George Turnbull (autoindustry executive)
Encyclopedia
Sir George Henry Turnbull, CEng
, FIMechE
(17 October 1926 – 22 December 1992) was a UK
automobile
executive best remembered in the UK for his period as Managing Director of the Austin
-Morris
Division of British Leyland.
The son of a works manager at the Coventry
-based Standard Motor Company
, George Turnbull left his grammar school
at the age of just 14 to take up a six year automobile engineering design apprenticeship with Standard. It was the company that sponsored his engineering course at Birmingham University
from which he obtained his first degree. He married in 1950 and fathered three children.
Between 1950 and 1951 he held a post as personal assistant to the Technical Director of the Standard Motor Company
. Between 1955 and 1956 he was employed as works manager with oil engine manufacturers Petters before returning to Standard
, where he achieved a series of promotions, initially within Standard and subsequently working for successor companies (much of the Midlands
-based UK motor industry consolidated itself into what became the British Leyland Motor Corporation, late in 1968).
On his promotion to the board of the newly formed British Leyland in 1968 he was, at 41, the youngest member of the board. His time as managing director of the Austin-Morris division ran from 1968 to 1973 and is remembered as a period during which the company reaped the harvest from a decade of insufficient investment in product development and production technology, crowned by increasingly troubled industrial relations. Product launches during Turnbull's time included the Morris Marina
.
In 1974 Hyundai Motor Company
were interested in developing their own car and they hired George Turnbull. He in turn hired five other top British car engineers, Kenneth Barnett body design, engineers John Simpson and Edward Chapman, John Crosthwaite
ex-BRM as chassis engineer and Peter Slater as chief development engineer. Turnbull took two Marinas, one saloon and one coupé
. They used the Marinas as a base to develop the Hyundai Pony
. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign. It was sold in three door hatchback, four door fastback saloon, five door estate and pick-up variants, kick-starting the company's ascendancy in car manufacturing. Turnbull was soon appointed vice-president and director of the Hyundai Motor Company.
Turnbull's three year contract with Hyundai expired towards the end of 1977 triggering speculation of a possible return to a position of power and responsibility with the by now nationalised and ever more troubled British Leyland business or with the British National Enterprise Board
, a quango
positioned between British Leyland and the British government. It was announced in September 1977 that Turnbull would be joining Iran National, then assembling passenger cars based on the British Hillman Hunter. Turnbull's mandate was to increase domestic sourcing of components and in the longer term to foster the development of a home-based auto-industry in Iran
.
Chartered Engineer (UK)
In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer is an engineer registered with Engineering Council UK . Contemporary Chartered Engineers are master's degree-qualified and have gained professional competencies through training and experience...
, FIMechE
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
(17 October 1926 – 22 December 1992) was a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
executive best remembered in the UK for his period as Managing Director of the Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
-Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
Division of British Leyland.
The son of a works manager at the Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
-based Standard Motor Company
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
, George Turnbull left his grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
at the age of just 14 to take up a six year automobile engineering design apprenticeship with Standard. It was the company that sponsored his engineering course at Birmingham University
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
from which he obtained his first degree. He married in 1950 and fathered three children.
Between 1950 and 1951 he held a post as personal assistant to the Technical Director of the Standard Motor Company
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
. Between 1955 and 1956 he was employed as works manager with oil engine manufacturers Petters before returning to Standard
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
, where he achieved a series of promotions, initially within Standard and subsequently working for successor companies (much of the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
-based UK motor industry consolidated itself into what became the British Leyland Motor Corporation, late in 1968).
On his promotion to the board of the newly formed British Leyland in 1968 he was, at 41, the youngest member of the board. His time as managing director of the Austin-Morris division ran from 1968 to 1973 and is remembered as a period during which the company reaped the harvest from a decade of insufficient investment in product development and production technology, crowned by increasingly troubled industrial relations. Product launches during Turnbull's time included the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
.
In 1974 Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
were interested in developing their own car and they hired George Turnbull. He in turn hired five other top British car engineers, Kenneth Barnett body design, engineers John Simpson and Edward Chapman, John Crosthwaite
John Crosthwaite
John Crosthwaite was an English race car designer and engineer, active in both the United Kingdom and the United States.John worked with Cooper Cars, Colin Chapman at Team Lotus, and Mickey Thompson as well as drivers Graham Hill, Dan Gurney, and Jackie Stewart. He designed and built cars for...
ex-BRM as chassis engineer and Peter Slater as chief development engineer. Turnbull took two Marinas, one saloon and one coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. They used the Marinas as a base to develop the Hyundai Pony
Hyundai Pony
The Hyundai Pony , was a small rear-wheel drive automobile produced by the Hyundai Motor Company from 1975 to 1988 .-Background:...
. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign. It was sold in three door hatchback, four door fastback saloon, five door estate and pick-up variants, kick-starting the company's ascendancy in car manufacturing. Turnbull was soon appointed vice-president and director of the Hyundai Motor Company.
Turnbull's three year contract with Hyundai expired towards the end of 1977 triggering speculation of a possible return to a position of power and responsibility with the by now nationalised and ever more troubled British Leyland business or with the British National Enterprise Board
National Enterprise Board
-History:The National Enterprise Board was set up in the United Kingdom in 1975 to implement the Wilson Labour government's objective of extending public ownership of industry...
, a quango
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
positioned between British Leyland and the British government. It was announced in September 1977 that Turnbull would be joining Iran National, then assembling passenger cars based on the British Hillman Hunter. Turnbull's mandate was to increase domestic sourcing of components and in the longer term to foster the development of a home-based auto-industry in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.