Two young engineers from New Zealand are undertaking a two-month internship established in honor of McLaren’s Kiwi founder, Bruce McLaren, at the company’s UK facility in Woking.
The University of Auckland students Elizabeth Grant and Harvey Merton are following in the footsteps of Bruce McLaren who arrived in England in 1958 on a scholarship before going on to build his racing team five years later.
“It’s wonderful to welcome Elizabeth and Harvey to McLaren as the latest bright young engineers to benefit from the international internship named in honor of my father and to know his legacy lives on today both in the cars and the ethos of the company,” said Amanda McLaren, brand ambassador for McLaren Automotive.
Both will do stints with the designers, development engineers and the powertrain team as well as in areas such as aftersales, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Bruce McLaren studied at the University of Auckland and was an accomplished engineer and innovator as well as a successful racing driver.
“My father would be very proud of what McLaren has become today and I’m sure he would be equally proud of the internship, which celebrates the strong links between Britain and New Zealand that he epitomized,” commented Amanda McLaren.
“I’m grateful to both McLaren Automotive and the University of Auckland for their continued support for nurturing young engineering talent and can’t wait to hear what Elizabeth and Harvey make of it all.”
Professor Nic Smith, dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland, said, “This is an outstanding opportunity for our students and it will be exciting for them to be involved with such an iconic brand at the cutting edge of engineering technology. Following in the footsteps of Bruce McLaren is a unique experience.
“We are also very grateful to the funders of this scholarship, alumni Neil Paton, Eric Tracey, Rob Whitehouse and Sir Colin Giltrap, for recognizing the incredible benefit of placing young students in the McLaren environment. It will no doubt fuel their passion for automotive engineering and will set them on the road to an exciting career.”
Laura Clarke, British high commissioner to New Zealand, said, “I visited McLaren in the UK before taking up the role of high commissioner to New Zealand. The story of Bruce McLaren and his enduring relationship with the UK is an inspiring one and I’m so pleased that McLaren Automotive and Auckland University are supporting Kiwi engineering talent in the UK.
“Collaboration and opportunity underpin the UK and New Zealand’s close relationship, and scholarships such as this are key to bringing bright minds into engineering and continuing our long-standing tradition of skill sharing. Many congratulations to Elizabeth and Harvey.”