McLaren pays tribute to their founder Bruce McLaren

On the 50th anniversary of Bruce McLaren's tragic death in a testing crash at Goodwood, the Woking-based company unveiled a life-sized statue at its headquarters.

McLaren has paid tribute this week to its charismatic founder Bruce to remember the 50th anniversary of his death. Bruce McLaren was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1937 and was killed tragically whilst testing one of his cars at Goodwood circuit, England in June 1970.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has described Bruce as a racer, an innovator who set the standard not only for his team, but also for the entire sport.

“Today, on the 50th anniversary of Bruce McLaren’s death, we remember what he created. Bruce was a racer, an innovator and a leader, and all of us at McLaren strive each day to follow the example he set us. Bruce stands as a hero of our sport, immortalised by this statue which is surrounded by his legacy.”

“We take a moment on this important day to mourn his loss, but to also draw inspiration from his life. Bruce’s spirit lives on through all the people that work at McLaren today. We race in his honour, fearlessly forward, in the pursuit of better.”

The company invited Bruce’s daughter Amanda to light 50 candles to remember what the founder created in 1963. “It is an honour to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Bruce McLaren by unveiling this wonderfully crafted statue to commemorate his life and achievements,” she added.

"When my father died in June 1970 – just 12 years after coming to the UK from New Zealand – he had already done so much to realise his ambitions, but the best was still to come.”

“June 2 is always an emotional date for us and that’s particularly true this year. Having ‘Dad’ looking out over McLaren is incredibly moving and I know that he would have been so very proud of the achievements made in his name," she said.