This day in 1937, a true racing legend was born. You could probably already tell who we’re referring to by looking at the pictures, but in case you’re still not too sure, he was born in New Zealand and one of the most successful Formula One teams in history bears his name.
That’s right, it’s none other than Bruce Mclaren!
Bruce Mclaren was a great driver, but it was abilities as an analyst and manager that really won him his fame. One of his exploits goes thusly:
“In the early days of the McLaren sports cars, Bruce was testing and as he drove out of the pits, he noticed the fuel filler access door was flapping up and down as he drove. The current aerodynamic thinking was that it should have been pressed more firmly in place as the speed of the car increased. Instead, it bounced more vigorously as the speed increased. Instantly, his frustration at the sloppy work changed and he had an insight. Stopping in the pits, he jumped from the car, ran to a mechanic’s tool box, grabbed a pair of shears, and started cutting the bodywork away behind the radiator. Climbing back in the car, he immediately began turning lap times faster than before.”
That spirit of ingenuity lives on today in the Mclaren F1 Team and at McLaren Automotive, who produce road cars.
