MG Turner Special
A Unique Single Seater MG
Pulling back the dust cover from an impressive car has almost become something of a cinema cliché but as George Rozwadowski uncovered his Turner MG Special so that we could roll it outside to take photographs, it was a moment of pure theatre. Even George said that every time he looks at the Turner MG Special he feels reluctant to part with it, but it’s a race car and it needs regular exercise. The striking single seater body displays the stark and functional elegance of so many pre-war racing cars. Although apparently simple the fabrication of the body is actually quite complex, the side panels neatly curve outwards to envelop the chassis rails while the nose section blends effortlessly into the front apron and the rear section is beautifully crafted and rounded. The Turner MG Special looks striking from all angles and the British Racing Green body is set off by the gleaming 16 inch wire wheels complete with knock-on spinners.
Very striking from the rear
George started motor racing in 1969 with a Mini. “I did everything wrong in the beginning but I enjoyed myself enormously and it really is the only way to learn” he explained. “Murray Walker had trouble with pronouncing my surname and nicknamed me ‘Throw-a-rod’. Eventually concerns for his safety compelled George’s family to persuade him to give up racing although he still kept the Mini.
After that he managed to avoid the lure of competitive motor sport until about seven years ago when Philip Walker persuaded him to have a look at his Turner MG Special and when Philip pulled the covers off the car George was seriously tempted once again. Philip then insisted that George should renew his competition licence and lent him a K3 to race, just to get back into the swing of competition. “Motor racing is like a drug and I was smitten once again,” declared George.
Soon after George bought the car in 1998 he reduced the engine capacity to 1408cc and changed the blower to a Marshall type K150 with single carburettor. The engine still puts out around 170 bhp which was rather too much for the original differential which was repaired on numerous occasions until it was finally stripped and rebuilt with a limited slip unit to withstand the power available.
Cockpit, note the pre-selector gearbox
Over the years numerous changes and improvements had been carried out, the original car had a one-gallon sprint fuel tank, for racing a new larger aluminium tank was made, lined with a rubber fuel cell for safety reasons. The tank is fitted with an optical tube to provide a reading of the fuel level.
The Wilson pre-selector gearbox was fully re-built with close-ratios, and had the outer case machined to save weight. The Turner MG now has a battery for the benefit of using an electric fuel pump and a starter motor. Instruments are replacement Smiths, although the rev-counter is original.
Throughout his ownership of the Turner Special George has continued to maintain and improve the car. In the past two years in addition to the work on the differential he has strengthened the drive shafts, rebuilt the gearbox, rebuilt the supercharger and fitted a new cylinder head.
George has campaigned the Turner MG Special at many VSCC, MGCC and Bentley Drivers Club meetings and believes it to be the fastest of the “Triple M MG’s”. The Turner MG always draws large crowds wherever she is raced. George is particularly proud of the handsome glass ‘Car of the Event Award’ which he won at Donnington Park on 1st May 1998. The Turner MG proved to be big hit at Montlhéry a few years ago where George was put in demonstration race against a Bugatti.
The Turner MG Special
George went on to describe how owning the Turner MG Special has been enormous fun. He particularly revels in the noise from the side mounted exhaust, and pointed out that whenever you start the engine it invariably attracts a lot of attention. However, George repeated his belief that competition vehicles need to be driven and raced regularly or they will eventually deteriorate. The Turner MG Special has enormous potential and just needs a good home with someone who wants to experience the sheer joy and exhilaration of historic motor racing. “The Turner would be an ideal car for someone who wanted to establish themselves in VSCC events, it is now really well sorted and would make a perfect racer, it has no vices and handles like a go-kart,” says George. “It power slides beautifully. I have so much fun driving it that I find I’m laughing inside my helmet. I’ve really enjoyed racing the Turner MG particularly at the MGCC meeting at Silverstone every year, it really is a family event as there are some lovely people in the historic racing world.”
Front brake huge drums provide maximum stopping power
Marshall Type K150 blower with single HV8 SU
Sadly George now finds that he doesn’t drive the Turner MG Special often enough and what time he can spare for motor sport he spends behind the wheel of his Le Mans Lotus 11. So this unique MG special will be offered for sale on the 12th June at Cheffins Vintage Auctions which will be held at Duxford Imperial War Museum near Cambridge. For more information contact Damian Jones on 01799 513131 or visit their website www.cheffins.co.uk/vintage_auctions/index.htm.
Six cylinder 1408 cc MG engine
Early History
The basis of this attractive, pre-war racing car was an L1 Magna tourer sold in June 1933 by Patrick Motors of Broad Street, Birmingham to William Ffoxe Downes Hall of Ashford House, Ludlow, Shropshire. It must have looked distinctive with the bodywork and wheels painted blue and the interior trimmed with matching leather. Unfortunately, as with many MGs built at that time, there were a number of niggling faults that eventually required Patrick Motors to return the car to Abingdon for repair.
It is not known exactly how long William Hall kept his Magna, nor is there any other information about the pre-war owners save for a reference in July 1938 that the car was in the hands of a Mr. D.C. Jones. What has been recorded, however, is that Jack Turner purchased the L1 tourer just before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, by which time it must have been well-used. Turner was later to become well known as the builder of racing cars and low-volume production sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s.
Stark racing body is quite complex
Engine cover off
We do not know if Turner bought the car with the intention of using it on the road or just for conversion into a racing car, but anyway in due course Turner produced a single-seater special fitted with a Marshall-blown engine that utilised some MG K3 components and a pre-selector gearbox. The car was raced at a number of venues, including Prescott and Shelsley Walsh.
Richard Ladds