Its funny how in distant places you can can stumble over things that remind you of home. I spent a few hours in Monte Carlo one evening last month. Saw people posing in front of a gorgeous yellow sports car outside the Casino, and realised it was a McLaren. It made me smile, as the McLaren empire began in a small service station (McLarens of course), at the top of the Auckland street where I grew up. Its still there, though few who drive by on Remuera Road would know its history. I thought how amazing it was that such an iconic brand could have grown from such tiny beginnings. It all started when garage owner Len McLaren gave his son Bruce a modest racing car. Bruce became a world driving star before he died in an accident in 1970. But his name lives on, and how… its now one of the top four Formula One brands. Today I dropped into McLarens Auckland show room in Ponsonby. The nice guy there told me the car Id photographed is a P1. In New Zealand they cost $1.5 million. Theyve sold three of them (gasp). This one, in case youre interested, is in a colour called Volcano Yellow. Jay Leno owns one just like it. Just goes to show how huge things can grow from the smallest seeds.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 06:32:10 +0000