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<o:p> </o:p>A blue plaque has been unveiled in Southwark dedicated to the designer of the most iconic British motorcycle ever - the Triumph Bonneville.
Edward Turner first started designing and building motorbikes in workshops in Peckham in the 1920s. Now, as part of the Southwark blue plaques scheme, run by Southwark Council, his contribution to the world of motorcycle design has been officially recognised.
The plaque was unveiled by Turner's son, on Sunday October 25 at 8 Philip Walk in Peckham, where he lived in the early 1920s.
Cllr Nick Stanton, leader of Southwark Council, said: "I hope this plaque will remind people for years to come that the man responsible for a truly iconic motorbike lived and worked in this borough."
Stephen Humphrey, Southwark Council archivist said “Edward Turner was a Southwark boy through and through, and it was here in Peckham where he first started and then developed his career in motorbike design, a career that was to make a name for him across the globe. "It was at his own firm, Chepstow Motors, based on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Peckham Road</st1:address></st1:Street>; where he built his first motorcycle, and later he went on to design such classics as the Ariel Square Four, the Triumph Speed Twin, and the Triumph Bonneville."<o:p> </o:p>
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Edward Turner also designed the engine for the Daimler SP250, a sports car of the late 50's / early 60's. That engine was also used in the Daimler version of 1960's jaguar cars . It was a 2.5 litre V8 of very advanced design. That's not bad for a guy who started out on his own is it ? The speed twin that he designed had quite a lot of similarities with the Triumph model 6/1 of the 1920's , but that engine only had one camshaft and a helically cut gear driven primary drive that meant that the engine ran 'backwards' compared to the norm.
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