more similar to the Chrysler Hemi than the Triumph motorcycle, itself based on Riley.
In 1960 Turner went for a tour of the Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha plants in Japan and was shaken by the scale of production.
By 1961 Turner was under pressure to retire. Bert Hopwood
Bert Hopwood
Herbert "Bert" Hopwood was a British motorcycle designer. He helped with some of the most influential designs for the British motorcycle industry and worked for Ariel, Norton, BSA and Triumph.-Motorcycle design career:...
resigned from AMC, and accepted Turner's offer to work for Triumph as Director and General Manager. It was at this time that Hopwood conceived the idea of a three-cylinder bike and engineer Doug Hele
Doug Hele
Douglas Lionel Hele was a pioneering British motorcycle engineer with Triumph and other firms: BSA, Douglas and Norton. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and died in Hagley, Worcestershire on the 2 November 2001.-Career:...
completed the drawings. Daimler was sold to Jaguar, and Edward Turner's V-8 was put into a Jaguar Mark 2
Jaguar Mark 2
The Jaguar Mark 2 is a medium sized saloon car built from 1959 to 1967 by the Jaguar company in Coventry, England, as successors to the Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 models, manufactured between 1957 and 1959...
body with an upgraded interior and trademark Daimler grille, and called the Daimler 2½ litre V8
Daimler 250
The 2.5-V8/V8-250 was the last Daimler car to feature a Daimler engine after the marque was acquired by Jaguar Cars in 1960. The engine is the hemispherical head V8 designed by Edward Turner and first used in the Daimler SP250 sports car.-Daimler 2.5-V8:...
.
In 1962, the last year of the "pre-unit" models, Triumph used a frame with twin front downtubes, but returned to a traditional Triumph single front downtube for the unit construction models that followed.
From 1963 all Triumph engines were of unit construction.
Triumph Scooters
Two Turner-designed scooters were introduced, about 1958 the high-performance Triumph Tigress (also sold as the BSA Sunbeam) and in 1963 the TinaTriumph Tina
The Triumph Tina was a small and low performance scooter with a 100 cc two stroke engine, an automatic transmission, and a handlebar carry basket....
(later called the T10), a Turner-designed 100 cc automatic transmission scooter for shopping.
Retirement
Turner retired as Chief Executive of the Automotive Division (which included motorcycles) in1963, but retained his BSA Directorship. He was apparently by this time unhappy about the direction the company was taking. Bert HopwoodBert Hopwood
Herbert "Bert" Hopwood was a British motorcycle designer. He helped with some of the most influential designs for the British motorcycle industry and worked for Ariel, Norton, BSA and Triumph.-Motorcycle design career:...
had hopes of being appointed Turner's successor, but the job went to BSA's Harry Sturgeon.
BSA management now took over Triumph policy completely. Sturgeon decided to streamline motorcycle operations after McKinsey, an international business consultant, recommended treating the two companies as one.
1966 saw Turner working on a large-displacement, four-cylinder engine design which was not built.
In 1967, Turner, at 66, retired from the BSA Board and Harry Sturgeon took his place. Unlike Turner, Sturgeon was convinced Triumph had to be involved in racing, and John Hartle won the 1967 Isle of Man TT
1967 Isle of Man TT
The 1967 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is generally acknowledged to be one of the most dramatic TT races of all time. Mike Hailwood, on the mighty but evil handling, four-cylinder Honda, duelled with Giacomo Agostini on the slightly slower but easier to handle MV Agusta.The Italian broke Hailwood's...
production event on a Bonneville, just before Harry Sturgeon suddenly died, and was replaced by Lionel Jofeh.
Triumph Bandit and BSA Fury
In November 1970 the ailing company's last major press and trade launch was held. In the lineup was an ohc 350 cc twin with dual carburettors and five-speed transmission, designed by Turner (already retired) as his last project, and further refined by Bert Hopwood and Doug HeleDoug Hele
Douglas Lionel Hele was a pioneering British motorcycle engineer with Triumph and other firms: BSA, Douglas and Norton. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and died in Hagley, Worcestershire on the 2 November 2001.-Career:...
. It was to be sold both as the Triumph Bandit
Triumph Bandit
The Triumph Bandit was a British motorcycle manufactured as a prototype by Triumph in 1970. Designed by Edward Turner as his last project with help from Bert Hopwood, the Bandit never went into commercial production, and only five have survived, making them very rare.-Development:Launched in...
and BSA Fury
BSA Fury
The BSA Fury was a British motorcycle manufactured as a prototype by Birmingham Small Arms Company in 1970 but by November 1972 BSA Group debts exceeded £20 million...
each distinguished by minor cosmetic changes and paint schemes), with 34 bhp capable of 110 mph, and it was already included in Triumph's brochures, when financial problems forced the model to be cancelled before it could be produced. Several pre-production prototypes were made and still exist.
The BSA Fury was an attempt by BSA to compete in the 350 c.c. Double Overhead Cam category. This displacement was, at the time, one of the largest selling in motorcycling. In an early 1970s issue of Cycle Buyers Guide (a yearly listing of all available Motorcycles) it was stated that in that year prior to that issue, Honda had sold more 350 c.c. Motorcycles than Yamaha had sold Motorcycles.
Both BSA and Triumph marketed two versions of exhaust system on the Bandit and Fury: a Street Scrambler 'SS' version had a high mounted system finished in matt black with both pipes to one side of the engine; the other version had a bright chromed exhaust system conventionally mounted low to either side of the chassis (see picture).
BSA-Triumph both made a major media push with multi page brochure inserts in all of the major US Cycle publications and the 350s were prominently displayed. This represented a determined response to the challenge put forward by the Japanese by designing a competitive and aesthetically current 350. The look was very well received and many enthusiasts were looking forward to their arrival in America.
Unfortunately, BSA-Triumph was in a deteriorating financial condition (labor disputes, engines with bad electrical systems and leaking oil gaskets and aging looks). Faced with limited resources, the Company made a decision to neither produce nor export either 350 and to instead concentrate on the "proven models". Whether this decision contributed to their eventual demise is a point of argument that will never really be resolved.
Commemoration
When the Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
issued six postage stamps on 19 July 2005 each featuring a classic British motorcycle, Turner was the only designer cited by name in the accompanying presentation packet notes. This was in relation to the 47 pence stamp featuring his 1938 Triumph Speed Twin
Triumph Speed Twin
The Speed Twin 5T is a motorcycle that was made by Triumph at their Coventry factory. Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first...
.
In 2008, an address where Turner lived and worked in Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, South-East London was awarded a Blue Plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
by Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
London Borough Council following a popular public vote in 2007. The Blue Plaque at 8 Philip Walk, where he lived whilst working for his father's bottle-brush factory itself now at 6 Philip Walk, was unveiled by his son, Edward Turner Jr on Sunday 25 October 2009 in the presence of his siblings, Jane Meadows and Charmian Hawley .