One Formula - 50 years of car design

by Philip Porter

A close collaboration between the legendary automotive designer Gordon Murray and award-winning author Philip Porter, One Formula is a two-volume blockbuster that has taken more than two years to complete. Covering in detail every one of Murray's 70+ designs, including those he never built, the books are comprehensive, detailed, punchy and fascinating.

Apart from the design story, much of it in Murray's own words, the books are packed with illustrations from his extraordinary archives, including pages from his notebooks, original sketches, correspondence, drawings and behind-the-scenes photographs. These are supplemented by stunning period racing shots by many leading motoring photographers.

The range and breadth of Gordon Murray's automotive designs is unique: from World Championship-winning Formula 1 cars to his extraordinary flat-packed vehicle for Africa, from his pre-eminent McLaren F1 supercar to brilliant tiny city cars, from the first sports car he built himself to his revolutionary iStream manufacturing system, it is all in these two heavy and ultra stylish volumes.

948 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Philip Porter is the author of around 30 motoring books. In an action-packed life, he started competing in hillclimbs and sprints while still at school, winning 10 of his 12 events in 1970 in his full-race Sprite. Bitten by the classic car bug, he bought five Jaguar XKs in 1973 (four of which he still has) and his historic E-types (9600 HP, the oldest E-type which was the development, launch, press car, and 848 CRY, the '61 racer and roadster in the film The Italian Job) in 1976. He began writing articles and books in the mid-'80s. In parallel he began flying hot air balloons and airships competitively (European Airship Championships Silver Medallist) and was the first person ever to fly an airship in Africa. He has twice been Chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society and in 1997 he and his wife Julie formed the International Jaguar XK Club, the Jaguar E-type Club following in 2004. In 2005, he created Porter Press International, which is now one of the world's leading motoring publishers thanks to the amazing team with which Philip is immensely proud to work.