Most manufacturers these days are obsessively fixated on the future (for good reason), so it’s always good fun whenever they decide to take a dive into their past. That ability to draw on heritage is not something that all car manufacturers can do, as not everyone has been around long enough to enjoy a colourful history like Mazda, or Jaguar, or Rolls-Royce. Or indeed, McLaren.
The McLaren name may have been around since the early 60’s, but the man behind it, Bruce McLaren, didn’t arrive in the UK until 1958 when he won a racing scholarship after he'd won his first hillclimb at age 15 in Muriwai, a coastal community in New Zealand where he grew up.
The name ‘Muriwai’ continued to play a role in Bruce’s life after he moved to the UK, with the home he built in the late 60’s in Surrey, bearing the name ‘Muriwai House’ as a nod to his past. It was where Amanda McLaren, Bruce’s only child and brand ambassador for McLaren Automotive, grew up as well, and where she and her mother Patty remained after Bruce’s premature death in 1970 at the age of 32. Muriwai House was finished in white, with blue doors and shutters, and served as an inspiration for the latest specially-developed colour from McLaren’s Special Operations unit (or MSO).
“My mother, Patty, had been at a dinner party with a palm reader who told her she’d live in a big white house with blue doors and shutters. Whether by destiny or design, that is what transpired, and Muriwai was a place of pride for Bruce and comfort to Patty years after my fathers’ death. Muriwai was always special to my father, the exotic name as much as the house. Forty-two kilometres northwest of Auckland, it’s where he grew up and won his first hill climb at the wheel of an Ulster Austin, which remains in McLaren’s heritage collection in Woking.” — Amanda McLaren, Brand Ambassador, McLaren Automotive
With Muriwai House as muse, MSO developed ‘Muriwai White’ as a way of encapsulating the McLaren family’s historical link with the location, as well as to capture the romantic spirit of founder Bruce McLaren when it came to his family, his heritage, and his career. ‘Muriwai White’ is a unique shade of white, peppered with blue flecks, reminiscent of the colour play of the estate.
The very first car to be finished in this unique shade was a McLaren 570S Spider, and was brought to Muriwai House for a photography session. Notably, the home in Walton-on-Thames is presently on sale, with a market price of around $3.77-million (£2.1-million at the time of writing).
“I’m sure my parents would have loved ‘Muriwai White,’ and they would be so proud of the 570S Spider and other McLaren road cars, as that is where my father saw the future of the company. The M12GT was his vision of the road-going supercar, and the DNA of that 1969 car is evident in all of McLaren Automotive’s products. To compare photos of the M12GT outside our old house with the 570S Spider today is a rather lovely circle to behold.” — Amanda McLaren, Brand Ambassador, McLaren Automotive
McLaren’s Special Operations division is committed to allowing discerning customers to realise their dreams, with the capability to develop any colour a client wants. Muriwai White is notable for its story, though it’s hardly the limit of MSO’s abilities, with the division capable of taking on bespoke commissions for one-off models. Muriwai White, while developed as an MSO hue, will now be available as an option across the McLaren Super Series of models.
You can read more about the McLaren 570S Spider here.
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