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McLaren M7A
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McLaren M7A
The McLaren M7A is a Formula One racing car built by McLaren and used in the world championship between 1968 and 1971. After two relatively unsuccessful years of Formula One competition, the M7A was used to score McLaren's first win at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.
Designed by Robin Herd and Gordon Coppuck, the M7A was the first McLaren to be powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, which went on to be used by the team until 1983. The M7B was a development of the M7A (chassis M7A/3), and had outboard fuel tanks riveted to the existing bath-tub monocoque to house the fuel bags, along with wrap-over panel-work similar to the M10, thus creating an interim full-monocoque chassis. The M7C was effectively a Formula 5000 M10A chassis with the horn removed at the rear of the cockpit to enable the fitment of the DFV engine, whilst the M7D was powered by an Alfa-Romeo engine.
The M7A made its Grand Prix debut at the second race of the 1968 world championship. After its victory in Belgium, it took another two wins that year, helping to place McLaren second in the Constructors' Championship.
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963; Bruce McLaren was a factory driver for the Cooper motor racing team which competed in Formula One, the highest level of international single-seater competition. Since 1966, McLaren and his team had been building and racing their own Formula One cars. Their first two seasons had been relatively unsuccessful, with six points scored (out of a potential 180) and a best result of fourth. The lack of a suitable engine caused problems: the 1966 M2B car's Ford and Serenissima V8 engines both lacked power and the 1967 M5A's British Racing Motors V12 did not arrive until mid-season.
In 1967 Cosworth debuted their DFV engine which was supplied exclusively to the Lotus team. It was immediately successful, winning its first race, and in 1968 it became available for purchase by any manufacturer. McLaren bought five DFV engines at a cost of 7,500 pounds sterling each. Designer Robin Herd was recruited to the team in 1965 before which he had been an aerospace engineer at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE) where he worked on the Concorde project. His assistant Gordon Coppuck was another ex-NGTE employee. Herd began the design of the M7A towards the end of 1967 but left to join Cosworth before its completion, leaving Coppuck and Bruce McLaren to complete the work.
The M7A was an open-wheeled single-seater with a mid-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. The chassis was a bathtub-type (i.e. open-topped) monocoque initially made from 22-gauge aluminium alloy panels glued and riveted together and to three steel bulkheads. Magnesium alloy was used for the dash panel, battery cover and numerous smaller non-folded panels. The monocoque terminated behind the driver's seat and the engine was used as a stressed member, bolted directly to the rearmost bulkhead. The gearbox was then attached behind the engine, and the rear suspension – consisting of lateral top links, twin radius arms and reversed wishbones– attached to the gearbox and the rear bulkhead. The front suspension – upper and lower lateral links and radius arms – and the steering column were attached to the two bulkheads in front of the driver. Coilover springs and Koni dampers mounted outside of the body were employed front and rear. These were soon after replaced with the more proven Armstrong units.
The outer bodywork was mostly formed by the monocoque, except for the nose and cockpit which were covered by glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) panels; the engine sometimes also had a GRP cover. The wheelbase for the prototype car (M7A/1) was noted as 7ft 9.6", M7A/2 and M7A/3 were subsequently 96.5", just 0.5" longer than its short lived predecessor, the M5A; the front track 58 inches (1,500 mm) and the rear track 57 inches (1,400 mm); weight was 1,140 pounds (520 kg). McLaren's own magnesium alloy wheels were used; they were 15-inch (380 mm) diameter at the rear and 15- or sometimes 13-inch (330 mm) diameter at the front.
Fuel was stored in tanks running down the side of the chassis, above the driver's legs and behind their seat, totalling 40 imperial gallons (180 L) capacity. Full capacity was not required for most races so the tank above the driver's legs was usually almost empty. For the M7A's first two world championship races, Bruce McLaren's car was fitted with outboard "pannier" fuel tanks at the side of the cockpit. McLaren had a theory that sports racing cars' handling was superior to that of single-seaters because of the weight distribution of their fuel; the pannier tanks were an attempt to replicate this. According to McLaren mechanic Tyler Alexander this idea was developed in discussion with Lotus boss Colin Chapman. After the car was damaged at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, it was rebuilt without the pannier tanks.
