McLAREN GROUP
The McLaren Group, based in Woking, UK, embraces a collection of niche, hi-tech companies each maximising the benefits of the global name and reputation that McLaren has established in the cutting edge technology sport of Formula 1. Through the application of the principles of total commitment, quality and excellence, the McLaren Group has established itself at the forefront of British engineering and technology.
The Group's roots lie in the partnership between the TAG (Techniques D'Avant Garde) Group and McLaren, which originated in 1981 when Ron Dennis and TAG's Mansour Ojjeh met and became friends. The TAG Group was founded in 1977 to concentrate on those sectors of industry that pioneer advanced technologies.
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In 1983, TAG financed the introduction of a turbo-charged grand prix engine which made its debut that year, and the following season McLaren drivers Niki Lauda and Alain Prost dominated the Formula 1 World Championship, scoring 12 wins from 16 races. This performance enabled McLaren to win the Constructors' World Championship and Niki Lauda to become Drivers' World Champion - the first two of 16 World Championship titles since 1983. TAG then became a major shareholder in McLaren Racing in 1984.
The McLaren Group has evolved considerably over the years and is now comprised of a number of companies operating in a range of diverse, yet related, areas: McLaren Racing (Formula 1); McLaren Automotive Ltd (high performance road cars); McLaren Electronic Systems (automotive electronic systems); McLaren Marketing (marketing services) and McLaren Applied Technologies.
In addition the McLaren Group also encompasses Absolute Taste (catering), Lydden Circuit (race track) and Team McLaren (supporters' club and e-commerce business).
In January 2000, Daimler - parent company of Mercedes-Benz, which supplies engines to the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team - acquired a 40 per cent interest in the McLaren Group. Then in January 2007, the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, a wholly owned company of the Kingdom of Bahrain, acquired a 30% stake in McLaren Group. As announced in November 2009, in a transaction structured so as to be completed by 2011, the McLaren Group will undertake a phased purchase of the 40 per cent shareholding currently owned by Daimler AG. As a result, the McLaren Group will become a fully independent stand-alone corporate entity.
The McLaren Group operates from a 57,000m² Technology Centre which provides leading edge research, development and manufacturing facilities, as well as one of the world's most advanced automotive wind tunnels.
McLaren Technology Centre: The award winning corporate and production headquarters of the McLaren Group, the McLaren Technology Centre is a world leading facility that has integrated the majority of the Group's employees under one roof. The facility's 57,000m ² of office space is located on a 50 hectare site just north of Woking, Surrey , UK . The McLaren Technology Centre includes design studios, laboratories, research and testing facilities, electronics development, machine shops and prototyping and production facilities for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One cars and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The facility also contains a state-of-the-art wind tunnel capable of accommodating 1:2 scale car models.
Since its official opening by Her Majesty The Queen on 12th May 2004, the McLaren Technology Centre has been awarded a number of architectural accolades. The Royal Institute of British Architects presented the facility with a RIBA award, an honour given to buildings that have high architectural standards and make a substantial contribution to their local environment. The facility also made it on to the short list for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize. The McLaren Technology Centre has also been awarded the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust's "Building of the Year". Other awards have included the 2005 Royal Town Planning Institutes Award for Planning for Business and the 2005 Festival Automobile International Architecture Prize.
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