McLaren F1 designer awarded CBE in 2019 New Year’s honours

Professor Gordon Murray has worked in automotive design for more than 50 years and now he has been awarded a CBE by The Queen

McLaren F1 designer Professor Gordon Murray has been awarded a CBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours, for services to motoring.

Murray’s honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire comes after a 50-year career in automotive design.

South African-born Murray is still actively involved in the industry via his automotive design company Gordon Murray Design Limited.

“It is extremely humbling to receive a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours,” said Murray.

“I’ve spent more than 50 years doing what I love, working with a wealth of highly-talented and creative people around the world, but primarily in the UK.

“From the competing during the heyday of Formula One, to designing the world’s fastest supercar, I’ve loved every minute.”

Murray joined the Brabham Formula One Team in 1967 and, as technical director, won two world championships, in 1981 and 1983. He then moved to McLaren, winning another three world championships, in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

But Murray is perhaps most famous for his work at McLaren Car Limited, creating the legendary McLaren F1 road car. It later went on to race, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1995 and two world sports car championship titles.

Gordon Murray Design was founded in 2005 and has designed, engineered, prototyped and developed several innovative vehicles. It is recognised for the “innovative and disruptive” manufacturing technology iStream.

Murray is also understood to be working on a brand new supercar

Kevin Fitzpatrick CBE

Other motor industry people honoured in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2019 include Kevin Fitzpatrick, one of the original 22 people who set up Nissan’s factory in Sunderland. Currently Nissan’s senior vice president for manufacturing in Europe, he has been awarded a CBE for services to manufacturing and engineering.

Nick Mason CBE

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has also been awarded a CBE, for services to music. Mason is a well-known car enthusiast, regularly competing at Goodwood with his amazing collection of cars which includes a Ferrari 250 GTO.

For more than a decade, Mason has been president of the Guild of Motoring Writers, the world’s largest organisation for professional motoring journalists.

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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