Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Chassis No: 67-40-04
Mot Expiry: N/A

Compared with what was to come, the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd team had a comparatively poor 1966 Can-Am season. Despite an early switch from Oldsmobile-Traco (4.5 litre) to Chevrolet (5.4 litre) V8 power, their best driver (McLaren himself) could only manage two second places, two thirds and one pole position all of which left him third overall in the Championship standings (behind the Lola T70 MK2s of John Surtees and Mark Donohue). Changing tack the following year, the Colnbrook-based outfit broke with tradition by creating a special customer only design, the M1C. McLaren's final Group 7 spaceframe chassis car, it was the work of aeronautical-turned-racing-car engineer Robin Herd. Interspersed by riveted / bonded light alloy sheets (forming the various bulkheads / undertrays etc), its latticework of large-diameter round- and square section tubing was notably stiffer than before (the 'works' M1Bs had suffered from various suspension failures in 1966). Clad in multi-piece polyester resin bodywork (complete with side-pods housing twenty-five gallon fuel bags and integral brake / radiator / oil -cooler ducting), it also benefited from a new rear wing set-up.
Stronger and better aerodynamically balanced than its 'works' predecessors, the M1C may have been the ultimate evolution of McLaren's Group 7 spaceframe technology but it was outpaced by the 'works' M6A monocoques of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme throughout 1967 (that year's 'Bruce and Denny Show' saw McLaren win all but one of the Cam-Am Challenge rounds). Built by Peter Agg's Trojan Elva Group (McLaren's customer car production partner) only twenty-five M1Cs were made. Marketed in America as the McLaren-Elva MK3, the majority were used to contest the USRRC and Can-Am Championships. Bought by the likes of David G Billes, Ecurie Soncy, Carl A Haas Autos, Donald J Morin and Drummond Racing, they proved capable of mixing it with Lola's T70 MK3 and Chaparral's 2G. Indeed, at the end of the 1967 Can-Am series, Skip Scott's McLaren M1C was left tied with Lothar Motschenbacher's Lola T70 MK3 and Chris Amon's Ferrari 330 P3 for twelfth place overall. Riding on bespoke McLaren-Elva cast magnesium wheels (15 x 8.5inch front / 15 x 11.5inch rear) most M1Cs were fitted with Chevrolet engines, though some customers chose to install Ford or Oldsmobile powerplants.
According to information supplied by the vendor, this particular example (chassis 67-40-04) has been campaigned over the years by Alistair Cowin, Malcolm Clube, Nick Overall and Christopher Schousberger. Said to be accompanied by "six files of history giving race details from the 1960s to current times", it is reputed to have begun life with a Ford engine. Certainly, there is reference on the internet to Cowin placing second in the BRSCC GKN Trophy Race at Silverstone (15th June 1969) and winning a Snetterton round of the Motoring News Special GT Championship (15th March 1970) whilst driving a McLaren M1C-Ford (though as yet we have been unable to definitively establish that this is the same car). Entered for several Interserie Championship rounds during Malcolm Clube's stewardship (including one at the famous Nurburgring in 1974), the present owner has limited the M1C's competitive outings to two seasons of historic class hillclimbing. Reported to have "just had a £39,000 refurbishment by Hardy Hall Restorations of Bromyard in Herefordshire", it is consequently described by the seller as being in excellent condition with regard to its Lucas / Kinsler fuel-injected 5.7 litre Ford engine, Hewland DG five-speed transmission, electrical equipment, chassis, bodywork, paintwork and wheels / tyres.
As part of its overhaul, we understand that the McLaren's chassis was grit blasted and fitted with a new floorpan / sundry tubing prior to being re-jigged and having two pickup points moved. Further benefiting from new wishbones and radius rods, the various suspension assemblies also gained "new rod ends and bearings as required". Treated to a new crown wheel and pinion, the Hewland transaxle was otherwise deemed fine as was the compression tested Ford V8. Re-plumbed and rewired (new loom, electric fuel pump etc), the chassis was then reunited with its repaired / repainted red bodywork. However, "it is recommended that the long range fuel tank, oil cooler and mirrors are refitted" should a potential purchaser wish to use the M1C for circuit racing.
In addition to the aforementioned 'circuit spares', the car also comes with some second-hand wishbones (1 set), second-hand radius arms (1 set), four wheels (unshod), assorted gear ratios (12 sets) and a mechanical water pump.
A rare survivor from the golden era of Group 7, this magnificent McLaren M1C is offered for sale with FIA papers, MSA Competition Logbook and substantial history file.

Please Note: The above account of chassis 67-40-04's history is by no means definitive and we would ask potential purchasers to satisfy themselves as to its provenance (for example the race results listed above have been drawn from a variety of different sources some of which may prove more accurate than others).