Founder Profile
Bruce McLaren
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Bruce McLaren?
Bruce McLaren is a founder of McLaren Automotive, which was founded in 2010 with Ron Dennis.
- Company founded
- McLaren Automotive
- Founded
- 2010
- Co-founders
- Ron Dennis
Background
New Zealand race car designer and driver.
Founding Story
Bruce McLaren founded the company in 1963. As an absolutely brilliant, fiercely competitive racing driver and engineer, he built the company entirely to dominate Formula 1 and Can-Am racing. He pioneered massive advancements in aerodynamics and lightweight materials before tragically dying in a crash while testing one of his own cars in 1970.
Bruce McLaren was born in 1937 in Auckland.
Bruce Leslie McLaren was born on August 30, 1937 and died on June 2, 1970. He raced in Formula One from 1958 to 1970, winning four Grands Prix, and won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans with Chris Amon in a Ford GT40. He founded Bruce McLaren Motor Racing in 1963.