"To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. It would be a waste of life to do nothing with one's ability, for I feel that life is measured in achievement, not in years alone."
Bruce McLaren
Striving for perfection in every car it builds, McLaren's persistence and attention to detail has helped it get to where it is today. The rich McLaren history began in the 1960s, when a 15-year-old raced his first competitive race in a restored Austin Ulster.
Here, we look back over McLaren's history from the beginning and discover the building blocks of the world's biggest supercar manufacturer.
McLaren's History
McLaren's DNA
McLaren's racing heritage began in May 1966 when Bruce McLaren, a talented engineer and racer, qualified in tenth place at a Monaco race in his very own Formula 1 car which he developed. The foundations were dug when McLaren Racing scored its first points just two months later at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, where Bruce finished in sixth place.
Tragically, Bruce died whilst testing the McLaren M8D at Goodwood in 1970, when he was just 32 years old. In memory of its founder, Denny Hulme went on to win nine out of ten Can-Am races in the M8D in 1970.
Ron Dennis took over from Teddy Mayer in 1981, and set the way for a focused, disciplined, confident, inspirational, and inspired company across all sectors.
Bruce McLaren
As the building blocks of the supercar company, Bruce McLaren started his competitive driving experience in just a modified 1929 Austin Ulster that he and his father had transformed from parts into a race car. Every stage of the restoration process was intrinsic for the future racing car designer.
At the age of 22, Bruce won his first Grand Prix, which made him the youngest Grand Prix winner at the time, breaking a record that had stood for over 40 years. His racing success continued and for the next decade he maintained the title as one of the best race drivers in the world.
Bruce was more than just a genius behind the racing wheel - he is one of only two men to ever win the Grand Prix in a car under his own name. And the success of his race cars went beyond Formula 1 racing.
However, when Bruce was just 32 years old, during a test run at Goodwood in June 1970, he was involved in a tragic accident in his M8D car, which threw him into a wreckage that led to his untimely death.