Originally Posted by
Murray Maunder
Hi Steve,
I remember the day Bruce died when I was a 15 year old with the radio on in the kitchen before school. It hit me like my best friend had died, unbelievable, people like him don't make fatal mistakes. My best couple of mates and I used to scrape enough money to buy Motorman by Donn Anderson and I'd scratch build 1/32 and 1/24 slot cars, most passionately CanAm McLarens (never did get the orange right). Bruce was the centre of the universe as far as NZ motorsport fans were concerned in the 60s and until that day in June 1970.
More than 10 years ago I met Bruce's sister Jan at an early Bruce McLaren Trust display in Te Puke. Greta Hulme had driven Denny's beautiful M23 up from Rotorua (on a trailer!) and I joined the supporters club that day. The Trust was formed to preserve Bruce's awesome legacy to motorsport. His colossal achievements predated but at least equalled our America's Cup yachting achievements. CanAm was the richest roadracing series in the world and Kiwis were cleaning it up, thanks to the vision and leadership of Bruce McLaren. And so it was, about 1999, as a full-time video and television cameraman/editor/producer I offered to document the Trust's projects and events and assist with that part of the archiving with future projects in mind. One of the main projects has been over a decade of filming of the reconstruction of the Trust's M8A CanAm car. Starting with a "basket case" which had been donated to Denny from Goodyear and almost lost in a landfill, this is now an object of exquisite beauty. If you were breathing sports racing cars in 1968 this represented one of the pinnacles of the genre. Denny Hulme won the first of his 3 CanAm titles in this very car and it is the only one in existence and will always be so.
The bodywork was completed about 18 months ago after a huge struggle getting all the "forensic evidence" together to make the moulds. The rolling chassis just needs a complete 7 litre Chevrolet engine and it will be ready for track demonstrations. We continue to hope it will be "this year"! Duncan Fox and Tony Roberts will hopefully one day also complete their other CanAm McLaren, the high-wing M8B which (along with it's sister B) won all eleven rounds of the championship in 1969.
One day not too distant I will produce the M8 story for DVD, hopefully incorporating the car in the USA at a historic meeting and some of the old American drivers of the era. There is already a preview of things to come on the Festival of Motor Racing DVD.
Incidentally, talking to Jan McLaren today, the portrait you did of Bruce above sits in the Trust's Remuera offices (the old McLaren garage and home above). Jan said you put it on display at one of their events and when they packed up you were gone. I'm sure it's in good hands as Jan absolutely loves the pensive mood you caught Bruce in.
Thanks Steve for all the work you have put into this site, not just getting it off the ground which must have been immense in itself, but the incredible amount of activity, photos etc you continue to feed into it. Brilliant forum.