Gordon Murray

12 months ago

2023 - new, Post 5 - 2023

Gordon Murray is an exceptional designer who has made significant contributions to the automotive industry. His design philosophy emphasizes simplicity, functionality, and efficiency, coupled with the fact that he never went for compromises whenever he could. These values are evident in his work, which ranges from Formula One cars to supercars and even city cars. Murray’s impressive career and his innovative designs have earned him a reputation as one of the greatest designers of our time.

Murray began his career in the 1970s, designing Formula One cars for the Brabham team. His designs were a significant departure from the norm, emphasizing simplicity and function over elaborate aerodynamic features. After Lotus cam out with its ground effect cars pioneered by Colin Chapman, Gordon Murray on his race to out-engineer everyone designed the BT46B or more popularly known as the “fan-car”. The fan-car only raced once and won that race but Brabham had to stop using it so as not to cause controversy due to its radical design. He went on to design more F1 cars for Brabham earning 22wins and taking 2^nd place in constructors championship. He pioneered the use of carbon fiber in Formula One cars, which significantly reduced their weight and increased their performance. The Brabham BT49, which he designed in 1979, was a groundbreaking car that helped Nelson Piquet win the 1981 World Championship.

BT46

The "fan-car"

BT49

In 1987, he moved to McLaren on a 3 year contract under Ron Dennis where he helped create cars that helped McLaren set records and designed the McLaren MP4/4 that won 15 out of 16 races in the 1988 Formula One season and helped Ayrton Senna win his first World Championship.

Ayrton Senna in the MP4/4

By 1991, he was given the opportunity to lead the design of McLaren’s first production road car and was given the position of Technical Director of McLaren Cars by Ron Dennis where he was responsible for designing and producing the legendary McLaren F1 supercar, which was introduced in 1992. The F1 was a technological marvel, with a carbon fiber body, a central driving position, and a naturally aspirated V12 engine that produced over 600 horsepower. The F1 was the fastest production car of its time, the title it held for more than a decade, with a top speed of over 240 miles per hour, and it set a new standard for supercar design. It is still the fastest naturally aspirated production car ever and one would think such a car could only be driven by professional racers, but the McLaren F1 was designed to be the greatest road car ever and anyone could handle it and easily reach those top speeds which is again a rarity in the supercar market even now.

Gordon Murray with the McLaren F1

McLaren F1 interior showing the center driving seat

What made the F1 unique was not just its impressive performance, but also its design philosophy. Murray believed that a car’s performance should be determined by its weight, not just its power output. This philosophy led him to design the F1 with a focus on lightweight materials and aerodynamics. The car’s carbon fiber body was not just for show; it was an essential component of the car’s performance. The F1 weighed just 2,500 pounds, making it significantly lighter than its competitors, which helped it achieve its impressive performance figures.

The F1’s design was also notable for its simplicity. Murray believed that a car should be as simple as possible, with no unnecessary features or components. This philosophy is evident in the F1’s interior, which is spartan compared to other supercars. There are no power windows, no air conditioning, and no stereo system. The focus is entirely on the driving experience, with every component designed to enhance the driver’s connection to the car which subsequently also means no ABS, no Traction control, no active suspensions, no power steering, in short, any external factors should not come between the interaction of the driver and the road.

Gold and Inconel material usage

Gordon Murray sculpting clay model for wind tunnel testing

After the launch of the McLaren F1, people noticed it was a really great race car with good reliability, and naturally would be a good fit for the prestigious LeMans, the worlds oldest active endurance racing event. So 9 F1’s were specifically created for LeMans and raced with purpose built cars that had years of R&D behind them and yet the F1 set the speed record on the Mulsanne straight and not just took four of the five top spots in its debut year at LeMans, it also won the Championship.

LeMans winning McLaren F1 GTR

Murray’s design philosophy continued to evolve after the F1. By 2007, he founded his design firm, Gordon Murray Design, with a focus on sustainable transportation. Murray recognized that cars were becoming increasingly complex and inefficient, and he saw an opportunity to design a better kind of car – one that was simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly. The result was the T.25 city car, which was introduced in 2010. The T.25 was a radical departure from traditional city cars, which were typically small and underpowered. Murray’s design was revolutionary, focused on functionality, emphasizing simplicity and efficiency above all else. The T.25 was just 8.2 feet long and 4.6 feet wide, making it significantly smaller than other city cars. It was also incredibly light, weighing just 1,212 pounds. The T.25 was powered by a small three-cylinder engine that produced just 51 horsepower, but it was still able to achieve a top speed of 90 miles per hour and yet had a fuel economy rating of over 80 miles per gallon.

T25

However, he still designed supercars which is evident in the launch of T33, T50, and T50s Nikki Lauda which can be seen to have the DNA of the McLaren F1 in its design, being made modern. The T50s Nikki Lauda also pays homage to the “fan-car” with the big ground-effect assisting fan at its rear.

T33

T50

T50 Rear view

T50s Nikki Lauda

T50s Nikki Lauda Rear view

Another factor that has contributed to my admiration for Gordon Murray is his focus on sustainability and efficiency. Murray is known for his emphasis on lightweight design and materials, which not only reduces the carbon footprint of the vehicle, but also improves its performance and fuel efficiency. He is also a strong proponent of electric and hybrid vehicles, recognizing the potential of these technologies to drastically reduce emissions and improve sustainability in the automotive industry.

Overall, Gordon Murray is an admirable figure who has made significant contributions to the automotive industry and has demonstrated a commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and philanthropy. His innovative designs and approach to engineering have had a major impact on the industry and have helped to shape the way we think about cars and transportation in general. He was awarded CBE: Commander of the British Army, in 2019 for his “Services to Motoring”. As a fan of both cars and engineering, I am inspired by his work and I look forward to seeing how his works impact the design of the new generation racecars and road cars.

References

https://www.gordonmurrayautomotive.com/

https://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/the-best-of-gordon-murray-the-creator-of-mclaren-f1-and-latest-t50/39424/

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1081316_a-look-back-at-the-original-clay-models-for-the-mclaren-f1

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/race/historic/2021/3/the-10-best-gordon-murray-cars/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Murray

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.25

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Murray_Automotive_T.50

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_F1

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/race/historic/2021/3/the-10-best-gordon-murray-cars/

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/gordon-murrays-latest-city-car-solution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_F1_GTR