McLaren will make its public debut at the Concours d’Elegance in Kuwait this month, where the British luxury sports car company will display the first in its range of McLaren high-performance sports cars, the MP4-12C. 

Organisers have also confirmed that the 1959 Cooper T51 Formula One car will be displayed alongside other historic cars at the show.

The Cooper is the sister car to that which Bruce McLaren raced to become the youngest ever driver to win an F1 race, a record that lasted almost 50 years. He founded the famous McLaren racing team in 1963, said a statement.

The event will be held from February 15 to 18 at the Marina World Complex in Kuwait City and the extensive line-up of luxury automobiles on display will be judged on their design, style and elegance, the statement said. 

At its heart, the 12C features a revolutionary carbon fibre chassis structure, the Carbon MonoCell: the first time any car has ever featured a one-piece moulded carbon fibre structure. This step change in sports car design means that the 12C introduces new standards not just in handling, ride and outright performance, but also safety, economy and practicality in an already competitive sector, it said.

Mark Harrison, McLaren Automotive’s newly appointed regional director for the Middle East and Africa, said: “In the lead up to McLaren’s 50th anniversary in 2013, the Concours d’Elegance is a fantastic event to showcase some of   the heritage and technology that makes McLaren unique.”

“At McLaren the past is important – it sets the standards by which we look ahead – but in always trying to do better than our last race, or design cars that set new performance standards, it is our future that really counts. The MP4-12C’s debut at the Concours d’Elegance shows that McLaren, and our partners in Kuwait, are bringing an exciting new range of sports cars to car enthusiasts,” he said.

Last week saw the launch of the McLaren Kuwait showroom by Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company.

Visitors to the showroom will also see the 1993 McLaren MP4/8 Formula One car, which is another important piece of McLaren’s racing heritage.

The MP4/8 was driven by three-time F1 World Drivers’ Champion Ayrton Senna, who raced throughout the 1993 season, till he won his third and last ever Formula 1 race.

Senna is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time, while the MP4/8 produced five victories for the McLaren F1 team.

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company is one of an initial 35 retailers worldwide appointed by McLaren Automotive to sell and service its range of high-performance sports cars, starting with the MP4-12C. – TradeArabia News Service