PRESS RELEASE
09/27/2023
Hennessey Hires Top Motorsports and High-Performance Vehicle Engineer from Multimatic as VP of Engineering to Lead Future Hypercar Development
RELEASED
Sealy, Texas
September 27, 2023
- Brian Jones, formerly Chief Engineer of Vehicle Development and Integration at Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations (MSVO), has been appointed VP of Engineering at Hennessey
- Three decades of experience includes lead development of the Ford GT and Mercedes-AMG ONE
- Jones is tasked with vehicle and powertrain development, integration, testing, regulatory certification, and production launch
- Newly created role to oversee engineering for Hennessey Special Vehicles and Hennessey Performance Engineering
PHOTOS [3]
VIDEOS [1]
Sealy, Texas (September 27, 2023) – Hennessey, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator, has appointed Brian Jones as VP of Engineering. Jones will oversee all engineering and development for Hennessey Special Vehicles and Hennessey Performance Engineering, reporting directly to John Hennessey, company founder and CEO.
Before joining Hennessey Performance, Jones served as Chief Engineer of Vehicle Development and Integration at Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations (MSVO), where he led engineering on the Ford GT and, most recently, Mercedes-AMG ONE. Jones will apply his experience and expertise to advance powertrain development, integration, testing, regulatory certification, and manufacturing of the Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar at the company’s Texas production facility.
John Hennessey, company founder and CEO: “The appointment of Brian Jones as Hennessey’s VP of Engineering emphasizes our commitment to growing an expert team focused on building world-class cars, trucks, and hypercars. Brian is a leader who brings the group decades of automotive engineering experience with ultra-high-performance vehicles. I couldn’t be more pleased to have him join our team, as he will help us raise the bar across all of Hennessey’s products.
Before working at Multimatic, Jones was a general manager at AeroDyn Wind Tunnel, a lead engineer at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and a vehicle dynamics specialist at General Motors Corporation. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science degree from Purdue University.
Jones has a multifaceted role leading the Hennessey engineering team. He will work with Venom F5 Chief Engineer John ‘Heinrocket’ Heinricy and the team of engineers who develop, test, and build the 1,817 bhp hypercar. His role also involves overseeing the development of high-performance cars, trucks, and SUVs for Hennessey Performance Engineering – the company will modify nearly 700 vehicles in 2023.
Brian Jones, Hennessey VP of Engineering: “I’m excited to join Hennessey and lead both the hypercar and high-performance vehicles engineering teams – it’s an exciting time to work with a company so experienced with extreme combustion-powered vehicles. Hennessey Special Vehicles is gearing up to set world records with the Venom F5, while Hennessey Performance Engineering is developing new high-performance versions of the Ford Mustang and Cadillac CT5-V.”
The appointment of Brian Jones follows Hennessey’s global debut of the new Venom F5 Revolution Roadster hypercar during Monterey Car Week. The open-top, track-ready model joins the roofless Venom F5 Roadster – revealed in 2022 – and the Venom F5 Revolution Coupe – unveiled in January this year. Find out more about Hennessey Special Vehicles at HennesseySpecialVehicles.com.
Michael Harley
Jon Visscher
ABOUT HENNESSEY
Based in Sealy, Texas, the Hennessey business comprises Hennessey Special Vehicles, Hennessey Performance (HPE), Tuner School, and the Lonestar Motorsports Park. The company has re-engineered more than 12,000 vehicles for performance enthusiasts worldwide to deliver unparalleled driving thrills. Alongside modifying a diverse range of sports and muscle cars since 1991, the company also applies its high-performance expertise to trucks and SUVs – and boasts its hypercars – the Venom GT and the Venom F5.
Every Hennessey product is dyno-proven, fully track-tested, street-legal, and warrantied. Customers may choose from road-ready performance-enhanced cars by Hennessey from various brands, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and Jeep, all benefitting from a host of high-performance upgrades.
With its own test track, engineering curriculum for aspiring tuners, more than 100 team members, and capacity to simultaneously work on 40-50 vehicles, Hennessey Performance is one of the world’s leading specialist vehicle engineering companies. The twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter V8 Venom F5 Coupe sold out in 2021, with customer deliveries taking place from 2021-2023. An open-top Roadster and track-focused Revolution variant joined the F5 coupe in 2022 and 2023, boasting the F5’s prodigious 1,817-hp Fury engine. The company is delivering like never before on its mission of ‘making fast cars faster.’ HennesseySpecialVehicles.com | HennesseyPerformance.com
