We study binary self-dual codes with a fixed point free automorphism of order three. All binary codes of that type can be obtained by a cubic construction that generalizes Turyn's. We regard such "cubic" codes of length 3/spl lscr/ as codes of length /spl lscr/ over the ring F/sub 2//spl times/F/sub 4/. Classical notions of Type II codes, shadow codes, and weight enumerators are adapted to that ring. Two infinite families of cubic codes are introduced. New extremal binary codes in lengths /spl les/ 66 are constructed by a randomized algorithm. Necessary conditions for the existence of a cubic [72,36,16] Type II code are derived.