McLaren Automotive, the world's newest sports car company, recently announced that Ghassan Abdul Rahman Al Sulaiman Trading Est. - Al Ghassan Motors - will be the company's local partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al Ghassan Motors will begin selling McLaren Automotive's first car, the MP4-12C, from spring 2011, with the Kingdom expected to be one of McLaren Automotive's biggest markets in the region. Globally, initial interest in the much anticipated 12C has already exceeded the first year's allocation. Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive's regional director for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said: “The Kingdom is one of our top markets, and the extremely positive feedback we have received so far from potential customers is evidence of the strength of the McLaren brand there.” “At McLaren Automotive, we believe that by combining an excellent product with the highest standards of customer care we will be able to lay down the foundations for our enduring success. By joining forces with Al Ghassan Motors, whose reputation and experience in the Saudi market have proved highly attractive to us, we will ensure our customers receive the very best on both fronts.” Ghassan Abdul Al Rahman Al Sulaiman, president and CEO of Al Ghassan Motors said: “Saudi car buyers are demanding, while at the same time enjoying and appreciating high performance cars. As such they are fully aware of the McLaren brand thanks to the F1 and SLR projects, which benchmarked McLaren on a different level from other high-end car manufacturers. “Over the years we have built up a thorough respect and understanding of McLaren Automotive, and our partnership with them is a great achievement. Our aim is to translate our appreciation for McLaren by delivering the highest standards of customer service. Not only will we be there during every step of the purchase process, we will look after the car and owner afterwards, giving them everything they need for years of happy ownership,” Al Sulaiman added. Al Ghassan will join a global network of 35 partners who will be responsible for selling an initial annual production run of 1,000 MP4-12Cs, Subsequently, as McLaren Automotive moves to a full model range of high-performance, two-seat, mid-engine sports cars, the aim is to sell around 4,000 models annually by the middle of the decade.
