Edward Turner: The man behind the motorcyclesThe life of Edward Turner, one of Britain’s most talented motorcycle designers, is revealed in full for the first time. Seen by many as a short-tempered man who ran a very tight ship, it is an inescapable fact that his was a highly profitable company. His hugely successful sales campaign after World War II stunned American manufacturers, and had long-lasting repercussions on their own home market. Turner was an inventive genius who had the flair for pleasing shapes, an uncanny ability to perceive what the buying public would readily accept, and to produce it at the right price. No one can deny the impact made at the annual Motor Cycle Show by his Ariel Square Four in 1931, his superbly-styled, single cylinder Tiger models in 1936, and his revolutionary Speed Twin that dominated the Show in 1937. Even more was to follow with his post-war Thunderbird and Bonneville twins. |
