Vehicle exhibits

This running replica is based on Bruce McLaren’s first race car, an Austin 7 Ulster Special originally built from spare parts by Bruce and his father Les McLaren in Auckland. It was in a car just like this that Bruce, at age 15, won his first race-kickstarting a motorsport journey that would lead to the formation of the McLaren Formula 1 team, one of the most successful in history.

Bruce McLaren went on to become a brilliant engineer, driver, and team founder before his untimely death in 1970 while testing a Can-Am car at Goodwood. Despite his early passing, his legacy endures through the modern McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive brands.

The body of this replica was originally created for Roger Donaldson’s 2017 biographical film McLaren, which tells Bruce’s story. After filming, Southward Car Museum acquired the body and began constructing a complete, running vehicle using an authentic Austin 7 chassis and numerous period-correct components.

As a tribute to Bruce McLaren’s early innovation and Kiwi ingenuity, the build was completed in-house by the museum’s team. The interior of the body is signed by Roger Donaldson himself, who dubbed it “the world’s fastest Austin.”