McLaren’s updated identity reintroduces a wordmark drawn from Bruce McLaren’s family garage sign

# What changed McLaren announced an evolved visual identity that reaches back to the brand's origins. At its centre is a new wordmark based on the hand-painted sign that hung over the McLaren family's service station in Remuera, Auckland. The lettering has been updated for contemporary use but keeps visible roots in that original signage.

# What stays the same The update is explicitly an evolution rather than a full redesign. The Speedmark — the swoosh-like symbol inspired by the vortices off a rear wing and introduced in 1997 — remains part of the identity. The brand's main hue, Papaya (often called McLaren Orange), also remains the primary colour, though McLaren has expanded the palette. The Speedy Kiwi motif, which dates back to early crests and has survived as a heritage element, continues to appear.

# Why the change now

The wordmark intentionally connects modern presentation with a tangible point in the brand's past: the family-owned garage sign where a young Bruce McLaren got involved with motoring. McLaren presents the change as a tidying up of the visual identity rather than an aggressive repositioning. David Woodhouse, chief creative officer at McLaren Automotive, framed the evolution as capturing the company's ongoing ambition and creative direction.

# Short history recap provided by McLaren McLaren's logo history stretches back to the 1960s. The first crest in 1964 was a kiwi drawn by motorsport artist Michael Turner. A faster Speedy Kiwi arrived in 1971, introducing the orange. The 1980s saw a chequered-flag mark, and the Speedmark first appeared in 1997. The mark has been adapted several times since — mono black in 2017, orange returned in 2021 — and now the family-garage–inspired wordmark is the most explicit reference yet to the company's founding story.

# Practical implications The new wordmark will be used across both McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing assets, including future road cars. It's intended to present a consistent identity across product and competition arms. The retained Speedmark and Papaya keep continuity for customers and fans, while the updated wordmark reinforces a narrative connection to Bruce McLaren's early years in New Zealand.

# What to watch next Look for the wordmark to appear on new launches and on race cars. The expanded palette and the way McLaren layers the heritage motifs with the Speedmark will indicate how far the company pushes the vintage reference in future communications and product treatments.