Gordon Murray Group is to invest £300m (US$424m) over the next five years in expanding its operations. Underpinning its growth plan is increased R&D, a new division, investment in Gordon Murray Design, and a bolstered leadership team and talent across the business.
Professor Gordon Murray, chairman of Gordon Murray Group, commented on the proposals, “While recently the global spotlight has been on Gordon Murray Automotive and the T.50 models, there has been extensive progress and developments made within the wider group. Today we are taking this to a new level, announcing new investments, a strengthening of our leadership team, enhanced R&D, a new division and a reaffirmation of our philosophy.”
As part of the plans, the company will place greater focus on the development and engineering of electric vehicles. Substantial investment will also be directed toward a ‘superlight’ research and development facility that will work to further reduce the weight and complexity of the firm’s vehicle architectures and manufacturing processes. An additional facility in Dunsfold, Surrey, UK, will be built to manufacture ‘superlight’ frames for Gordon Murray Design and Gordon Murray Automotive vehicle regimes.
The new business unit, which will be known as Gordon Murray Electronic, is being formed by newly appointed CEO Richie Sibal and will support GMD in developing advanced electrified powertrains for global automotive manufacturers and technology companies.
“The automotive future will be increasingly electrified and it’s essential that we design the world’s lightest, most efficient and advanced EVs. This significant investment in Gordon Murray Design and the formation of Gordon Murray Electronics will be realizing that goal. Advanced work is already underway, and we will be sharing more news on our exciting all-electric platform soon,” added Murray.
Strengthening the leadership team, former CFO of Group Lotus, Phillip Lee, has been appointed as a director, group chief financial officer and CEO of Gordon Murray Automotive. Jean-Philippe Launberg has been named as strategy and business director of Gordon Murray Design. John McLaren, chairman of Rouse, will also join the Gordon Murray Group board as a non-executive director.
Gordon Murray Group is set to move its global HQ to a new site in Windlesham, Surrey, housing a new technology campus, a Heritage and Customer Centre, and bespoke design and engineering facilities. Construction is due to begin in July 2021. The first facilities will be ready in 2022, with the entire project scheduled for completion in 2024.
Noted Murray, “Our new technology campus and global headquarters is another major investment but it’s also where the power and capabilities of our expanding group will really be seen. It will be a fantastic new home and create a truly unique culture of collaboration, innovation and interaction. I am convinced it will take us to even greater heights and become a globally renowned center of excellence for vehicle design and creation.”
Gordon Murray Automotive says that development of the T.50 supercar remains on track and testing of real prototypes is now underway. Production should therefore start in 2022 at the group’s new facility in Dunsfold, ready for customer cars to be delivered early in the year.
