A WOTTON car manufacturer has won a prestigious motoring award for its electric car - McMurtry Spéirling - which broke a longstanding hill record in the summer.
The Gloucestershire company McMurtry Automotive made motorsport history in June when its EV achieved a new Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb record.
The single-seat vehicle completed the uphill 1.16 mile course in 39.08 seconds with Formula 1 driver Max Chilton behind the wheel.
Yesterday (Tuesday, November 1) the company was awarded the Simms Medal for conception, design and manufacture by the Royal Automobile Club.
McMurtry Automotive, based at Wotton-under-Edge, was founded in 2016 by Renishaw co-founder Sir David McMurtry and former Mercedes F1 engineer Thomas Yates.
The Simms Medal is not awarded on an annual basis and is only presented when an outstanding innovation in the automotive field has taken place.
Thomas Yates, managing director of McMurtry Automotive, said: “We’re truly honoured to be recognised in this way by the Royal Automobile Club.
"The list of former Simms Medal recipients includes some serious engineering talent and we’re humbled to join them.
“We’re looking forward to attempting more famous records in order to further demonstrate the immense potential of the Spéirling, as well as developing the road version.”
Ben Cussons, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Technical Committee, said: “This project is an outstanding example of pushing boundaries – the team were passionate on their mission to create a record-breaker.
“Thomas’ ambitious vision was revolutionary – to develop a leading-edge vehicle that would take the world by storm, and that’s exactly what they achieved.”
Development of the McMurtry Spéirling began six years ago with the mission to make the world’s greatest small cars for the road and track.
The compact rear-wheel-drive single-seater features the same footprint as a Formula 1 car from the early 1960s but features an all-electric powertrain.
The Royal Automobile Club is Britain’s longest standing and historically most influential motoring organisation.
Founded in 1897, to promote automobilism, the private members club champion motoring on road and on track.
They delivered the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and introduced the modern era of Grand Prix racing at Silverstone in 1948.
As part of the award, the McMurtry Spéirling is currently on display at the motoring club's headquarters at Pall Mall, London.
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