Company History

McLaren, the Legacy


Liveupdater.com Bruce McLaren- History and Legacy
The name McLaren is synonymous with success in the highly technical world of professional motor racing. New Zealander Bruce McLaren began setting the standards others would follow when he established his fledgling McLaren Racing Team in England during the 60’s.

Today, the McLaren Group of companies in New Zealand are owned by the man whose past and present is intertwined with one of New Zealand’s most famous sons.

Phil Kerr heads the group, which not only deals with specialist automotive engineering, but is also involved in the IT industry with consulting services available for project management and business continuity planning.

The McLaren link goes back to the teenage years of Phil Kerr and Bruce McLaren, when after meeting at an early age they immediately became very close friends. Together they competed in a range of motor racing events and raced and rallied a number of sports cars and touring cars during those formative years.

After Bruce McLaren was chosen for the “Driver to Europe” scholarship, he travelled to England where, with the help of Jack Brabham, he began racing a Cooper Climax in Formula 2 events and eventually earned a place as a works driver, along with Jack in the Cooper Formula 1 Team. Bruce became the youngest winner of a Grand Prix when he won the US Grand Prix in 1959.

Having also been a contender for the Driver to Europe scholarship, Phil Kerr soon joined Bruce McLaren in England and they subsequently shared various flats and town houses in Surbiton, close to the Cooper factory. This was the beginning of their international careers. Both Bruce and Phil had got to know Jack Brabham very well during the Tasman series in Australia and New Zealand, and he became a mentor to the young New Zealanders. His guidance and advice was invaluable for establishing their future in motor racing. Phil Kerr was fortunate enough to be offered the position as manager for Jack Brabham’s racing activities and they also set about developing another commercial aspect of the automotive business. A new ESSO service station and a Brabham company, specializing in engine development and modifications to a wide range of passenger vehicles were soon underway.

In the early 60’s, Denny Hulme also traveled to England via the Driver to Europe scholarship and met up again with Bruce McLaren and Phil Kerr. In his first season he built and raced his own Formula Junior Cooper, but eventually Phil Kerr was able to arrange for him to drive a works Formula Junior Brabham. After several outstanding successes, Phil managed to persuade Jack Brabham to give Denny the opportunity to drive in Formula One. Prior to this, the Brabham Team comprised Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney, but when Dan left to pursue his other Formula 1 and racing intrests, the door was open for Denny to be part of the two car team with Jack Brabham. By now the cars were designated as Repco Brabham with the Australian company providing tremendous support and building the Formula 1 Repco engines which would power Jack Brabham to his third F1 World Drivers Championship in 1966, followed immediately in 1967 by Denny Hulme claiming the mantle of World Champion driver.

Bruce McLaren had also chosen to leave Cooper in 1963 and form his own Bruce McLaren Racing Team. The Phil Kerr, Denny Hulme, Bruce McLaren friendship and combination was such that it was inevitable the three would come together as a dynamic part of the new Team at the end of 1967. Phil Kerr became joint Managing Director for the McLaren Racing Team with responsibility for the Formula 1 programme, whilst Denny was now contracted as a driver not only for Can-Am but also Formula 1 and the Indy 500.

McLaren Racing employed many versatile Kiwis - race mechanics, engineers, fabricators on the staff and as the team grew so did the racing programmes. Team McLaren dominated the prestigious Can-Am sports car series in the North America from 1967 to 1971 to the extent that it was known as “The Bruce and Denny Show”.

Initial Formula One success for the team can in the form of the McLaren Cosworth M7, which won for them their first Grand Prix at Spa, driven by Bruce McLaren. This, coupled with the Can-Am successes, along with establishing an engine division in Michigan, was the springboard to compete for the first time in the Indianapolis 500 in 1970. McLaren’s first attempt at Indy resulted in them being awarded the trophy for the best engineered cars.

That year, 1970, was Bruce’s final one. He lost his life on June 2nd in a testing accident whilst driving a Can-Am car at the Goodwood Circuit. However, the incredible legacy Bruce left behind and the remarkable strength and depth of the Team and all of the personnel meant that McLaren Racing would carry on. Denny Hulme played a major in keeping the Team together and focused. The racing programme grew and now included Formula A / 5000 with the works car for Peter Gethin, and in 1972, a works Formula 2 car for Jody Scheckter. McLaren Racing went on to win the Indianapolis 500 with Johnny Rutherford, twice in 1974 and 1976, the same years in which the Team was also to win the Formula 1 World Championship with Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt. The only racing team in history to complete this double twice.

It is testament to the Bruce McLaren legacy that the team continues today having been purchased in 1980 by Rob Dennis and it then becoming part of the TAG Group. The Formula 1 Team, McLaren International under Rob Dennis’ leadership has gone on to achieve remarkable successes and many more Formula 1 World Championships.

Looking back, it could be argued that one of the most successful Grand Prix cars of all time was the McLaren M23, which used the fabulous Cosworth DFV engine and first appeared at the South African Grand Prix in March 1973. In its Debut, with Denny Hulme at the wheel, it took pole position and only a minor mechanical problem prevented a win.
The M23 was competitive right through to 1977, winning two World Championships along the way. During that period, one of the McLaren team drivers was the legendary Mike Hailwood. Mike had achieved fame as a winner of numerous World Motorcycle Championships. He switched codes to contest Formula One and drove a Yardley McLaren M23 in the 1974 season.

Mike, however had a serious accident in the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring and both he and Dennis Hulme retired from Formula One at the end of the season.

Mike Hailwood emigrated to New Zealand when Denny Hulme and Phil Kerr eventually returned home but was tragically to lose his life in a road accident in 1981 after going back to England.

Denny Hulme whose tremendous achievements in motor racing were recognized with an OBE, continued to enjoy a racing career racing touring cars and trucks up until the time of Bathurst 1992, when sadly he succumbed to a heart attack during the course of the race. His loss was mourned by the entire country.

Upon his return, Phil Kerr proceeded with the establishment and development of the McLaren Group of companies, and together with the McLaren Motorsport Website is still preserving the history of Bruce McLaren and the remarkable legacy he left.

The McLaren legacy remains undimmed.


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