Last updated 19:27, Thursday, 13 November 2008

WEST Cumbria Motorsport Club held a very special evening last week when Stuart Turner, formerly Ford’s director of European motor sport, came along for a chat.

TALK: Pearl Wilson and Stuart Turner with the 2007 World Rally Manufacturers' Trophy

Malcolm Wilson donated the Trophy Room at M-Sport, Dovenby, for the evening and was very disappointed that he could not make it as he wasn't back from Rally Japan.

The Trophy Room was packed out with over 75 eager motorsport enthusiasts.

Turner started the night off and with club president Pearl Wilson - Malcolm’s mother - taking the brunt of his jokes and anecdote everyone knew they were in for a good evening.

Turner started telling how he was introduced into motorsport at an early age whilst sitting in the back of a car after the navigator got lost - he as never looked back since.

He joined his first motor club back in 1953 down in North Staffs and was the club magazine editor until he sent his mags to the then Motoring News and was given the sports editor’s job there.

Rattling off some very clever jokes, he talked about his career in motorsport. First he joined BMC - British Motor Corporation - in 1961 as their competitions manager where he guided the team to many many wins and was there when the Mini’s were winning the Monte Carlo rallies - three times in a row to be precise.

While doing all of this he was still very active in his own events, when a rally actually meant four straight days of driving.

Turner then joined Castrol as their publicity officer for two years then went to Ford as their publicity manager and had numerous wins, including the London to Mexico rallies and of course the Safaris.

He has appointed many famous rallying greats and met many famous people whilst he was at Ford.

But one he remembers vividly was when, at a race track in America, he was told an actor was coming to have a go round - it was Steve McQueen.

Turner then went on to head a new division in Ford that manufactured high performance cars and told how the idea for Escort Cozy was first thought while having lunch.

He headed that division for many years until he went on to be made director of public affairs in 1975 and then, in 1983, director of European motor sport with the responsibility of managing Ford’s race and rallying programme throughout Europe.

Turner was an excellent guest and a big thanks must go to Malcolm Wilson for lending the Trophy Room, Simon Frazer, and compare for the night Roger Fisher.

The next big event for the club is the Grizedale Stages event at Coniston.