The legendary Bruce McLAREN
Our Kiwi founder
How did a rugged beach road on the west coast of New Zealand become the spark that ignited a legend? It’s on the Muriwai Beach hillclimb that Bruce Leslie McLaren made his first competitive debut at the wheel of a homemade Austin Ulster.
In 1952 he’d just turned 15 when he competed on the gravel hill for the first time. That experience would eventually take him onto Le Mans, Can-Am and Formula 1. And where is that little Austin today? Restored to its present condition it sits proudly on the boulevard at the McLaren Technology Centre.
FILM: Richard Mille Presents 50 Years Of Grand Prix Racing
Richard Mille celebrates the team’s history
The road to McLAREN's F1 debut
The road to McLaren's F1 debut
The story of Monaco ’66
The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix marked McLaren's Formula 1 debut, with Bruce McLaren at the wheel of an M2B. Find out more about the iconic race here.
Bruce’s death: Courage in the face of adversity
On this day in 1970, our founder was tragically killed
Join the team
McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan loyalty programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in F1 & esports.
Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary.