Being one of Britain’s most famous homegrown sports car manufacturers and motorsport brands, it’s only fitting that UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, was invited to open McLaren’s new production center.
The new production center is another piece in the carefully constructed US$ 1 billion plan that Ron Dennis has devised for the transformation of McLaren Automotive in a fully-fledged car company.
Apart from an extensive dealership network in key markets around the world, McLaren is already developing a full range of supercars based on the recently-launched MP4-12C, including an 800HP Lambo Aventador rival and a smaller, Porsche 911 fighter.
During the opening ceremony, McLaren Group Executive Chairman Ron Dennis stated:
“Through everything we do, McLaren strives to find the solution. we never stop. We exist to go faster; to be state-of-the-art; to innovate; to perform with belief, flair and passion; to be the absolute best at what we do. And everything that McLaren is has been built on the founding principles of good design and solid, seamlessly efficient engineering and manufacturing.”
“Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, great minds such as George Stephenson, James Watt, Matthew Boulton and Isambard Kingdom Brunel have brought tremendous and justified acclaim to Great Britain via their relentless innovation and restless desire to deliver societal benefit.”
“But, in the UK, there has been an over-reliance in the past on the financial and service sectors. Now, industry is realising that Britain’s grand manufacturing tradition is a solid platform upon which to build – and I want the McLaren Group to play its part in the crucial recalibration of UK plc.
“I’m delighted that the Government is embracing that initiative too: we need to encourage young people to embrace the STEM subjects, by which I mean, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“This should not trigger the abandonment of the arts – of which I am also a keen patron. However, I firmly believe it is the role and duty of British industry to offer STEM graduates the appropriate destination jobs – the provision of a worthwhile career path that ensures that our brightest scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians aren’t lured into finance or banking – simply because they feel that engineering cannot compete to offer equal satisfaction or reward.”
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