McLaren Automotive thrives on record sales

It's F1 team may still be in recovery mode, but McLaren Automotive, the group's road car division is thriving with record sales last year.

While its products have been on the market for five years, McLaren enjoyed a stronghold on the Supercar segment for the first time in its short five-year history with global sales up 99.3 percent year-over-year.

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The brand's success was particularly striking in North America where numbers surpassed 1,000 cars for the first time, but growth across all regions worldwide was impressive as the company announced its third consecutive year of profitability and the production milestone of its 10,000th car.

"We’d planned it to be a year of considerable growth, but it’s surpassed even our own optimistic expectations," said Mike Flewitt, chief executive officer of McLaren.

Total sales hit 3,286 cars in 2016, up from 1,654 cars in 2015.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.