McLaren is planning to create 1,000 jobs in the UK as part of a £450 million investment in its Woking technology centre, as the British supercar manufacturer expands its manufacturing and research operations.
The investment will support manufacturing and research and development at the Surrey site, according to a report in the Financial Times on Wednesday, which cited two people with knowledge of the plans. The 1,000 roles are expected to include indirect and agency workers. McLaren declined to comment on the report.
McLaren currently employs more than 2,500 people and builds all of its cars in the UK. The expansion forms part of a wider overhaul led by chief executive Nick Collins following the combination of McLaren Automotive and electric vehicle start-up Forseven last year.
New ownership reshapes McLaren
Abu Dhabi investment company CYVN Holdings acquired McLaren Automotive from Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat in 2025. McLaren Automotive and Forseven were subsequently brought together under the newly created McLaren Group Holdings, with Collins appointed chief executive.
CYVN has set out plans to invest $2 billion over five years to revive the automotive business. Collins previously told the FT that McLaren Automotive had been in a “perilous position” before the acquisition, with its financial difficulties threatening the development of new models.
The company began a turnaround programme following the change in ownership, encompassing operational efficiencies and changes to the integrated organisation. McLaren has also said it intends to broaden its range beyond its existing supercars, although details of the new product categories have yet to be announced.
Its board has gained several prominent automotive industry figures during the restructuring. Former Ferrari chair Luca di Montezemolo and Torsten Müller-Ötvös, who previously led Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, are among those brought into the business.
Investment contrasts with automotive job cuts
The recruitment plans provide a rare employment boost for a UK automotive industry that has faced job losses and weaker production as manufacturers contend with falling demand in some overseas markets, US tariffs and growing competition from Chinese carmakers.
Jaguar Land Rover confirmed this week that it is seeking substantial workforce reductions as part of a cost-cutting programme. The company is planning to shed up to 4,000 positions over two years, equivalent to almost 10 percent of its global workforce.
Other British luxury car manufacturers have also reduced headcounts. Aston Martin and Bentley have streamlined their workforces over the past year amid weaker sales in China, an important market for premium vehicles.
McLaren’s commitment to Woking also comes at a time when the government is seeking to attract further investment in UK vehicle manufacturing. High energy costs and changing trading conditions with the European Union remain among the challenges facing domestic producers.
From early next year, electric vehicles exported from Britain to the EU are due to face a 10 percent tariff, while UK-made vehicles are excluded from proposed “Made in Europe” subsidies in their current form.
The reported £450 million programme would expand a business that has retained its manufacturing base in Britain while undergoing significant changes in ownership, management and product strategy. The Department for Business and Trade declined to comment on the investment.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
