McLaren's 15 000th supercar rolls off the line

McLaren celebrated the manufacture of its 15 000th car at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, just seven years after production first began. 

The 15 000th car, a 570S Spider in Curacao Blue from the company’s Sports Series family, represents a further significant milestone for the British sportscar and supercar brand, and comes less than 18 months after the 10 000th car was completed in December 2016.

Limited numbers

The introduction of a second production shift in 2016 to meet rising global demand for McLaren vehicles has seen production double from around 10 cars a day to 20, with over 90% of vehicles built in Woking exported to more than 30 markets around the world.

McLaren achieved record sales in 2017, selling a total of 3 340 cars. Demand has been stimulated by the launch of two new products, the 570S Spider within the Sports Series and the 720S within the Super Series.

Around two-thirds of sales in 2017 came from the Sports Series and one-third from the Super Series. A new Ultimate Series model, the McLaren Senna, has recently entered production and the first of just 500 customer cars will shortly be completed.

A significant milestone

Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer for McLaren Automotive said: "Reaching 15 000 cars built  is a significant milestone for McLaren Automotive and comes under 18 months after we hit 10 000 vehicles, showing how demand and production have increased.

"The Sports Series has been pivotal to driving this growth, with the 570S Spider now the most popular of the range. The fact we are now able to produce 20 cars a day is of course a great testament to the hard work and dedication of every one of our workforce, who should feel justifably proud and part of this great team effort."

The McLaren Production Centre was designed by Foster + Partners and took 14 months to build from breaking ground to 18 July, 2011 when the first car, a McLaren 12C, was approved for shipping.

McLaren Automotive timeline
2010 – McLaren Automotive founded as an independent company
2011 – McLaren Production Centre (MPC) opened in Woking
2011 – 12C Coupe launched
2012 – 12C Spider launched
2013 – McLaren P1TM, the world’s first hybrid hypercar, launched 
2014 – 650S launched
2015 - 570S, 540C, 675LT and McLaren P1TM GTR launched
2016 – 675LT Spider launched, 10,000 cars built, Track 22 business plan launched 
2017 – 720S, 570S Spider and McLaren Senna launched
2018 – 15,000 cars built milestone, MCTC set to open in Sheffield to produce carbon fibre chassis