Bruce McLaren - persevering to success as a racing driver and team boss

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Bruce McLaren - persevering to success as a racing driver and team boss

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Created on June 1, 2020

Text:

Thomas Suter

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Stephanie Bezard

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McLaren M7A (1968) Bruce McLaren at the wheel of his car at the Dutch GP

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Racing driver and team boss Bruce McLaren, pictured in 1969, died in 1970

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Jaguar E-Type Lightweight (1963) - Pit stop of the Jaguar E-Type #29, driven by legends Bruce McLaren and Walt Hansgen (12 Hours of Sebring 1963)

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McLaren Elva Sports Racing Car Mk 8 (1965) - attractively presented at the London Racing Car Show 1965

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McLaren Elva Sports Racing Car Mk 8 (1965) - Chassis without bodywork at the 6th London Racing Car Show 1965

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Cooper Climax 2500 (1964) - Bruce McLaren as winner of Wigram '64 and champion of Tasmania

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Mclaren-Chevrolet M1B Group 7 sports-racing roadster (1966) - offered as lot 262 at the Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 24, 2016

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McLaren M8A (1968) - CanAm race at Riverside 1968, Denny Hulme

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McLaren Ford-Cosworth (1969) - Bruce McLaren in the Indianapolis race car in the Jukskei arc

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McLaren M8B (1969) - Denny Hulme ahead of Bruce McLaren, Parsons and Amon at Elkhart Lake 1969

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McLaren M8D (1970) - Denny Hulme leads ahead of Jackie Oliver (Norris Industries Ti 22), Chris Amon is lapped - Laguna Seca 1980

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Ford GT 40 Mk II (1966) - Amon/McLaren - Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966

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Overall winner of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans: Ford GT40 Mk II number #2 of the Shelby American Ltd team with Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren

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Ford GT 40 Mk IV (1967) - Overall winner Ford GT40 MkIV with Mario Andretti and Bruce McLaren (12 Hours of Sebring 1967)

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McLaren M7A (1969) at the Monaco Grand Prix

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BOAC 500 Brands Hatch England 1968: Bruce McLaren and Mike Spence drive the Ford Cosworth GT prototype named Ford F3L P68, built by Alan Mann, for the first time

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McLaren M6 GT (1969) at the Spa Classic 2015 in the CER group (Classic Endurance Racing)

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McLaren M6 GT (1969) at the 2017 Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or in Dijon - CER1

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Summary

Bruce McLaren was not born with success in his cradle; as a child, he suffered from a difficult-to-cure illness. But he overcame it and overcame all other obstacles that stood in his way. He won at Le Mans, in the CanAm series and in Formula 1, sometimes in other people's cars, but often in his own cars bearing his name. Bruce McLaren (August 30, 1937 - June 2, 1970) is an example of how anything can be achieved when talent, perseverance and vision come together. This racing driver portrait summarizes the life of an unusual man and shows him in historical footage.

This article contains the following chapters

Racing driver and team boss
Persevering to success
A true friend
Fast career
Youngest Grand Prix winner for 44 years
The step towards his own racing team
Victory in the Tasman series
Test driver in the Ford GT40
The company's own Formula 1 car
Revolution in race car construction
Also still used in the CanAm series
Victory at Le Mans
Dry spell in Formula 1
Success after success in the CanAm series
Success at last in Formula 1 with a Ford engine
Racing car construction in the sixties style
Trade-offs
The end
Depressing atmosphere
Memories in Auckland
The Kiwi connection
McLaren and Switzerland
A McLaren in the Zurich Oberland
CanAm insights
From Firestone at Le Mans via Goodyear to victory at Indianapolis
Family ties
Charisma and leadership
Sources/information

Estimated reading time: 32min

Preview (beginning of the article)

June 2, 1970 - a perfectly normal Tuesday. The Formula 1 Grand Prix season is in full swing. In the South African and Spanish Grand Prix, Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren each took second place in their new McLaren M14A-Cosworth, while in Monaco Hulme managed a fourth place, only just behind third place, Henri Pescarolo in a Matra. McLaren and Brabham are joint leaders in the Formula 1 constructors' competition. The countdown to the CanAm series is underway, with the opening race in Mosport (Canada) scheduled for June 14. There, the "Bruce & Denny show" is set to continue as it left off last year - with the two New Zealand drivers and their CanAm McLaren dominating the field - with eleven wins in eleven races and champion Bruce McLaren ahead of Denny Hulme.

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