Mick Walsh From the cockpit
The greatest car events take vision, passion and drive. My pal Murray Smith is a classic case. As well as competing in a range of machines, both his own and those of trusting friends, Murray has directed some remarkable events. Today, this octogenarian is the driving force behind Lime Rock Park Historic Festival, which he and his team have transformed over recent years. The 2018 event attracted a record number of Bugattis for a race, concours and rally, and Ralph Lauren even sent his stunning Type 57SC Gangloff cabriolet.
In addition to organising key sponsorship deals, Murray created New York’s first concours for Louis Vuitton, which exhibited many of the world’s greatest cars in Rockefeller Plaza over its six-year run, and managed to get Fifth Avenue closed to run Formula One cars! Over the years, there are few racing legends he hasn’t interviewed for Rolex and the Automobile Club de l’ouest, when his infectious enthusiasm always gels with guests. The popular Scot seems to enjoy his events as much as any visitor.
Murray’s lifelong automotive interest began with his father, who knew Prince Bira. “He used to tell me stories about the Thai racing prince and that sparked my imagination,” he says. “Sadly, he died when I was nine, but I never forgot those tales. I wrote an article on Bira for the school magazine, and when I was called up to the headmaster’s study a week later I expected the worst, but to my joy he said one of the directors was so impressed that he’d offered to take me to a race. A few weeks on, a Rolls-royce 20/25 station wagon arrived at school to take me to Silverstone. It was only 9am and the four old boys inside were already drinking champagne. We parked at Abbey Corner and I’ll never forget the sound as David Murray’s Maserati 4CLT screamed past. I loved it, and was hooked.”
Later, while studying at the London School of Economics, Smith took a summer job with Performance Cars in west London: “I helped in the sales room, and John Goldsmith let me drive everything including a road-legal, ex-tim Birkin Maserati 8C Grand Prix car, and a Jaguar C-type that was on sale for £525. We used to get lots of racing characters call by, including Cliff Davis, who always wore his distinctive check shirts and arrived in huge American cars. He’d give me lifts to Goodwood in his Tojeiro-bristol.”
Murray’s first cars were Austins, starting with a Ten: “It was slow, but great for taking out girls. That was followed by a Seven Speedy, which was fun – I still own an Ulster that I found in Japan.”
After university, he worked in various advertising agencies and a tourism account led him to relocate to Greece, where he discovered local motorsport: “I entered Mont Parnes Hillclimb with my Triumph TR and practised every week for a month. The locals were a little stunned when I won my class.” Rallying then became his focus: “One of the scariest drives I’ve had was a 30km morning stage around the coast. We were driving through the mist into the low, blinding sun, with a dramatic drop into the ocean to the side. Those Greek stages were really tough.”
Murray has driven an amazing range of cars, from the ex-bira Invicta Low Chassis in China to a Porsche 959 at 200mph around Daytona. “Demonstrating the ex-richard Seaman Mercedes W154 at Lime Rock was a huge privilege, but a Porsche 917 through Paris was also special. We were handling the Martini account, and through a friend I was introduced to Gregorio Rossi. We got on well and one Sunday he called to asked if I’d like to go for a drive in his 917. Roaring through Bois de Boulogne at 150mph early one Sunday was unforgettable.” Today, Murray is as driven as ever. As well as planning an Italian theme for next year’s Lime Rock event, he continues to host driver interviews at Monterey and Le Mans, which he hasn’t missed since 1967: “It’s an insane event and I love it.”
“I worked in the sales room at Performance Cars and got to drive everything, including a Jaguar C-type that was on sale for £525”