MOTORSPORT
McLaren Technology Centre: Vision of the founder lives on today
Mark Smyth was given a tour of the McLaren Technology Centre by Amanda McLaren
Bruce McLaren died in a crash in 1970 while testing the McLaren M8D Can-Am race car at the Goodwood circuit in the UK. Today the company that bears his name and continues his passion is very different to the motorsport-focused company he created, although racing remains a firm part of its DNA even if it might not look like it in Formula One. We have driven a number of McLaren models over the years and I have visited the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking in the UK, but recently we paid a special return visit there. Our host was Amanda McLaren, Bruce’s daughter. While not directly involved in running the company, she is a logical brand ambassador. And who better to tell the company’s story? Telling that story is as simple as walking through what must be one of the best office lobbies in the world. Enter the technology centre and you are immediately met with a 1929 Austin Ulster. It might not be a McLaren, but it is the car that ignited Bruce’s passion. It was his father’s car, but a...
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