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The Bruce McLaren story: check out the McLaren trailer now!

26 February, 2017

The inspirational documentary account of Bruce McLaren’s pioneering spirit, unswerving tenacity, and endless passion, McLaren is set to grace the big screen.

Directed by Roger Donaldson (The World’s Fastest Indian), McLaren is set to appear in cinemas in June 2017.

Roger Donaldson says, “I was delighted to be involved in the telling of such an incredible New Zealand story — bringing it to life on the big screen has been a huge effort from all involved in Bruce’s legacy. Ever since seeing Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham race each other in the Tasman series years ago, I’ve been a McLaren fan. Few people know just how extraordinary his journey was and how much he accomplished in his short life.”
 
Produced by Matthew Metcalfe (Beyond The Edge), and Fraser Brown (Orphans & Kingdoms), the film features contributions from renowned drivers Emerson Fittipaldi, Alastair Caldwell, Dan Gurney, Lothar Motschenbacher, Chris Amon, Howden Ganley, Mario Andretti, and Sir Jackie Stewart, and offers unprecedented access to the McLaren family and archives.
 
McLaren will be released in New Zealand cinemas by Transmission in June 2017. It is to be distributed to the rest of the world by Universal Pictures.

Lunch with Bill Leckie: An Imp’s tale

6 August, 2026

Seeking limelight is part of Bill Leckie’s DNA, but when I asked him if anyone had written about his career and the cars he created, he didn’t think so. Even so, I was delighted when he agreed to sit down with me over a pie and coffee to reminisce. I started by asking how it is that someone who is so fanatical about F1 only ever raced saloon cars? Well, we’ll get to that, but where did things start? “I went to Cornwall Park Primary School and then to Remuera Intermediate where I became good mates with Geoff Perry, son of the legendary motorcycle racing legend Len.” Geoff Perry was 23 and on the edge of stardom when he was killed in a mystery air disaster over the Pacific in 1973. “We used to race around his backyard on a cutdown motorbike. It was friendly competition that I suppose helped hone our racing instincts. There was never much between us and so, by 11 or 12, I had a definite leaning towards speed.”

Mitsubishi’s secret weapon

31 July, 2026

Ewen’s Starion is a little different and special. He saved this one – literally ‘found in a paddock’ — just in time, as he relates.
“Mine is a 1983 Starion. I’ve had it about five years. I first saw it in a paddock at Ryal Bush [north of Invercargill], and I went past it three times. The third time I went back and knocked at the door, but the owner didn’t want to sell. He rang up a year later, and put a price on it, which we accepted. Only thing wrong was the motor was totally dismantled.”
Ewen then set about getting the car back to its current state.
“It took me six months to find somebody suitable to refurbish it back then. Simon Bradley at Midas in Invercargill offered to do it and he did a great job on it. The head was badly damaged around the valves, and Simon said you could get generic cylinder heads now, so he installed one, and it cost $800. It’s made such a difference to the car. Mine is an intercooled, fuel-injected turbo model, fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a great car to drive too.”
Except for a small patch of surface rust, Ewen’s car was in surprisingly good condition despite its paddock life.