Gordon Murray, the South African-born designer of Formula 1 race cars and the McLaren F1 road car, is launching his own manufacturing company as he celebrates 50 years of car design.
He says the new company, Gordon Murray Automotive, will take innovative car designs into limited-run productions.
Cars built by the new business will be based on a new version of Gordon Murray Design’s automotive production system, iStream. Gordon Murray Automotive also will be able to manufacture vehicles on a low-volume basis for external customers.
“The new manufacturing business significantly expands the capabilities of our group of companies,” Murray says in a statement. “With our first new car, we will demonstrate a return to the design and engineering principles that have made the McLaren F1 such an icon.”
Gordon Murray Automotive forms part of a new corporate organization for the engineering group, and is positioned as a sister company to Gordon Murray Design.
Based in Shalford, Surrey, 35 miles (56 km) southwest of London, Gordon Murray Design developed iStream to deliver complete car programs in an efficient and innovative way from concept and design, through to prototype and development for production.
Murray moved to England in 1969 and worked for Brabham. When Bernie Ecclestone took over the Brabham team, he appointed Murray as chief designer.
This year marks several significant anniversaries for Murray, including his 50th year in vehicle engineering and design, the 10th year of operation for Gordon Murray Design and 25 years since the McLaren F1 road car entered production.
All will be celebrated in November with an exhibition that, for the first time in one location, will gather almost every race and road car from Murray’s 50-year career. It will showcase familiar milestone cars, as well as designs that have never or rarely been on show before.
