I've seen a McLaren today!
Discussion
Isn't she a beaut!:
The story I'm told is that the McLaren family were manufacturing steam engines in Leeds and very successfully too, when a nephew of the family left for New Zealand and set up an agency there.
McLaren traction engines sold in numbers there too, but when other technology began to take over, one offshoot of the family set up a motor car agency.
Apparently it was a son or grandson of that line of the family who was called Bruce. And the rest, as they say...
I've found this Wikipedia page, which happens to show the same engine as I saw today, but makes no mention of the conection with the New Zealand McLarens. Anyone know more?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%26H_McLaren_%26_Co.
I have to say, if the story is correct I find it very exciting that there is a direct line between the cars that Jenson and Lewis drive and this lovely old steam engine.
The story I'm told is that the McLaren family were manufacturing steam engines in Leeds and very successfully too, when a nephew of the family left for New Zealand and set up an agency there.
McLaren traction engines sold in numbers there too, but when other technology began to take over, one offshoot of the family set up a motor car agency.
Apparently it was a son or grandson of that line of the family who was called Bruce. And the rest, as they say...
I've found this Wikipedia page, which happens to show the same engine as I saw today, but makes no mention of the conection with the New Zealand McLarens. Anyone know more?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%26H_McLaren_%26_Co.
I have to say, if the story is correct I find it very exciting that there is a direct line between the cars that Jenson and Lewis drive and this lovely old steam engine.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff