McLaren Sports Cars Listed by Name

McLaren “Zerex”
This was Bruce’s first race car for the American series. The chassis was built in the UK and was based on rebuilding from just behind the front suspension to just ahead of the rear suspension with a new McLaren designed tube frame that was welded in. This chassis was far more stiffer that the willowy Zerex original and it had the sophistication of having the water and oil flowing through the chassis tubes. There was no time to fabricate the new exhaust system and the car was flown to Mosport with eight stub exhausts poking up through the tail. First time out it won at Mosport that year and at Brands hatch at the end of August 1963. The car had three names, one “The Jolly Green Giant” (bought about due to lack of time to finish the car, a handyman’s store was visited and a can of garden gate green was obtained), the second name was the “Zerex Special” (re-framed and re-engineered, which the car was more commonly known as) and for various reasons Bruce decreed that the car should be known as the “Cooper Oldsmobile”. Officially the car was a Cooper Oldsmobile when Bruce won with it at Mosport in June 1964. The car won another race in the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch at the end of August that year.

M1A – 1964-65
The original McLaren built Group 7 sports racing car was a simple space frame design with a light and compact Oldsmobile V-8 engine, cooper wheels, uprights and steering arms, and a Hewland Gearbox. Fitted with the engine effort the Zerex, the McLaren M1 lowered the Zerex’s records at Goodwood by a clear 3 seconds.
The car was painted black with a silver stripe ( New Zealand’s colours) and it was the fastest car on the track at Mosport in September, but with a broken throttle linkage and a long pit stop, Bruce came back to finish third. Later on that season at Nassau the car was painted an orange red colour and the car finished second to Roger Penske’s Chaparral.
In England Frank Nichols of Elva Cars called on Bruce and a long association was formed with Peter Agg of Trojan (Elva’s parent company) to build McLaren replicas They were to be called McLaren-Elvas. The M1A was put into production as the McLaren-Elva Mark 1 and versions appeared with 4.7 litre Ford V-8 power in addition to the standard 4.5 litre Olds, A total 24 were built and met with success, although it became apparent that the Olds engine was just too small for the class.
Chassis: Large diameter round and square tubular frame with light alloy sheet riveted and bonded to it, forming stressed undertray and bulkheads.
Suspension: Independent by unequal length wide based wishbones, anti-roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units in the front. Trailing radius arms with single top links, reversed lower wishbones, anti roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units at the rear.
Brakes: Dual circuit Girling discs all around.
Body: Four section polyester resin with integral brake and radiator ducting and side sections housing twin fuel tanks.
Engine: Traco Oldsmobile 4.5 Litre V-8 standard with Hewland LG4 speed gearbox.
Dimensions: Wheelbase 91 inches, front track 51 inches, rear track 51 inches.

M1B – 1965-66
This Group 7 sports racing car was the 1965 development of the original M1A design. The design of the M1B was evolved the by artist Michael Turner, working with Tyler Alexander and Robin Herd. It had a blunter noise and sharper cut off at the tail. Design work by Robin Herd saw the M1B gaining a20% stiffer chassis than the M1A and the M1B was no heavier. The first race was at St Jovite and resulted in an ignominious retirement in practice when the Oldsmobile blew up wrecking the transmission as well. Before Mosport, a new 4.5 litre had arrived from Traco and with this installed Bruce finished second to Jim Halls Chaparral.
For the first Can-Am series in 1966 it became obvious to team McLaren early in the season that their 5 Litre Traco-Oldsmobile were going to be no match for the 6 Litre Chevrolet. After the opening races in Canada, Bruce switched from the aluminium engine to the cast iron 5.4 litre Chevrolet which weighed an extra 200 lbs more, but gave an extra 100 horsepower.
The works car driven by McLaren and Amon competed in the 1966 Can-Am series powered by the 6 Litre Chevrolet V-8 with Hilborn injection. Both Bruce and Chris were pace setters, but they were not winners, with Bruce finishing second in the series to Jim Surtees.
Trojan manufactured twenty-eight cars and were sold in the US as McLaren Elva Mark 2’s.
Chassis: Large diameter round and square tubular frame with light alloy sheet riveted and bonded to it, forming undertray and bulkheads.
Suspension: Independent by unequal length wide based wishbones, with anti-dive characteristics, anti-roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units in the front. Trailing arms with lower wishbones, single top links, anti roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units at the rear. McLaren-Elva cast magnesium wheels, 15 x 8½ front, 15 x 11½ rear (5.50 and 6.50 – 15 tyres)
Brakes: Dual circuit Girling discs all around. 12½ inch diameter front and 11½ inch diameter rear.
Body: Four section polyester resin with integral brake and radiator ducting and side sections housing twin 25 gallon rubber fuel cells.
Engine: Traco Oldsmobile 4.5 Litre V-8 standard with single plate Scheifer clutch and 4 speed Hewland LG gearbox. Hypoid ring and pinion with limited slip differential standard in transmission. Chevrolet and Ford engines and ZF transmission optional equipment.
Dimensions: Wheelbase 91 inches, front track 51 inches, rear track 51 inches, overall length 146 inches, width 64 inches, height to top of windscreen 31 inches, weight less fuel 1300 pounds distributed 40 percent front / 60 percent rear.

M1C – 1966-67
The M1C was built by Trojan as customer cars, using the space frame design from the original design. These M1C variants, sold as Mark 3s, were generally powered by Chevrolet engines, although Ford or Oldsmobile options were listed. The model was a further improved and developed M1B with a separate spoiler wing at the tail. Twenty-five were built and were sold in the USA as McLaren Elva Mark 3’s.
Chassis: Large diameter round and square tubular frame with light alloy sheet riveted and bonded to it, forming undertray and bulkheads.
Suspension: Independent by unequal length wide based wishbones, with anti-dive characteristics, anti-roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units in the front. Trailing arms with lower wishbones, single top links, anti roll bar and adjustable coil spring/shock units at the rear. McLaren-Elva cast magnesium wheels, 15 x 8½ front, 15 x 11½ rear (5.50 and 6.50 – 15 tyres)
Brakes: Dual circuit Girling discs all around. 12½ inch diameter front and 11½ inch diameter rear.
Body: Four section polyester resin with integral brake and radiator ducting and side sections housing twin 25 gallon rubber fuel cells.
Engine: Traco Oldsmobile 4.5 Litre V-8 standard with single plate Scheifer clutch and 4 speed Hewland LG gearbox. Hypoid ring and pinion with limited slip differential standard in transmission. Chevrolet and Ford engines and ZF transmission optional equipment.
Dimensions: Wheelbase 90.5 inches, front track 52 inches, rear track 52 inches, overall length 146 inches, width 66 inches, height to top of windscreen 31 inches, weight less fuel 1300 pounds distributed 40 percent front / 60 percent rear.