Bespoke McLaren Speedtail Albert Pays Homage To First Test Prototype

The new Mclaren Speedtail Albert is a special commission created by the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) team and pays homage to the first Speedtail test prototype.

The McLaren Special Operations team has revealed their latest bespoke commission: the McLaren Speedtail “Albert” created for Mclaren Beverly Hills.

One of the last Speedtails to be built, “Albert” is inspired by the very first Speedtail attribute testing vehicle from 2018 and shares its name with the 1992 McLaren F1 test mules, also named Albert, thanks to the McLaren F1 design house and factory on Albert Drive in Woking, England.

Developed to test and experiment with the three-seat layout and central driving position of the Speedtail, the original Albert Speedtail prototype was built with the front panels from the 720S and was the first prototype to be driven on public roads.

While still undergoing testing, “Albert” required “camouflage” to keep it under wraps before the official launch and was given a vinyl body wrap with design lines created to replicate the most optimized airflow over the body. This camouflage design has now been recreated in the intricate paintwork designed by MSO.

The new Speedtail “Albert” was built entirely at the McLaren Production Centre and required 12 weeks to complete the bespoke customization, including two weeks of masking, six weeks of painting, and four weeks to re-assemble the vehicle after the completion of the custom paintwork.

To complete the livery masking, two specialist paint technicians worked off large-scale render print-outs and required almost 1.5 miles of fine line-out tape to mark out the initial design before blending Ueno Grey at the front of the McLaren Speedtail Albert into Magnesium Silver at the rear.

After the first paint application, the design was checked and refitted where necessary to ensure perfect alignment of the exposed carbon once the tape was removed. Only then would the final clear coat be applied.

“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,” shared Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations. “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.”

The McLaren Speedtail “Albert” will be making its first public appearance at Sunset GT, a luxury cars and coffee event hosted by O’Gara Beverly Hills, which takes place on Sunday 8th August 2021 in Sunset Plaza, Los Angeles, USA, in the lead up to the famed Monterey Car Week.