Record McLaren Road Car Gathering Held On Bruce’s 80th

“Last weekend during the annual Silverstone Classic, a special parade took place to commemorate Kiwi motorsport legend Bruce McLaren on what would have been his 80th birthday,” writes David Kavermann for Driven. “On the day 115 McLaren road cars, including 250 members of the UK McLaren Owners Group, made the pilgrimage to the world famous Silverstone race circuit to pay homage and celebrate the life of the Kiwi that started it all,” writes Kavermann.

The parade included the latest McLaren model, the 720S, followed by a version of every road going model to wear the famous red Kiwi logo. Bruce’s daughter, Amanda piloted the lead 720S.

“His dream to build road cars began with his prototype M6GT and has now been realised by the cars McLaren Automotive is producing,” said Amanda, Bruce McLaren’s daughter and a McLaren Automotive Ambassador. “I know how proud my father would have been.”

Bruce McLaren “was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and by the age of 14 had already restored an Austin 7 Ulster which he used to compete in his first competition hillclimb,” as reported in the article. His strong local performances earned him “the inaugural ‘Driver to Europe’ scheme set up by the New Zealand International Grand Prix organisation in 1958.” In 1959 McLaren became the youngest person to win a Formula 1 race at the United States Grand Prix. “In 1965, McLaren announced he was leaving the successful Cooper stable to form his own Grand Prix racing team.”

“Before he passed in 1970, aged just 32, the Kiwi racer had won the Le Mans 24 Hours, two Can-Am titles and four Formula 1 Grand Prix.”

To read more about New Zealand Legend Bruce McLaren please click here.

Article Source: Driven, David Kavermann, August 04, 2017

Image Source: Driven