- North America continues to be largest market plus 49.2% year-on-year UK ‘home’ market growth
- Bespoke division, MSO, triples order book in one year
Global sales for McLaren Automotive, the British creator of luxury sportscars and supercars, rose to 4,806 cars in 2018 with sales up 43.9 per cent over the previous year. This is another record for the company which has increased sales every year since its formation in 2010.
North America, which represents McLaren’s biggest single market and over a third of global sales, surpassed the 5,000 cars sold mark since sales started in 2011. and achieved another year of record growth.
European sales rose 44.2 per cent but the biggest leap was seen in China at 122.5 per cent growth following the introduction of the 570S Spider and 720S. China now accounts for almost 7 per cent of total global sales.
McLaren’s UK domestic market remained strong, achieving a 49.2 per cent year-on-year growth.
The company celebrated building its 15,000th car in the summer at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, where all its cars are hand-assembled, and consistently achieved over 20 cars a day with production exported to over 30 markets.
The MPC also built its most varied mix of products yet including examples from each of the company’s now firmly established Sports, Super and Ultimate Series offerings. As well as the 600LT and McLaren Senna, the company also launched the first two of 18 new products or derivates under its £1.2bn Track25 business plan, the fully deposited Speedtail and, most recently, 720S Spider.
Growth was supported by a rise in the number of retailers with openings in Bellevue, Washington and Troy, Michigan in North America, a second site added in Tokyo plus new sites in Sao Paulo, Guangzhou in China and Leeds and Hatfield in the UK, signalling a strong domestic market. The brand is now retailed in 32 markets with the additions of Riga in Latvia and Warsaw in Poland.
McLaren’s in-house bespoke division, McLaren Special Operations (MSO), which undertakes special vehicle commission and customisation, also had a busy year. More customers are now choosing to add unique, additional luxury touches to their acquisitions which has seen the MSO order book triple in one year.
In November, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Crown Prince of Bahrain opened the company’s second ever facility, the £50m McLaren Composites Technology Centre in the Sheffield region. It will help the company to innovate and produce lightweight carbon fibre ‘tubs’ that will enable it to deliver the lightest in class products and win what CEO Mike Flewitt has described as the new ‘lightweight race’ in place of the traditional ‘power race’, essential as the company moves towards 100 per cent hybrid sportscars and supercars by 2024, more sustainable solutions which tend to be heavier than traditional petrol based powertrains.
“Record sales highlight what a momentous year 2018 was for McLaren Automotive when over 4,800 cars left our Production Centre. That compares to 1,650 in 2015 showing the remarkable expansion in just three years as we work to consolidate growth to 6,000 cars a year by the end of our Track25 business plan. In 2018, we achieved our broadest product offering, launching differentiated, world-beating products such as 600LT and the first two cars under our Track25 business plan in the sublime forms of the Speedtail and 720S Spider both of which have been enthusiastically welcomed by the market.
“We believe we’re well-placed in 2019 with a global market spread and diverse product portfolio. Our optimism is buoyed by the fact that we already have strong order banks into this year and exciting product lined up alongside the prospect of seeing our new in-house developed 720S GT3 race car hit the track with customer teams for the first time as we seek to strengthen the links between our founder’s racing history and our production cars.
“We also now have greater control over our core component – the carbon fibre chassis at the heart of all our cars that gives them – and our customers - a unique performance edge. Our new MCTC facility ramps-up to full production later this year as we move under Track25 to full hybrid for our sportscars and supercars by 2025.”
Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.
-Ends-
In 2017, McLaren recorded a total sales figure of 3,340 cars.
A selection of high resolution images accompanying this release is available to download from the McLaren Automotive media site – cars.mclaren.press
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a creator of luxury, high-performance sportscars and supercars.
Every vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, England.
Launched in 2010, the company is now the largest part of the McLaren Group.
The company has three defined product families: Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series which are retailed through over 80 retailers in 30 markets around the world.
McLaren is a pioneer that continuously pushes the boundaries. In 1981, it introduced lightweight and strong carbon fibre chassis into Formula 1 with the McLaren MP4/1. Then in 1993 it designed and built the McLaren F1 road car - the company has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis since. As part of the Ultimate Series, McLaren was the first to deliver a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren P1™.
Announced at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2018, the company’s Track25 business plan will see it invest £1.2billion in research and development to deliver 18 new cars or derivatives by the end of 2025.
2017 saw the company launch further models including the second-generation Super Series, the 570S Spider and the McLaren Senna. In 2018, the company launched the 600LT and the first two cars of Track25, the McLaren Speedtail, the next Ultimate Series and McLaren’s first ever Hyper-GT, and 720S Spider.
To support the development, engineering and manufacture of its range of innovative sportscars and supercars, McLaren Automotive partners with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology. These include AkzoNobel, OnePlus, Pirelli and Richard Mille.
McLaren Group:
The McLaren Group is a global leader in luxury automotive and technology and comprises three businesses: Automotive, Racing and Applied Technologies.
Further information:
Wayne Bruce
Global Communications & PR Director | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7768 132429
Email: wayne.bruce@mclaren.com
Daniel Golding
Global Head of Corporate Communications | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone:+44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7717 450469
Email: daniel.golding@mclaren.com
Paul Chadderton
Global Product Communications & PR Manager | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone:+44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7990 776749
Email: paul.chadderton@mclaren.com
Amel Boubaaya
Head of Lifestyle and EU Communications | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 531357
E-mail: amel.boubaaya@mclaren.com
Freddie Gilbey
Lifestyle Communications Manager | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 75 0099 9553
Email: freddie.gilbey@mclaren.com
Hunter Skipworth
Social Media Manager | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7990 564 052
E-mail: hunter.skipworth@mclaren.com
Kevin Ritson
Press Officer | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261500
Mobile: +44 (0) 7979 546018
E-mail: kevin.ritson@mclaren.com
Roger Ormisher
Vice President, Communications & PR | McLaren North America
Phone: +1 714 501 8137
Email: roger.ormisher@mclaren.com
Laura Tilley
Public Relations | McLaren North America
Phone: +1 765 517 2186
Email: laura.tilley@mclaren.com
Karin Haferkorn
Head of Marketing & PR, Middle East, Africa and Latin America | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +44 (0) 1483 261343
Mobile: +44 (0) 7899 816872
Email: karin.haferkorn@mclaren.com
Sunny Zhang
PR Communication Director - China | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +86 (0) 21 2074 0520
Mobile: +86 186 1617 9933
Email: sunny.zhang@mclaren.com
Gracia Yap
PR Manager – Asia Pacific | McLaren Automotive Limited
Phone: +65 6338 3700
Mobile: +65 9109 3698
Email: gracia.yap@mclaren.com
Media website: cars.mclaren.press
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mclarenautomotive
Twitter: www.twitter.com/McLarenAuto
You Tube: www.youtube.com/mclarenautomotivetv
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