It’s not uncommon for people to name their cars, but when it comes to Formula 1, the titles must be slightly more professional and thought out than what we might call our own personal run-around.

However, with fresh designs unveiled each season, and a 60-year back catalogue of car names, how do we choose what to call each one?

Following the announcement that our 2023 challenger will be known as the MCL60, we’ve explored the origins of our naming conventions, from the M2B to the MP4, the MCL32 and this season’s MCL60, here’s how our cars got their names.

Our origins

Our first Formula 1 car was known as the M2B. Now, you might think that the M stands for McLaren and the B for Bruce, but had you given that answer on popular BBC television show QI, you’d have triggered the obvious answer siren and been docked points.

The real answer isn’t much more complicated, however…

Ahead of our first official Formula 1 entry, we used the M2A (yes, the M did stand for McLaren) as our development car. Modifications were made as we fine-tuned our inaugural entry, but the chassis didn’t change, so the name M2B was naturally chosen to succeed it.

This naming convention continued for several years, although if you looked purely at our F1 entries, it might appear a little inconsistent, with the M2B officially succeeded in F1 by the M5A.

This was due to the vast array of series we competed in: The M3A was used in club racing, Formula Libre and later F5000, the M4A was used in Formula 2 and 3, and the M4B was an F1 works car driven solely by Bruce in two grand prix and two non-championship events.

The M5A was followed by the M7A, which became our first race-winning car (seven is a lucky number, after all), courtesy of Bruce in the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix. The M6A and four variants of the M8 were all title-winning cars in Can-Am (Canadian-American Challenge Cup).

The lettering at the end was dropped in 1973 - as we weren’t producing as many variants of each model number - when we launched the M23, which became our first F1 championship-winning car. The M23 was first used in the third round of the 1973 season and scored pole on its debut with Denny Hulme behind the wheel.

The M23 took three wins that year, but it was in the ’74 season that its potential was fully realised. Emerson Fittipaldi drove it to three victories and a further four podiums to secure our maiden Formula 1 World Championship title.

The M23’s success saw it used for a further two seasons, when it won a second title in 1976 at the hands of James Hunt. The M26 was then introduced in 1977, and from there, the numbers continued to rise until 1981…

A new name

The naming convention changed in 1981, with the launch of the McLaren Project 4, or the MP4, for short. This followed our merger with Ron Dennis’ Formula 2 team, Project 4.

This chassis was used for three seasons, with the car developing into the MP4B and the MP4/1, and from here, the MP4 moniker was always followed by a slash and the model of the car. Its successor, the MP4/2, was unveiled in 1984 and driven to the title by Niki Lauda, who clinched five wins and nine podiums inside its cockpit.

The naming convention and the titles largely continued, although the slash changed to a dash in 2001. Alain Prost clinched F1 titles in the MP4/2B (‘85), the MP4/2C (’86) and the MP4/5 (89’), Ayrton Senna in the MP4/4 (’88), MP4/5B (’90) and the MP4/6 (’91), Mika Häkkinen in the MP4/13 (’98) and the MP4/14 (’99), and Lewis Hamilton in the MP4-23 (2008).

A new era

The obvious answer might not have been correct for our first F1 car, but it is the MCL32.

A new naming convention was announced for the 2017 campaign, with the launch of the orange and black MCL32, a year ahead of our official return to our traditional papaya colourway on the MCL33 in 2018. And yes, the MCL is indeed short for McLaren, and the number 32 simply followed on from 2016’s MP4-31.

Since then, the numbers have risen chronologically each year, apart from in 2021, when the car was titled the MCL35M, which was an upgraded version of the MCL35, as opposed to an all-new car. The M stood for Mercedes, signalling our return to using Mercedes engines after three years with Renault and three with Honda.

Celebrating 60 years of history

Although the MCL moniker will remain, we’ll be breaking from the norm this season to celebrate our 60th anniversary.

In honour of this, we have announced that our 2023 challenger will be called the MCL60. The MCL60 is both a nod to our past and a look towards our future as we continue to be inspired by our founder, Bruce, and every driver and teammate who followed him.

The MCL60 will be officially unveiled at our Team Launch on 13 February, which will mark the start of a journey through our history this year as part of McLaren60, taking you back to the M2B and, through 60 years of history, to the MCL60.

Join the team

McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in motorsport.

Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary.