He was given a tour of the McLaren Production Centre in Woking and met some of the company’s 2,100 workforce who designed and hand-assembled a record 3,286 cars last year.
The Duke also heard about McLaren’s efforts to encourage more young people to pursue science, engineering and maths-based (STEM) careers and met with apprentices, before being given the chance to place the famous McLaren badge on a car and seeing a model being put through its paces on a rolling road test bed.
Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren Automotive, said: “It’s a great personal honour to welcome The Duke to McLaren Automotive and something that each and every one of our people should feel justifiably proud of as a globally renowned British sports and supercar creator.
“Part of the McLaren DNA has always been about achieving engineering excellence and a pioneering spirit. That goes right back to our founder Bruce McLaren and is instilled in everyone one of us today. But I know that we can only continue to create world-beating cars and technologies that truly push the boundaries of what’s possible by harnessing the talents of an incredible and diverse group of men and women who all bring their unique skills and experiences to bear.”
He continued: “It’s obvious that we’re passionate about our cars, which comes through in abundance to our customers around the world who drive and love our products. What’s sometimes less remarked upon, and which I hope came across during The Duke’s visit, is that we are equally passionate about backing the next generation of design, engineering and manufacturing talent. That’s because we recognise that we rely on attracting, nurturing and developing top talent right across our company, something else we can all be proud of.”
