McLaren's future secured as Abu Dhabi buyer confirms sale
McLaren’s Bahraini owners agree to sell the automotive division to Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings, which already has investments in Gordon Murray Technologies and Nio
McLaren Automotive is about to change hands, as its current owner, the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, has agreed to sell the automotive division to Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings LLC. This, hot on the heels of the firm ringing in a new era with the McLaren W1 hypercar, its successor to the P1. The sale will effectively see McLaren Automotive passed from Bahraini sovereign wealth fund ownership to Abu Dhabi government ownership. CYVN will also receive a non-controlling stake in the wider McLaren Group, including its racing arm.
CYVN Holdings operates in the fields of smart and advanced mobility solutions. As such, it’s claimed the move will, in addition to giving access to additional capital, also bring advanced engineering expertise pertaining to electric cars within McLaren’s reach. The goal of building on ‘McLaren’s highly successful track record in elite motorsport’ is mentioned, too, though without specific reference to the Formula 1 McLaren Racing outfit.
CYVN acquired a controlling stake in Gordon Murray Technologies in July 2023 providing the manufacturer to increase its investment in the development of electric vehicles and its iStream platform technology; anecdotally linking Murray and McLaren again for the first time since the legendary designer departed McLaren in 2005. It’s also invested in Forseven, a British EV startup with ex-JLR personnel (including former executive director of vehicle programmes Nick Collins as CEO) and Chinese EV manufacturer Nio.
Following the recent news, His Excellency Jassem Mohammed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of CYVN Holdings, said: 'By combining McLaren’s iconic heritage and expertise with CYVN’s advanced engineering and technology capabilities, we aim to redefine high-performance mobility and set a new benchmark for excellence.'
The sale of McLaren isn’t a new subject, with talks having taken place in the recent past with German giants BMW and Audi. Audi of course latterly took control of the Sauber Formula 1 outfit, to relaunch as a factory team for 2026. In 2021, McLaren Group agreed the sale and leaseback of its global headquarters, which included the McLaren Technology Centre and McLaren Production Centre, for £170 million, with a 20-year leaseback agreed as a part of McLaren Group’s refinancing strategy at the time.
