Born in 1937 in Auckland New Zealand,Bruce was a race-car driver,designer,engineer and inventor who,as a champion of new technology,played a huge role in development of modern motorsports.
Bruce started his racing career in hill climbing in a 1927 Austin he'd restored himself.Having impressed at the 1958 New Zealand Grand Prix,Bruce joined his Australian mentor Jack Brabham in the Cooper Formula 1 team and immediately showed prodigious talent.Victory at Sebring in 1959 made Bruce the youngest-ever driver to win a Grand Pix,a record he held until 2003 when future McLaren driver Fernando Alonso took the record.At the same time,in North America the two-car McLaren team dominated the Can-Am series with a five year winning streak between 1967 and 1971,with Bruce personally taking the trophy in '67 and '69.
Bruce was still in his 20s when,he started hi own Formula 1 team,Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd.Over the next five years,the team continued Bruce's record of success,debuting in 1966 and going on to achieve their first win at the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Pix in 1968.
The secret to the team's success was the way Bruce managed to combine the obvious talent as a racing driver,with great ambition as an engineer.It was a winning combination that would inspire his team to toil around the clock to make the car better,in the knowledge their boss would never ask to do something he was not fully prepared to do himself.
Days before the start of the 1970 Can-Am season,tragedy struck.Bruce, just 32 years old,was killed while testing a new M8B car at Goodwood in England.Although he died before he fulfilled his enormous potential,his passion for innovation and his desire to win live on in every car bearing his name.
In memory of Bruce McLaren,New Zealand Post issued stamp in 2009.
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