| Biography |
Bruce Leslie McLAREN 1937 - 1970 |
Can-Am Champion: 1967 & 1969 |
We moved to 8 Upland Road approximately 1946 and it was there that we found that owing to a fall I had developed Perthes Disease (a hip joint problem), so I left Meadowbank School and spent the next two years in the Wilson Home in Takapuna on a Bradford Frame - (had many unofficial races there (see "From The Cockpit"). My family came across on the Vehicular Ferry every weekend from the city. Dad used to say "I have just about brought this Ferry boat" then at the end of 1949 I was allowed to go home on crutches, it was nice to be there with Mum and Dad - my older sister Pat and younger sister Jan. I started correspondence school with a tutor and then in 1951 had my first year at Seddon Technical Memorial College - doing an Engineering Course - by now I had discarded my walking sticks for good. Motor Racing was in my blood - my Father had always shown great achievements in his Motor Cycle Racing days and now was becoming very interested in Motor Car Racing, eventually with a truck full of boxes of spare parts and towing the "Austin Ulster" arrived at 8 Upland Road, my motor racing career had started. How Mum put up with Dad and me with her kitchen table covered in bits and pieces of the engine during meals I will never know. She used to say "If I gave them dry bread and water they wouldn't have noticed".
By now Motor Racing had become my life with all its potential’s which I would explore and also be aware of its constant dangers - I returned to NZ as often as I could to catch up with Mum & Dad, Pat and her husband John Hunter and their five children - Pat lived in the South Island so it was a good stopover point - managed to squeeze in some Wallaby hunting, Water Skiing (one ski only owing to earlier hip problem), and some rowing - My younger sister Jan was still at home with Mum & Dad in these years. In 1965 I decided to invest in a Service Station - just like Dad - so purchased one at Te Atatu, a western suburb of Auckland - and called it Bruce McLaren Motors - Pat and John returned from down South in 1967 and managed this for me till 1977 when my friend Phil Kerr returned to NZ and helped with enlarging the premises and management. Wonderful News - my daughter Amanda was born on November 20th 1965 - so we now required a bigger house. Patty and I found just what we needed - bought same then called it "Muriwai" in memory of my happy days as a child, watching Dad race his cars on the black sands of the beach at low tide and my own early days of doing the hill climbs in the Austin Ulster on the Quarry Road, that was where my motor racing days started. One day I had hoped to return home and have my own beach house there - as you know this was not to be. My last trip to Auckland, NZ was the 1968 season. My parents had moved to Te Atatu South - so Dad could keep an eye on my business - and be nearer to his fishing grounds - he was an expert surf caster for beach fishing. My last race in NZ was at the Teretonga circuit (South Island) on 28th January 1968 where I came 1st driving a McLaren M5A V12 B.R.M finishing just ahead of Jimmy Clark. Mid 1969 Dad "Pop" & Mum returned for another visit to England and America - the last time they were with me here in England and the Continent was in 1959 - I was able to make this trip very special - to repay them for all they had done in the early days - we were not to know it would be our last time together. At this point one can only say "That’s Motor Racing" - Bruce Leslie McLaren died 2nd June 1970 while testing a Can Am Car at Goodwood - In West Auckland, New Zealand the following are named after Bruce: Bruce McLaren Intermediate School Bruce McLaren Park McLaren Industrial Park Bruce McLaren Road Bruce was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall Of Fame in 1991. and the New Zealand Hall of Fame |
Born to Les & Ruth on 30th August 1937 at Auckland, New
Zealand., I was the second child in the family. Dad had invested in a Service
Station in Remuera late 1936, after driving petrol tankers for the Texaco/Caltex Oil
Co. My younger years were spent learning to broadside around shop corners on two
wheels of my tricycle becoming a pest, borrowing mechanics spanners, etc. just when they
needed them to repair my "racing machine".
As soon as the Austin was driveable I carved out
a figure 8 around the fruit trees in the back of our section - when I turned 15 and was
able to obtain a driving licence - my early and wonderful days of local hill climbs -
Gymkhana’s - Sprint meetings etc. had begun. My lucky break came when I was
allowed to race Dad’s Austin Healey at Ardmore then I graduated to a Bob Tail Cooper
- then my "God Father" Jack Brabham came onto the scene - I was selected as
"Driver to Europe" by NZIGP Association and my next two years at University
studies were put on hold and a new life had started for me. I left NZ on March 15th
1958 for England with my good friend and mechanic Colin Beanland and my first year driving
for 
