British supercar maker McLaren has filed trademark applications for the names Remuera and Muriwai, drawing directly on the Auckland roots of legendary New Zealand racing driver and company founder Bruce McLaren.
The applications were lodged with the UK Intellectual Property Office in September, although McLaren has not publicly confirmed what the names will ultimately be used for. Speculation has centred on future vehicles, including the company’s planned move into the high-performance SUV market, but at this stage no production model has officially been connected to either name.
Both locations have deep connections to Bruce McLaren. Remuera was home to the family service station operated by his parents Les and Ruth McLaren, where the young Bruce developed his passion for cars and engineering. Muriwai, on Auckland’s west coast, was where he began his competitive motorsport journey as a teenager.
The trademark applications come as McLaren increasingly reconnects its global brand with its New Zealand whakapapa. Its newly unveiled wordmark was inspired by the lettering that once appeared above the McLaren family service station in Remuera, while the company continues to use the Speedy Kiwi as a tribute to its founder’s New Zealand heritage.
McLaren has also announced plans to expand beyond the low-slung supercars for which it is famous, including development of its first performance SUV. That has fuelled speculation that one of the Auckland names could eventually appear on a new vehicle, although for now that remains speculation rather than a confirmed McLaren announcement.
Whatever McLaren ultimately decides to do with Remuera and Muriwai, the filings are another reminder that one of the most famous names in international motorsport began not in Britain, but in an Auckland garage and on the roads and beaches of Aotearoa.
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