Currently reading: First T50 buyer behind £90m funding for Gordon Murray Automotive

Tarik Ouass was GMA’s first customer; now he is part of a significant investment into the supercar maker

Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has received a $120 million (£90m) investment from the Halo Cars Group, newly set up by entrepreneurs Tarik Ouass and JR Rahn.

The funding will be used to accelerate deliveries of the T33, the T50S Niki Lauda and the first two Gordon Murray Special Vehicles (GMSV) models, the S1 LM and Le Mans GTR.

The first of five S1 LMs recently sold at auction for $20.63 million (£15.8m), making it the most expensive new car ever to go under the hammer.

In a joint statement, Ouass and Rahn said their intention is not to grow Murray’s business in volume but to double down on exclusivity, limiting sales to stoke high sale prices. 

“We believe that further limiting allocations of an already very exclusive production is what allows Gordon Murray’s bespoke craftsmanship and engineering artistry to endure for generations,” they said.

As part of the investment, GMA’s CFO Darren Jukes has been appointed as its interim CEO, filling the gap left by the departure of Phil Lee last month. Ouass and Rahn will sit on GMA’s board of directors.

Although the investment marks the start of Ouass’s involvement in the business, he has had a close relationship with Murray in recent years. He was the first customer to order a T50 and, said Murray, “has acquired every motor car we have ever created”. 

This confirms that Ouass was the buyer who commissioned the five examples of the S1 LM; the benefactor’s identity had previously been kept under wraps.

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Charlie Martin

Charlie Martin Autocar
Title: Staff Writer

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, creating content for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

He is the proud owner of a Mk4 Mazda MX-5 but still feels pangs of guilt over selling his first car, a Fiat Panda 100HP.

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