British manufacturer McLaren Automotive presented its 100th MP4-12C, the first production car wholly-designed and built by the auto giant since the McLaren F1, to Al Ghassan Motors, its official retailer in Bahrain.

The number of deliveries to date represents almost 10 per cent of the total McLaren 12C sales worldwide, since the manufacturer delivered the first of its new range last year.

Al Ghassan Motors announced last month that it will be locating the McLaren Manama showroom at the Bahrain World Trade Centre.

'The past 12 months have been a historic and incredibly busy time for McLaren as we entered the challenging business of high-performance sports cars,' said McLaren Automotive in the Middle East and Africa regional director Mark Harrison.

'We have built a new factory, sold 25 GT3 racing cars, opened nearly 40 McLaren dealerships, and built over 1,000 12Cs to order. But, for me, the key number is 100.

'A hundred 12Cs sold in this region is a great reward for McLaren, our retail partners and customers who have been thrilled with the car's performance and beauty,' he added.

'The delivery of the 100th car in the region is a milestone Al Ghassan is proud to be part of,' said Al Ghassan Motors' president and chief executive Shaikh Ghassan Al Sulaiman.

'The success of the brand within our stable of premium, luxury sports cars is a further pillar from which we can grow our business within Bahrain.

'We now work towards further milestones with McLaren, which will no doubt be supported by introduction of the new 12C Spider,' he added.

The automotive manufacturer said this year had been a successful one for the company, which saw 1,000 MP4-12C cars sold worldwide.

'Our success is only possible through our retailers' dedication to establish McLaren in the competitive high performance sports car market,' Harrison added. 'We have to earn the right to challenge the much-loved rival sports car brands and we can do this only by offering a better car and a better level of customer service.

'Handing over the keys for the 100th 12C to our Bahrain retailer, Al Ghassan Motors, indicates the appeal of our product among the region's discerning sports car fans.

'They understand the innovation, exclusivity and dedication to great levels of service McLaren strives to deliver, along with cars that offer Formula 1-inspired technology and everyday usability,' he added.

Al Ghassan Motors is one of an initial five retailers appointed in the Middle East to sell McLaren's debut model, the 12C, the recently launched 12C Spider and its future range of high performance sports cars.-TradeArabia News Service