Supply chain Transformation in the FAS

Automotive Logistics Director Ashley Naughton on how McLaren is transforming at a pace one might expect from the maker of Earth’s fastest road cars

Few companies have the pedigree, history and pure elan of McLaren Automotive, the British manufacturer of luxury, highperformance sports cars and supercars. McLaren was founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren, a New Zealand-born racing driver, and initially the company designed and built only race cars. In recent years, though, it has shifted its focus to high-performance road cars.

Building McLaren's fast-cardedicated logistics function

Its current lineup includes several models, including the 720S (£227,300/$305,000), and GT (£166,300/$204,990), all of which are midengine sports cars (meaning the engine sits between the axle lines of the front and rear wheels). The company’s latest model is the hybrid-powered Artura (£189,200/$233,000), which was introduced in 2021.

In addition to its road cars, McLaren Automotive also produces racing cars and provides support for various racing teams. McLaren Automotive has been at the forefront of automotive technology, leveraging its experience in F1 to translate this excellence into its road cars. Like other F1 teams (Williams and Mercedes) it is based in

South East England – in Woking, Surrey, – but has a worldwide network of suppliers.

The Woking facility is a state-of-the-art complex that includes design studios, as well as engineering and production facilities for McLaren’s road cars, including the GT, Supercars and Ultimate cars.

The centrepiece of the Woking campus is the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). It’s a stunning, futuristic building designed by famed architect Norman Foster, and is the kind of structure one can picture housing a colony of humans on the Moon, or even Mars.

The MTC houses McLaren’s design and engineering teams, home to advanced simulation and testing facilities, including wind tunnels and a driving simulator. McLaren Production Centre sits adjacent to the MTC and is the focus for its supercar operations.

In addition to its Woking HQ, McLaren has a world-class, state-of-the-art

McLaren Composite Technology Centre that manufactures its carbon fibre chassis architecture. It is based in Sheffield, in the North of England.

And overseeing all of the logistics holding these operations together is Logistics Director Ashley Naughton, who concedes that the most challenging aspect of the role is – aptly enough, given the dizzying speed of its products – “having to work at pace”.

“We make fast cars and we have a fastmoving business, and sometimes that’s a bit of a challenge,” he adds. But Naughton is battle-hardened on this front, having spent more than a quarter of a century in logistics and supply chain, working largely

Ashley Naughton

TITLE: AUTOMOTIVE LOGISTICS

DIRECTOR

COMPANY: MCLAREN

INDUSTRY: AUTOMOTIVE

LOCATION: LONDON UK

Naughton brings over 25 years' global industry experience from aerospace and automotive supply chain.

During his career, highlights include 18 years working for Rolls-Royce PLC holding various operational leadership roles in the UK & USA.

In recent years, Naughton has been focusing on supply chain transformation and digitalisation with some of the UK’s largest automotive