The Mc Laren M8 Series. The McLaren operation was never big, but its principals, headed by Bruce McL

The motor racing public are fickle in their outlook on monopolists. A car which enjoys a run of wins through its own merit is first admired, then con-demned because it makes racing boring; a consistent winner cannot win! There is no doubt that during their five year reign over CanAm racing in America, defeat was often wished upon the McLaren team if only to vary the status quo and have something other than the orange cars take the chequered- flag for once.

Yet their very pace, efficiency and mastery over the opposition compelled admiration, more so when the sheer simplicity of their "armoury" was appreciated. The McLaren operation was never big, but its principals, headed by Bruce McLaren, certainly knew what they were about.

Bruce was, of course, a New Zealander and a successful Grand Prix driver, whose interests and engineering talent took him into racing car manufacture as well. Besides Formula 1 his attention became focused on the lucrative new US—Canadian CanAm sports-racing car series of races for Group 7, which began in 1966. He contested the inaugural season with a space-framed, Chevrolet-engined car, the McLaren M1B, and finished third on points.

When it was over the little McLaren team, then six strong, found time to analyse the lessons of that first CanAm, and work out a fresh design for 1967.

From a consensus of ideas by the effer-vescent McLaren and Robin Herd the new car, the M6A, was designed around a 5.9 litre cast-iron Chevrolet V8 engine a good, strong, powerful and not too expensive pushrod ohv unit which they equipped with Lucas fuel injection.

The car had a compact, simple monocoque chassis built up in aluminium and magnesium sheet, bonded together both by epoxy resin cement and rivets.

The engine contributed to an exceptionally rigid structure, a full-width magnesium plate being bolted across its front end, and supporting the rear suspension trailing members in conjunction with two rear frame arms.

The coil spring-and-wishbone suspen-sion was simple, strong and easily set up, with quick-change anti-roll bars, and the Girling disc brakes were out-board in four-spoke cast-magnesium wheels. Goodyear tyres, then new to racing, were worn, the 121in wide rear tyres seeming vast by 1967 standards.

The fibreglass body incorporated a nose radiator, flexible rubber bag fuel tanks in side boxes, and a neat integral rear spoiler. The Chevrolet engines were specially prepared by "bhp wizard" Gary Knutson, who extracted around 520bhp, while the cars were built at McLaren's new works at Colnbrook, conveniently near London airport. As McLaren sports-racing cars were also to be built for sale by Trojan-Elva at Croydon, the works team painted their own M6As a pleasant orange, which became the accepted McLaren colour. Another New Zealand driver and friend, Denny Hulme, joined the team that year, he and McLaren confronting their CanAm rivals with invaluable Grand Prix "know how" and first class cars. The six qualifying races took place between September and November, Hulme winning three and McLaren two, the latter also taking two second places to win the Championship on points. Not surprisingly "the Bruce and Denny show" was back in 1968 with the latest edition of the CanAm McLaren, the M8A. This time the more powerful 7 litre aluminium Chevrolet 427 engine with staggered valves was employed, dry sump lubrication being adapted to position it lower.

The engine now also served as a stress-bearing part of the monocoque, which with two bulkheads instead of four was appreciably lighter than in 1967. The bigger engine gave some 620bhp at 7,000rpm, the tracks were widened, Lockheed brakes adopted, and the bodywork shortened at the rear and cleaned up. "Clean up" was also the term for the McLarens' progress through the 1968 series; all six rounds fell to the Kiwi cars, although two races went to private owners when the works cars met trouble, and Hulme emerged the CanAm champion.

Seasonal improvements ensued, and with a new high wing on struts linked with the rear suspension, still wider tyres and an extra 5bhp, the M8A became the M8B. This type eclipsed all previous McLaren feats with 100 per cent works success in 1969. Of the eleven qualifying races, Hulme won five and McLaren won six, the latter becom-ing the champion.

That year the team won just over $300,000, besides receiving as much again in sponsorship money from Gulf, Goodyear and Reynolds Aluminum.

McLaren ambitions extended in 1970 to include Indianapolis as well as F1 and CanAm, but the team suffered a shatter-ing blow when Bruce McLaren was killed while testing the newest 7.6 litre CanAm car, the M8D, at Goodwood.

Gallantly the company carried on, the Californian Dan Gurney standing in to drive alongside Denny Hulme. Gurney won two races, Hulme six, and new team member Peter Gethin one, a McLaren clean sweep being interrupted by a Porsche win in one race only. The fifth Group 7 McLaren, the 1971 M8F, had considerably cleaned up body-work, a 3in longer wheelbase, 17in wide rear wheels in place of the former "16s", improved suspension, and engine sizes ranging between 7.6 and 8.1 litres (giving between 670 and 740bhp), the latter having an all-aluminium block cast by Reynolds. Despite spasmodic challenges from Lola, Ferrari and Porsche rivals, the 1971 CanAm was yet another McLaren benefit.

Hulme won three rounds but his new team mate, the American Peter Revson, became champion by winning four. In five CanAm seasons the orange fliers had won a total of 37 races, a remarkable achievement by any make in any era, but 1972 brought their first major check with the coming of the Penske Porsche flat-12 Type 917s.

McLarens found themselves relegated to mid-field despite a revised design, the M20. This had water radiators moved back alongside the mid-engine instead of in the nose, a nose aerofoil, and 750bhp plus better torque from the engine.

But the turbocharged Porsches with around 900bhp could not be denied, and the Kiwi cars were fortunate to win rounds 1, 3 and 6 when the German flat-12s gave trouble. Then, pushed harder, the McLarens began to break and a monopoly was ended. If from the interest factor it was as well, after Porsche's two year rein the CanAm began to fade away; two years later the great Group 7 series was dead. Specification—McLaren M8A Engine : Chevrolet 90° V8, mid-located; 108 x 95mm, 6,990cc; 2ohv per cylinder, pushrod-operated; Lucas fuel injection; 5-bearing crankshaft; 620bhp at 7,000rpm (1968). Transmission: Triple dry-plate clutch; Hewland 4-speed gearbox behind final drive. Chassis: Rivetted and bonded aluminium monocoque with steel bulkheads; engine forming stressed member; independent front suspension by coil springs and wishbones; independent rear suspension by coil springs and single upper link, reversed lower wish-bone and twin radius arms; coaxial hydraulic telescopic dampers; hydraulic disc brakes. Dimensions : Wheelbase, 7ft 10in; front track, 4ft 91in; rear track, 4ft 62in.

Effective simplicity characterised the McLaren design for CanAm class racing. The 427 cu in, 7 litre light alloy Chevrolet V8 engine of the M8A of 1968 shown here served as a stressed member in the monocoque hull. A 4-speed Hewland gearbox and Lucas fuel injection with impressive "power station" intake trumpets .