McLaren Speedtail ‘Albert’ revealed as F1 tribute

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Woking’s 402kph McLaren Speedtail hypercar is almost ready to bow out, but not without a tribute to its F1 forebear.

A one-off McLaren Speedtail has been designed to pay homage to the first completed prototype of the 402kph hypercar, and arrives as production of the 106 Speedtail models comes to a close.

The special edition, named ‘Albert,’ was conceived by the McLaren Beverly Hills dealership in the US for a private buyer, and was manufactured and painted by the firm’s in-house, bespoke customisation team, McLaren Special Operations (MSO).

The bespoke Speedtail model features a mix of Magnesium Silver exterior paint, similar to the colour worn by the Speedtail’s F1 forefather at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix, and Ueno Grey, representing the F1 GTR that won Le Mans in 1995.

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The car also gains a unique streamlined-style livery to accentuate the paintwork, and took 12 weeks to create.

‘’As one of the very last Speedtails to be built at the McLaren Production Centre, it was very important to us at McLaren Beverly Hills that ‘Albert’ honours the brand’s rich heritage, particularly paying tribute to the icon that is the McLaren F1,” said Parris Mullins, McLaren Beverly Hills.

The car was named ‘Albert’ in reference to the name of the 1992 McLaren F1 test mules, themselves named after Albert Drive in Woking, where Gordon Murray’s seminal supercar was designed and built.

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The original MVY02 Speedtail prototype was also was named ‘Albert’ as a tribute to both its predecessor, and was built to assess the Speedtail’s central seat driving position and test driver ergonomics, visibility and rear-view camera positions. It was originally built with the front panels from a 720S and was the first Speedtail to be driven on public roads.

“The name ‘Albert’ has a special resonance with MSO, as we are the custodians of the McLaren F1 and are based at the Albert Drive premises that McLaren Cars occupied in the 1990s,” said Ansar Ali, MSO managing director.

“The Speedtail experience has been an exciting journey for our customers, from visualising their imaginations to realising these inspirations and sharing their delight when unveiling the finished product. ‘Albert’ brings this project to a conclusion and we are thrilled to finish on a high note.”

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The Albert Speedtail will make a public debut at Los Angeles’ Sunset GT, a luxury-oriented Cars and Coffee event, on Sunday 8 August.

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