A 1966 McLaren M1B formerly owned and raced by American road racer Skip Barber will go under the gavel at Gooding & Co.’s Amelia Island auction in March.
One of Bruce McLaren’s first ventures as a racing team owner was building and developing the M1A, a racecar that was to be entered in the FIA’s Group 7 category for two-seat sportscars. A year after the M1A’s introducing in 1964, McLaren rolled out the M1B, which featured different bodywork and a more rigid chassis than its predecessor. The M1B served as a customer racecar and 28 examples were sold throughout the U.S., however McLaren also raced a factory-backed M1B in the 1966 Can-Am season.
This M1B, chassis number 30-12, was first sold to the United Kingdom’s William Kay,who purchased two of the cars to be raced by himself and Peter Revson in the 1966 season. Kay passed away before the opening GP at Brands Hatch, however, so the car was taken over and raced by George Drummond. Following the 1966 racing season, Drummond sold the car to famous American racer Skip Barber, who swapped the Ford engine McLaren had installed for a Chevrolet unit. Barber raced the car in the 1967 season and in three Can-Am road races, achieving a best finish of third at Watkins Glen.
The current owner of the car is an avid vintage racer and even once took 13 class victories in a row with it at Sonoma Raceway. Full service invoices from Phil Reilly & Company will be included in the sale, along with records showing a full rebuild of the Hewland transaxle and new wheel bearings and brakes. Gooding & Co. says the car remains in race-ready spec and is ready to be entered in a variety of vintage racing competitions all over the globe.
Check out the listing at this link for additional information and photos before the car is sold on March 10th.
Comment
That was the greatest era for all racing. The cars were art work.