Bruce's mentor Jack Brabham soon introduced him to Cooper cars. Followed by an auspicious start to his F2 career in 1958, he joined the F1 team in 1959 and stayed with Cooper for seven years. Bruce was quick to make an impact by winning the 1959 US Grand Prix. He was just 22 years old, which made him the youngest Grand Prix winner at that time. But Bruce had a drive to become more than a race driver. Bruce quickly became known as a true competitor. He also excelled in innovation and developing racing cars. Bruce then decided to leave Cooper and build his own Formula 1 vehicle in 1965. Bruce and his small team developed the first true McLaren sports car the 'M1A'. Early McLaren F1 sports cars were designed and manufactured by the McLaren Automotive. The idea was originally conceived by Gordon Murray and Ron Dennis to back the project.
Peter Stevans was responsible for designing the interiors and exteriors of the car. The M1A became a top contender in sports car racing both in Europe and America. The M2B became the successor of the M1A in 1966. The car was designed by Robin Herd, but the programme was hampered by poor choice of engines. However, it took only another season for the McLaren F1 team to make it to the top, with only Bruce driving at the 1968 Belgian GP. In 1989, the McLaren organisation set about creating its first road car. The McLaren F1 was a clean-sheet design, with all the components built specifically for it, except for the tail lamps. The 1995 GTR was designed and produced in just a few months so that the cars would be ready for the new GT class. The company based its guiding principle on improving efficiency. Thus a lot of effort was given to make the parts using minimum weight. The body panels and under-structure of the cars were made of featherweight carbon fibre. Other mechanical components were also made of either aluminium or magnesium to improve the efficiency for a uniquie supercar driving experience. McLaren Formula 1 has been on the podium an average of once in every three Grand Prix ever since. The car has won about 165 of the 668 Grand Prixs in which the team has competed. It has also delivered 12 world championships, winning eight Constructors' Championships. As of the Spa Grand Prix 2009, McLaren has achieved 142 pole positions, 434 podiums, and 44 double wins (one -twos). Truly McLaren has proven itself a motorsport superstar.
I was the best dressed person in the club and my wife looked especially HOT in her black Jill Sanders outfit. Yeah, success sucks, or so I hear. But we played some great gigs and in the case of one touring band, blew their collective asses off the stage. It was a good night. In 2001 I decided that it was time to get back into the Porsche scene, so I started looking around. I test drove a few cars, but nothing really stood out. I did not mind waiting until I found the right car, I could be patient. Then one day I logged into the Dallas Morning News website and clicked the link to the car ads and looked at the Porsches for sale. Usually there were a few cars listed, most were either basket cases or brand news ones way beyond my budget and means. But there was this car, a 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera or 930. It was nearby, it was in my price range.
I grabbed the phone and called the number listed. A guy answered the phone and laughed, he had just listed the ad only moments before, but already had like 6 calls. He was a commercial airline pilot and was not flying that day. He asked me how fast I could get to his house. I said fifteen minutes. He said I better hurry. He met me at his front door and walked me around to the garage and opened the door with the automatic opener. The door rolled up and the sight of the Porsche 930 literally took my breath away. I had to have it. What cinched the deal was we drove to the place where I had most of my mechanical work done to all my previous Porsches and BMW鈥檚. I really trusted these guys. The owner of the 930 trusted these guys too. The service manager told me this was the best 930 they had ever cared for; it really needed nothing. Here are some shots that the Pervious Owner (PO) sent me. Not for one minute had I ever imagined that I would be able to own the car of my teenage fantasies. A 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera / 930, number 408 of 630 imported into the US. Wow. Normally we do not name our cars, but we christened this one - Bad Boy.
It was once said that age is wasted on the young. While I would not trade-in any of those painful lessons I have learned in my life because I have benefited too much from them; however, I still wish I could save others from the lessons that life invariably teaches. Here is my attempt at reaching out to the 30 year old guy. I realize that it is likely to fall on deaf ears as it probably would have with me at that age. For the average red blooded 30 year old guy the focus is on success. They say, "I will be happy when I get the money, the 911 Porsche or the mansion". I have been lucky enough to have all three. Each time I was convinced that the new success goal I was after was going to make me happy. That type of thinking comes with a price. A price that you probably did not even know was on the chopping block.