With McLaren being the featured marque of the 2011 Sonoma Historic Automobile Festival, you could count on seeing dozens of different vehicles from this storied car builder.
Besides all of the private-owned McLaren race cars that came out, the McLaren Automotive Company itself had a large display in the paddock with several models representing the brand's history.
To represent the early part of McLaren's Formula One history, the 1965 M5A race car was on hand. It's powered by a BRM V12 makes 370 horsepower.
There were also a handful of Can Am cars, a very imporant part of McLaren's racing history. This is the 1967 M6A, which Bruce McLaren himself helped drive to the '67 Can Am championship. Bruce would tagically be killed while testing a Can Am car at Goodwood in 1970.
This is the 1971 M8F, another championship winning McLaren Can Am car.
Like the other Can Am cars, it's powered by a Chevrolet V8. This particular one made over 700 horsepower.
Cockpit view. Very spartan, as a race car should be.
The 1972 M20 was the last McLaren Can Am car before the team refocused on open-wheel racing. By this time the Porsche teams had taken over front-runner status with their 917/10 Can Am monster.
With the M20 you can see just how far the aerodynamics had advanced by this point.
More Formula One history with the 1985 MP4/2B championship car driven by a certain Alain Prost.
I'm not quite the F1 fanatic that some of the other Speedhunters staff are, but I find myself getting more and more hooked.
It's certainly humbling to be in the presence of such legendary machinery.
This display also included a 1995 McLaren F1, originally built for Michael Andretti.
Still an absolutley beautiful car by today's standards.
Lastly, McLaren also brought out a new MP4-12C, which seemed to get quite a reception among the vintage racing crowd.
Couldn't think of a better way to close out the McLaren history lesson than by taking in the lines of this modern beauty.
-Mike Garrett
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
GO KIWI! Amazing how such amazing machinery was creted by a guy from lil ol NZ! respect.
Great shots, Mike! I personally would've liked to have seen more of the historic can-am/F1 cars. I've been attending this event every year since I was 5 or so, but missed it this time due to FD Florida.
Oh well, great to see that vintage racing still has a place in modern motorsports media.
Cheers!
-Geoff
Ooops! I totally didn't see the other posts from the historics. I rescind my comment about wanting more can-am and F1.
Props!
Fuck drifting & hella flush, we need more post like this!!!!!!!!
Be a NZer i would just like to thank you for this article. I'm proud to call Bruce one of my racing heroes, along with all the other kiwis that have made it big in international motorsport
love it! nice to see a McLaren F1 thanks for the insight!
The McLaren F1 is chassis #028 and belongs to the man who will own McLaren's new San Francisco franchise dealership when it opens later this year.
Thanks for the photos - I am sorry I didn't make it to this event as I'm a huge fan of McLaren and live near Los Angeles so definitely could have made the trip.
>8^)
Erik