Gordon Murray is to be honoured by his alma mater, the Durban University of Technology. The Mechanical Engineering graduate, of the then Technikon Natal, will be awarded the Silver Tusk award which is presented to alumni who have made significant achievements.

As youngster, influence of his motor mechanic father, Murray developed a passion for fast cars which saw him built and raced his first home-built cars in Durban in the late 1960's. Subsequently, in 1969 his dreams led him to England, for many, the home of motorsport.

Murray designed a series of cars for Brabham and over the next 15 years won 22 grand prix enabling Nelson Piquet to win the world championship in 1981 and 1983. In 1986, he joined McLaren International as Technical Director and two years later his Honda powered McLaren won 15 out of the 16 grand prix races and gave Ayrton Senna his first driver's championship.

Between 1991 and 2004, Murray headed McLaren Cars, designing road-going supercars - the McLaren F1 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. During this time, he also designed the Rocket, an ultra lightweight roadster, as an independent project with The Light Car Company.

In 2007 Murray set-up his own company, Gordon Murray Design Limited, and is currently creating a radical, lightweight city car, with a new manufacturing process that promises to revolutionise the future of automotive production and the impact that personal transportation has on the environment.