McLaren - where does all the cash come from?

[NightRunner]

After watching 'How to make a supercar' the other week, it became apparent that McLaren are either stupidly cash rich or have some very very trusting backers for their new road car projects.

Where does all their cash come from? They seem to be swimming in it!

[ZOLLAR]

They have their fingers in many other pies IIRC.

[sherbert90]

ZOLLAR said:

They have their fingers in many other pies IIRC.

This. They have a number of different projects related to all sorts of things. Being one of the biggest F1 teams will help too, leverage with lots of suppliers I'd imagine.

[kaese]

I believe they have a lot of backing from the Far East (or perhaps even part owners from the Far East) - that may be just the F1 team, however.

ETA -

"McLaren is 50% owned by Bahrain's Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund with the remaining shares in the hands of its chairman, Ron Dennis, and Saudi tycoon Mansour Ojjeh."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/feb/28/mclare...

Edited by kaese on Sunday 4th December 18:16

Edited by kaese on Sunday 4th December 18:17

[The Nur]

If I remember correctly there are seven or eight different arms to McLaren, including a catering sector?

[kieranjholland]

And a pushchair maker

[anonymous-user]

Plus a huge income from pushchairs.

[kieranjholland]

kieranjholland said:

And a pushchair maker

sebdangerfield said:

Plus a huge income from pushchairs.

Snap

[Meridius]

Im sure they make pushbikes too.

[sherbert90]

Meridius said:

Im sure they make pushbikes too.

They don't make them, just have done a couple of limited editions with Specialized.

[pwrc]

McLaren is nothing to do with MacLaren pushchairs.

[mjcneat]

The Nur said:

If I remember correctly there are seven or eight different arms to McLaren, including a catering sector?

Absolute Taste IIRC

[sherbert90]

pwrc said:

McLaren is nothing to do with MacLaren pushchairs.

I feel a whoosh coming...

[Mark34bn]

TAG McLaren Hifi components cost a fortune (if they're still for sale), are they tied in with TAG watches aswell?

Edited by Mark34bn on Sunday 4th December 18:47

[Rich_W]

Mark34bn said:

TAG McLaren Hifi components cost a fortune (if they're still for sale), are they tied in with TAG watches aswell?

Yep.

Technique Avant Garde is Ojjehs company. (Saudis) When TAG used to sponsor Williams in the late 70s/early 80s. Ron prised them away by offering them a stake in the company.

The (essentially startup) money for the Road car is predominatly from the Middle East.

The money McLaren Racing gets from Vodafone, Johnnie Walker etc doesn't filter into the other arms of the company. It pays for the F1 programme.

I gather they all have to be independently viable. So McL Electronics has it's contract with the FIA. (standard ECU) Applied Tech did something for a space satelite a while back. Absolute Waste does catering at other events/exhibitions (think Cirque du soleil is one of their clients) etc

http://www.absolutetaste.com/ says Private Jet food

Edited by Rich_W on Sunday 4th December 18:55

[ikonic]

I believe a lot of it also comes down to their huge sponsorship deals via the F1 team.

Aside from having an incredible driver pairing in performance terms, let's not forget that having Lewis Hamilton (a pioneering black F1 champion) and Button (a clean cut nice guy) plays very very well with the sponsors.

[anonymous-user]

I bet they are contracted by other car manufacturers for certain things too. By the sounds of it their carbon fibre technology is world leading, not saying they do that specifically though.

[Monkeylegend]

pwrc said:

McLaren is nothing to do with MacLaren pushchairs.

Are you sure about that?

[Crafty_]

McLaren Automotive do quite a bit of stuff - standard ECUs for all F1 cars and from next season NASCAR too, no doubt they do other stuff as well.

[Rich_W]

MSTRBKR said:

I bet they are contracted by other car manufacturers for certain things too. By the sounds of it their carbon fibre technology is world leading, not saying they do that specifically though.

Carbo Tech (who make the CF for McL in Austria) Also did the Carrera GT and IIRC Aerospace stuff. So it's the other way round.

http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/10221/carbo...

Crafty_ said:

McLaren Automotive do quite a bit of stuff - standard ECUs for all F1 cars and from next season NASCAR too, no doubt they do other stuff as well.

McLaren Electronics, not Automotive

Edited by Rich_W on Sunday 4th December 19:01