Details of Cars

McLaren M1A: the team’s first sports car of its own design

MCLAREN

McLaren M1A
McLaren M1A at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. Photo by Yu Chu Chin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The McLaren M1A and its derivatives, the M1B and M1C, were mid-engined Group 7 sports prototype racing cars built by McLaren between 1963 and 1968. The M1A was the team’s first sports car designed and developed in-house, and the later versions took the idea to the Can-Am series.

McLaren M1A at a glance

McLaren M1A key facts
Type Group 7 sports prototype racing car
Years 1963–1968
Versions M1A, M1B, M1C
Built 24 M1A and M1B; 25 M1C
Chassis tubular space frame
Weight 551 kg (1,215 lb)
Engines Chevrolet small-block, Oldsmobile V8, Chevrolet big-block, Ford FE
Power about 310 hp from the 4.5-litre Oldsmobile; over 550 hp from the 350 cu in Chevrolet
Gearbox Hewland L.G.500 four-speed manual
Series Group 7 and United States Road Racing Championship; Can-Am from 1966

based on one source (English Wikipedia).

History of the McLaren M1A

The M1A was the McLaren team’s first sports car to be designed and developed by the team itself. It raced in North America and Europe in 1963 and 1964 in various Group 7 and United States Road Racing Championship events, and later versions competed in the North American Can-Am series from the 1966 season.

McLaren M1A
The M1A’s low, open bodywork. Photo by Yu Chu Chin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The car was built around a tubular space frame and weighed 551 kg, which with a large American V8 gave it a strong power-to-weight ratio. The engine choice varied: the 4.5-litre Oldsmobile V8 developed around 310 hp, while the 350 cubic inch (5.7-litre) Chevrolet small-block produced more than 550 hp and 538 lb·ft of torque. Other cars used a Chevrolet big-block or a Ford FE engine, and the power went to the rear wheels through a Hewland L.G.500 four-speed manual gearbox.

In all, 24 examples of the M1A and M1B were built, followed by 25 of the M1C, which carried the design into the Can-Am era as the series grew around big V8 sports cars.

Design and features

  • Tubular space frame: a simple, light structure that kept the car at 551 kg.
  • American V8s: Chevrolet and Oldsmobile engines from about 310 to more than 550 hp, with Ford FE units in some cars.
  • Hewland gearbox: the L.G.500 four-speed manual used across the range.
  • Customer availability: the M1B and M1C were sold on and raced widely in Can-Am.

McLaren M1A versions

  • M1A (1963–1964): the original car, the team’s first own sports design.
  • M1B: the developed version that took the car into Can-Am from 1966.
  • M1C (to 1968): the final version, of which 25 were built.

The M1 cars led to the M6 and M8 Can-Am machines, and the customer racing idea continued with the M12. More cars are in the McLaren collection.

Sources

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