As well as celebrating 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship with the largest collection of Formula 1 cars ever seen at Goodwood along with a record number of ex-Formula 1 drivers getting behind the wheel of their old F1 cars, this year’s Festival of Speed was also celebrating Gordon Murray’s 60-year career of designing cars.
Growing up in South Africa, Murray’s remarkable life’s work was on display at Goodwood. From the one-off special he built and raced in his native South right through to his latest GMA super and hypercars.
Murray’s career has been as consistent as it has been successful and so it was only appropriate that he should be celebrated at this year’s festival with the Gordon Murray Automotive Central Feature moment. This followed on from Murray showcasing his car collection at the 82nd Members’ Meeting back in April.
Murray’s 60 Years of Revolutionary Design got underway with a collection of his cars making their way up the Hill. It included cars like the 1967 IGM-Ford T1 Murray raced in South Africa and the Formula 1 Championship-winning Brabham BT52 of 1983 right through to his more modern creations such as the McLaren F1 and GMA’s latest hypercar, the T.50s.
Three-time IndyCar Champion and ex-racing driver turned commentator Dario Franchetti has been heavily involved in the development of all of GMA’s cars and got the 2025 Festival of Speed underway on the Thursday behind the wheel of a T.50 with none other than the Duke of Richmond in the passenger seat for the traditional opening of the event.
It was then on Friday afternoon that all of Murray’s cars parked up on the turning circle in front of Goodwood House, surrounding the spectacular mermaid-inspired Central Feature. It was quite something to see such an array of Murray’s creations all in one place, adding to what turned out to be a most memorable 2025 Festival of Speed.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based motoring and travel journalist and editor, a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs by Gary Harman
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