Turner Sports Cars

Chassis Number Unknown EHC 440

Photos and information courtesy of John Hissey and Russell Filby

John Hissey built this Turner in 1957.   Although unknown by Chassis Number,   The car survives today awaiting restoration in the hands of Brian Groves of Crowthorne in Berkshire.   John is looking forward to seeing the car again in 2006 for the first time in many years.. The first two pictures were taken at the start of the 1957 London Rally where John and navigator Arthur Toplis won the class against little opposition. The date was September 20th 1957.The place was the parade ground at Farnborough Camp. The London was a 48 hour affair with special stages in Wales.

John built the car in the year he got married,1957.He was an insurance inspector based in Maidstone at the time and had an office car (Austin A35) so his wife would use the Turner. When it was about a year old she took it in for petrol and the attendant (no self service in those days!) offered to check her tyre pressures. John ran them very low as the car was so light - around 20lbs - but they were put up to 30! John's wife left for Chatham and in the wet up the hill with the sharp bend (it is no longer there) she went straight on over the precipice, landing on a rubbish tip upside down. She was thrown out uninjured but the car lost it's bodywork. The frame remained in good order so John fitted a new body of the later type which came with tail fins. When the family started to arrive John sold the Turner to his sister who used it for many years.

Click here to see John's photos of building the car from 1957,
Photos of the replacement 950S body following the crash, and later pictures of EHC 440 at Club events circa 1985
EHC 440
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