Bruce McLaren's former garage in Remuera to become apartments

How the Remuera Rd building could look once changes are completed.

The former Remuera service station where racing legend Bruce McLaren spent his early years is to be converted into six apartments, selling from around $650,000 to $1.4 million.

Graeme Moore, of Mike Pero Real Estate in Remuera, said the former McLaren garage at 586-592 Remuera Rd would be converted into retail or restaurant space on the ground floor and apartments above.

Heritage New Zealand lists the building at the Newmarket end of the Remuera Rd shops as category 1.

"The former McLaren Garage in Auckland is strongly associated with Bruce McLaren (1937-1970), the internationally significant racing driver, car designer/constructor and Team McLaren Motor Racing founder.

"Constructed in 1926, the purpose-built garage and service station was constructed in Remuera's Upland Road shopping village during a period of increased commercial development along Remuera Road's expanding tram route. The building is an early example of a suburban service station and garage, one of many specialised roadside facilities designed to serve the rapidly increasing number of private motorcars as cars became more affordable," Heritage NZ said.

"McLaren's Garage (former) is historically significant as a rare surviving example of purpose-built service station and garage in continuous use since early 1927," it said.

Karen Moore of Mike Pero Remuera said one-bedroom apartments might start at around $650,000 but a two-bedroom place could sell more in the $1.4m range. Work had yet to begin on the building, she said, because pre-sales targets had to be met first.

Graeme Moore said: "The three original apartments on the first floor of the garage building will be refurbished and will retain character features such as exposed brickwork. The discreet introduction of a second floor provides an additional three apartments."

The Bruce McLaren Trust would move out of the former Auckland garage for Hampton Downs, Moore said.

Heritage NZ said: "The garage was initially run by Arthur Taylor for ten years. In 1936, he sold the business to Les McLaren, Bruce McLaren's father, one of the first individuals to drive motor fuel trucks for oil company Texaco (forerunner to Caltex). Les McLaren and his family lived in one of the flats above the business, before purchasing a house immediately around the corner, at Upland Road, in 1946."