Photo: Mecum Auctions
Established in 1985, McLaren Automotive introduced its first road-legal car in 1992. Yup, I'm talking about the iconic F1. However, McLaren actually built its first road cars in the 1960s, when a few M6GT prototypes initially developed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans were converted for road use.
That's because McLaren's history extends well beyond the introduction of the F1. The outfit we now know as McLaren Racing Limited goes back to 1963, when Bruce McLaren founded his racing team.
He began making his own race car almost immediately, and the team started winning Formula One races in 1968. McLaren did not win its first F1 championship until 1974, but it dominated the Can-Am series in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Thanks to a series of extremely lightweight and powerful racers, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing won every single Can-Am championship from 1967 to 1971. Effortlessly! And it took a massive effort from Porsche and Penske Racing to dethrone the Newzealander's outfit in 1972 and 1973.
McLaren dominated the series with various iterations of its M6 and M8 race cars, many of them powered by Chevrolet V8 engines. The M6B is one of those cars. And even though it wasn't as decisive as the M6A, as in it didn't win any races, it had a long and successful career.
Based on the M6A, which won the championship in 1967, the M6B hit the track during the 1968 season, when McLaren's main team had switched to the M8A. Powered by either Ford or Chevrolet V8 engines, the M6B was manhandled by famous drivers such as Peter Revson, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, and Vic Elford until 1972.
One of these cars, now powered by a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8 engine rated a massive 720 horsepower, is looking for a new owner. It presents itself in fabulous condition, and it comes with ownership and racing history since new.
Chassis no. 50-17, this M6B was ordered new by Oscar Koveleski and campaigned in the 1969 Can-Am season. It changed owners over the next few years, but it remained active in the series through 1971. Once retired from Can-Am, the race car appeared in various motorsport series from the late 1970s until the early 1990s, getting a few upgrades in the process.
It was restored in 1982 and more recently prepared for vintage racing. Finished in the red no. 54 livery as raced by Koveleski, the car was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and raced at the Monterey Historics and Road America.
And even though it's 54 years old as of 2022, this McLaren is decidedly quicker than any modern supercar you can buy from the British firm. Yes, it might not be as powerful as the Senna, but keep in mind that this open-top racer tips the scales at only 1,300 pounds (590 kg). For reference, the Senna weighs in at 3,029 pounds (1,374 kg).
Okay, it might not be a fair comparison, but the M6B might just be the ultimate McLaren to buy if you want to wreak havoc on the Laguna Seca.
This beast of a racer is set to go under the hammer at Mecum Auction's Monterey 2022 event in August. And it will be auctioned off at no reserve. There's no estimate to run buy, but McLaren race cars usually change hands for six-figure sums. In 2019, a Ford-powered MB6 sold for $445,000.
He began making his own race car almost immediately, and the team started winning Formula One races in 1968. McLaren did not win its first F1 championship until 1974, but it dominated the Can-Am series in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Thanks to a series of extremely lightweight and powerful racers, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing won every single Can-Am championship from 1967 to 1971. Effortlessly! And it took a massive effort from Porsche and Penske Racing to dethrone the Newzealander's outfit in 1972 and 1973.
McLaren dominated the series with various iterations of its M6 and M8 race cars, many of them powered by Chevrolet V8 engines. The M6B is one of those cars. And even though it wasn't as decisive as the M6A, as in it didn't win any races, it had a long and successful career.
Based on the M6A, which won the championship in 1967, the M6B hit the track during the 1968 season, when McLaren's main team had switched to the M8A. Powered by either Ford or Chevrolet V8 engines, the M6B was manhandled by famous drivers such as Peter Revson, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, and Vic Elford until 1972.
One of these cars, now powered by a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8 engine rated a massive 720 horsepower, is looking for a new owner. It presents itself in fabulous condition, and it comes with ownership and racing history since new.
Chassis no. 50-17, this M6B was ordered new by Oscar Koveleski and campaigned in the 1969 Can-Am season. It changed owners over the next few years, but it remained active in the series through 1971. Once retired from Can-Am, the race car appeared in various motorsport series from the late 1970s until the early 1990s, getting a few upgrades in the process.
It was restored in 1982 and more recently prepared for vintage racing. Finished in the red no. 54 livery as raced by Koveleski, the car was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and raced at the Monterey Historics and Road America.
And even though it's 54 years old as of 2022, this McLaren is decidedly quicker than any modern supercar you can buy from the British firm. Yes, it might not be as powerful as the Senna, but keep in mind that this open-top racer tips the scales at only 1,300 pounds (590 kg). For reference, the Senna weighs in at 3,029 pounds (1,374 kg).
Okay, it might not be a fair comparison, but the M6B might just be the ultimate McLaren to buy if you want to wreak havoc on the Laguna Seca.
This beast of a racer is set to go under the hammer at Mecum Auction's Monterey 2022 event in August. And it will be auctioned off at no reserve. There's no estimate to run buy, but McLaren race cars usually change hands for six-figure sums. In 2019, a Ford-powered MB6 sold for $445,000.
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