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McLaren M7A
The McLaren M7A is a Formula One racing car built by McLaren and used in the world championship between 1968 and 1971. After two relatively unsuccessful years of Formula One competition, the M7A was used to score McLaren's first win at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.
Designed by Robin Herd and Gordon Coppuck, the M7A was the first McLaren to be powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, which went on to be used by the team until 1983. The M7B was a development of the M7A (chassis M7A/3), and had outboard fuel tanks riveted to the existing bath-tub monocoque to house the fuel bags, along with wrap-over panel-work similar to the M10, thus creating an interim full-monocoque chassis. The M7C was effectively a Formula 5000 M10A chassis with the horn removed at the rear of the cockpit to enable the fitment of the DFV engine, whilst the M7D was powered by an Alfa-Romeo engine.
The M7A made its Grand Prix debut at the second race of the 1968 world championship. After its victory in Belgium, it took another two wins that year, helping to place McLaren second in the Constructors' Championship.
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963; Bruce McLaren was a factory driver for the Cooper motor racing team which competed in Formula One, the highest level of international single-seater competition. Since 1966, McLaren and his team had been building and racing their own Formula One cars. Their first two seasons had been relatively unsuccessful, with six points scored (out of a potential 180) and a best result of fourth. The lack of a suitable engine caused problems: the 1966 M2B car's Ford and Serenissima V8 engines both lacked power and the 1967 M5A's British Racing Motors V12 did not arrive until mid-season.
In 1967 Cosworth debuted their DFV engine which was supplied exclusively to the Lotus team. It was immediately successful, winning its first race, and in 1968 it became available for purchase by any manufacturer. McLaren bought five DFV engines at a cost of 7,500 pounds sterling each. Designer Robin Herd was recruited to the team in 1965 before which he had been an aerospace engineer at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE) where he worked on the Concorde project. His assistant Gordon Coppuck was another ex-NGTE employee. Herd began the design of the M7A towards the end of 1967 but left to join Cosworth before its completion, leaving Coppuck and Bruce McLaren to complete the work.
The M7A was an open-wheeled single-seater with a mid-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. The chassis was a bathtub-type (i.e. open-topped) monocoque initially made from 22-gauge aluminium alloy panels glued and riveted together and to three steel bulkheads. Magnesium alloy was used for the dash panel, battery cover and numerous smaller non-folded panels. The monocoque terminated behind the driver's seat and the engine was used as a stressed member, bolted directly to the rearmost bulkhead. The gearbox was then attached behind the engine, and the rear suspension – consisting of lateral top links, twin radius arms and reversed wishbones– attached to the gearbox and the rear bulkhead. The front suspension – upper and lower lateral links and radius arms – and the steering column were attached to the two bulkheads in front of the driver. Coilover springs and Koni dampers mounted outside of the body were employed front and rear. These were soon after replaced with the more proven Armstrong units.
The outer bodywork was mostly formed by the monocoque, except for the nose and cockpit which were covered by glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) panels; the engine sometimes also had a GRP cover. The wheelbase for the prototype car (M7A/1) was noted as 7ft 9.6", M7A/2 and M7A/3 were subsequently 96.5", just 0.5" longer than its short lived predecessor, the M5A; the front track 58 inches (1,500 mm) and the rear track 57 inches (1,400 mm); weight was 1,140 pounds (520 kg). McLaren's own magnesium alloy wheels were used; they were 15-inch (380 mm) diameter at the rear and 15- or sometimes 13-inch (330 mm) diameter at the front.
Fuel was stored in tanks running down the side of the chassis, above the driver's legs and behind their seat, totalling 40 imperial gallons (180 L) capacity. Full capacity was not required for most races so the tank above the driver's legs was usually almost empty. For the M7A's first two world championship races, Bruce McLaren's car was fitted with outboard "pannier" fuel tanks at the side of the cockpit. McLaren had a theory that sports racing cars' handling was superior to that of single-seaters because of the weight distribution of their fuel; the pannier tanks were an attempt to replicate this. According to McLaren mechanic Tyler Alexander this idea was developed in discussion with Lotus boss Colin Chapman. After the car was damaged at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, it was rebuilt without the pannier tanks.
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