McLaren Automotive revealed a new identity on 22 September, and the story behind it is a good one. The wordmark takes its cue from the sign of a service station in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by Bruce McLaren's parents. It was in that garage that the young McLaren modified the 1929 Austin Seven that gave him his first racing win.
What's new
- A custom typeface, McLaren Sans.
- An all-uppercase wordmark, replacing the previous mixed-case logo.
- A distinctive horizontal line beneath the C.
- A refined palette taken from a photograph of Bruce McLaren: Papaya orange, Ember, Midnight blue, Black, Anthracite, Colnbrook silver and Mist white.
The work was led by David Woodhouse, McLaren Automotive's chief creative officer. The identity will appear on cars, starting with the McL 6GT, and across merchandise and digital channels as it rolls out.
Why it works
Heritage rebrands often go wrong by copying the past too literally. This one borrows a single, specific detail from the brand's origin story and builds a modern system around it. The colour names do quiet storytelling too. It's a useful example to keep for your next pitch to a client with a long history.
Sources
This story is our summary of reporting by Carscoops. Read the original for full detail.
