McLaren

Both on and off the track, McLaren has become known as one of the premier motoring companies. They’ve been one of the most successful Formula One teams and have produced some of the fastest road going vehicles today. So where did it all start.

Beginnings

McLaren is a British car manufacturer that was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963. The New Zealand born racer, car designer and inventor achieved McLaren’s first Grand Prix win in 1968 after the teams first F1 car, the M2B, debuted at the Monaco Grand Prix 3 years earlier in 1965.

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As the McLaren Racing Team began to see success in Formula One, it also saw success in other motorsport categories. In 1967, McLaren Racing won five out of six races in the Can-Am series. 1968 saw them win four of six and then the following year the team won all of the 11 races of the season.

1970 saw the death of the teams founder, Bruce McLaren, when his Can-Am car crashed on the Lavant straight just before the Woodcote corner at the Goodwood Circuit in England.

Despite Bruce McLaren’s death, the McLaren racing team continued to see success in the Cam-Am series, F1 and Indianapolis 500 wins in 1972, 1974 and 1976. Teddy Mayer took over the reigns when Bruce McLaren died and led the team to their first F1 constructors’ championship in 1974. McLaren also won the drivers’ championship in 1974 with Emerson Fittipaldi at the wheel. James Hunt repeated the driver’s championship win in 1976.

1980’s

In 1981, the McLaren racing team merged with Ron Dennis’ Project 4 Racing team. McLaren became the first company to introduce a complete carbon fibre racing monocoque. This was completed with the help of designer John Barnard, who also introduced the first semi-automatic gearbox.

The merger also saw the beginning of McLaren’s most successful era in F1. Dennis took full control of the team and with Porsche and Honda engines, along with drivers Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Aryton Senna, McLaren claimed seven drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships. In 1988, Prost and Senna won all but one race, but later Prost left McLaren for Ferrari after tensions rose to boiling point between him and Senna.