McLaren marks five decades of operation in 2013, so it’s planning a series of events to commemorate its 50th birthday. Among these is a series of three videos, explaining the metamorphosis of McLaren from a fledgling race team to an international powerhouse behind some of the most successful race cars and some of the highest-performing road cars in the world.
The first video starts off in something of a mysterious manner. We see a driver in vintage race garb, peeling off helmet and gloves as he walks across a field to the track. Early on, we realize the man is Bruce McLaren, who died testing a new Can-Am car design, the M8D, at Goodwood in June of 1970.
Using dead people to pitch your products rarely works out well, but this video is perhaps the best exception to that rule we’ve ever seen. Director Marcus Söderlund does an exemplary job of honoring Bruce McLaren and his memory, instead of exploiting it for commercial gain. In fact, the video does a spectacular job of explaining what drove McLaren, and what continues to drive the company that bears his name to this day.
Sadly, Bruce McLaren’s remarkable story is likely unknown to many racing and performance enthusiasts today, and it’s a story well worth telling. McLaren earned his first Grand Prix win at age 22, and by the time of his death some 10 years later, his namesake company had become one of the dominant forces in Can-Am racing. McLaren may not have had a long life, but there’s no denying that he lived a full life.
Look for two more videos to be released by McLaren in 2013. If the first one is any indication, we can’t wait to see the rest.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
