14 replies to this topic

[Nanni Dietrich]

I've seen in an old Italian magazine a b-w picture taken in late days of May 1970 at Goodwood. The car was a McLaren M8D, and the name painted on its side was "Denny Hulme".

But it was NOT "The Bear" driving, because he was still recovering from severe hands burns suffered just a few weeks before in a crash during practice for the Indy 500.

At the wheel of the car was Bruce McLaren, wearing a full-face helmet, which colour was silver.

But, as far as I remember, McLaren had never worn a full-face helmet till then, I've always seen him wearing an open-face silver helmet.

On 02 June of 1970, he would lose his life at that same track, presumably driving that same car and wearing that same full-face helmet.

Edited by Nanni Dietrich, 05 August 2015 - 15:01.

[f1steveuk]

I thought Bruce used a full face Bell at Monaco in 1970, at the very least?

[2F-001]

I have a memory of seeing McLaren wearing a (silver coloured) full-face helmet at the 1970 Silverstone International Trophy meeting (late April). That memory could be faulty - I cannot quickly find any pictures, either mine or published ones.

Likewise, Monaco; but again I have no photographic evidence to hand!

On the dust jacket of Eoin Young's biography "Bruce McLaren: the man and his racing team" is a Michael Cooper photo of Bruce aboard an M14, wearing a silver full-face helmet; no date or location is quoted though.


edit:
Have since found a few pictures that indicate a full-face worn at Silverstone and Monaco, but not at the preceding Jarama race.

Edited by 2F-001, 05 August 2015 - 14:50.

[f1steveuk]

Twenty seconds on thee interwebnet, it has no copyright on it, or who took it, but if it "offends" it can go

 

[MCS]

I have a memory of seeing McLaren wearing a (silver coloured) full-face helmet at the 1970 Silverstone International Trophy meeting (late April). That memory could be faulty - I cannot quickly find any pictures, either mine or published ones.

 

Here's a link to one taken at the International Trophy: http://2.bp.blogspot...sit_mclaren.jpg

[PCC]

I've seen in an old Italian magazine a b-w picture taken in late days of May 1970 at Goodwood. The car was a McLaren M8D, and the name painted on its side was "Denny Hulme".

Is this the picture you saw?

 

 

In a thread long ago and far away, I mentioned that I recalled seeing this photo as an 8x10 glossy that was part of the McLaren press kit prior to the 1970 Mosport Can-Am. I posted a scan from the race program that year, but lamented having lost the glossy decades ago. Imagine my surprise when my dad visited a few weeks ago with a bag of stuff from his basement, including the original 8x10...

 

As you can see, it is an M8D with Bruce driving, but as the press kit was distributed after June 2, the text printed below says only that Denny will be driving. Perhaps because of the vivid memories it carries, I find this to be a terribly poignant picture.

 

I assume this is Goodwood, but I'm sure several others will know for sure where it is.

Edited by PCC, 06 August 2015 - 01:51.

[2F-001]

Yes, that's the Goodwood chicane.
The two colour pics posted/linked above are amongst those I'd refereed to above: the Monaco one is from the LAT archive, Steve.
I might scan my Silverstone ones (actually my Dad's, I think) later, but they don't tell us anything we don't already know.
The pic on the cover of the Young book, shows the same Gulf emblem above the visor as in Peter's print (don't think I've seen those before). So it appears the full-face helmet was adopted post-Jarama, pre-Silverstone.

[TIPO61]

Looks like M8F bodywork to me.

[Eaglenindy]

No, the photo shows a 1970 McLaren M8D.  The 1971 M8F moved the NACA ducts from the horizontal top of the engine cover  to the vertical sides and enlarged the NACA ducts.  This move provided more downforce.

 

Does anyone know if the M8D pictured is the ill fated one?

Edited by Eaglenindy, 07 August 2015 - 01:21.

[MCS]

I may be wrong, but I think the two "noses" are different in the pictures that PCC has kindly provided. Not in physical shape, but look at the Gulf sticker and the number 5 in the two shots.

 

For what it is worth I have enlarged and rotated the pictures (and I am not trying to be clever). Or perhaps it is an optical illusion caused by the acceleration out of the chicane, as opposed to the first shot?

 

As ever, others on here will know better.

[kayemod]

Looks like M8F bodywork to me.

 

No it's definitely a D, the F had the big NACA ducts in the doors as Eaglenindy correctly says, but the main distinguishing features are the swept back monocoque corners at the rear of the front wheel arches. The original ones on the D (as in the pics) were getting damaged all the time when they grounded on kerbs etc.

[PCC]

No it's definitely a D, the F had the big NACA ducts in the doors as Eaglenindy correctly says, but the main distinguishing features are the swept back monocoque corners at the rear of the front wheel arches. The original ones on the D (as in the pics) were getting damaged all the time when they grounded on kerbs etc.

Also, while the D later sprouted fins (pardon my simpleton's terminology) on the bodywork above the front wheels, these became an integral part of the bodywork on the F and continued right back to the rear wing.

 

Edit: I'll mention again that this print was in a McLaren press kit distributed just prior to the Mosport Can-Am in 1970, so there's no way it's an M8F - or for that matter, anything but what the text at the bottom says it is. I'm sure McLaren knew which car they were running that year.

Edited by PCC, 08 August 2015 - 23:04.

[group7]

as kayemod mentions in post # 11. the extensions behind the front wheels were only in place for the first two races of the '70 Can_am season. Mosport & St. Jovite. the cars had the swept back look at the third round at Watkins Glen. personally I liked the earlier look.

in post # 4 by f1steveuk, where is that photo taken ? I couldn't find the car with # 12 in any of the data bases I looked at, including non championship races. could it have been a third, or T-car chassis ?  but perhaps I missed it !

 

Mike (group7) in Canada

[Tim Murray]

It's Monaco 1970, Mike - Bruce's last Grand Prix.

[group7]

Tim, thanks for that, I don't know how I missed it in post # 7 by 2F-001, and when I looked on"grand prix.com" GP encyclopedia, I just didn't look far enough down the finishing order. I was also a bit mystified by the hoarding behind Bruce, and couldn't figure out what track that was. 

 

Mike (group7)