10 Of The Coolest Cars Of All Time Formula One
McLaren M7C
When it raced: 1969 (for the Guillotine wing)
The late 1960s were an exciting time in Formula One, as the cars had just started to sprout wings. Eventually, engineers realized that placing the wings higher meant they’d work better. Then, almost inevitably, someone wondered what would happen if you put another wing on the car, right over the front wheels. The practice was ultimately banned because it was frightening — you get one guess why the M7C is sometimes called «the Guillotine.»
The McLaren M7A and its M7B, M7C and M7D variants were Formula One racing cars, 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 had outboard fuel tanks and the M7C a modified chassis, 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 and a best result of fourth. The lack of a suitable engine caused problems: the 1966 M2B car’s Ford and Serinisimma V8 engines both lacked power and the 1967 M5A’s British Racing Motors V12 did not arrive until mid-season.