McLaren builds 10,000th car 16 | 12 | 2016

McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE HAS celebrated the manufacture of its 10,000th car — a 570S finished in Ceramic Grey paintwork from the company’s Special Operations ‘Defined’ palette — from the McLaren Production Centre in Woking. The car rolled out of the Production Centre just over five years after the first car, a McLaren 12C, was completed.

“The production of the 10,000th McLaren is a significant milestone in the short history of the company,” Mike Flewitt (pictured with car), McLaren Automotive Chief Executive Officer, said. “The fact it took us 42 months to build our 5000th car, and just 22 months to build the next 5000, speaks volumes about the pace of development of the company.

Related: Roadtest — McLaren 570GT

“Much of that development is thanks to the introduction of the Sports Series family of cars and it’s therefore fitting that the 10,000th car is a McLaren 570S.”

In early 2016, a second shift was introduced into the McLaren Production Centre to cater for the increased volume thanks to the introduction of the Sports Series family, today comprising the 540C, 570S and 570GT. This took capacity at the Production Centre from 10 cars per day to 20 cars per day.

This year also marked the announcement of the company’s third year of profitability in the first five years it has been producing cars – unprecedented in the automotive industry. McLaren is also on target to almost double its sales this year compared to 2015, from 1654 cars last year to more than 3000 cars in 2016, of which over 90% will be exported. This volume increase is thanks, in large part, to the ramp up in production and success of the Sports Series models.

Today, the McLaren Production Centre employs around 750 people out of a total of approximately 1750 employed by McLaren Automotive.

The 10,000th car will be retained by the company in its Heritage Collection.

Related: Ecurie Ecosse at McLaren Glasgow

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Jim McGill