18 replies to this topic

[Victor]

Apparently McLaren ran the 1977 USA GP with National City Bank's livery and with Lowenbrau's in 1978.
Can someone explain why? Where these the only exceptions to their traditional Marlboro livery at the time?
What was the official team name for those GP? I am really curious to get some answers.
Cheers

[buckaluck]

They ran the Long Beach GP in 78 with Lowenbrau and I think 1 other race that year sort of a 1 race deal like when you see Jeff Gordon's car and one race with non Dupont livery. If your interested I do have pics for sale of the cars at Long Beach. They were shot by an on track photographer.

Buck

[hansfohr]

Apparently McLaren ran the 1977 USA GP with National City Bank's livery and with Lowenbrau's in 1978. Can someone explain why? Where these the only exceptions to their traditional Marlboro livery at the time? What was the official team name for those GP? I am really curious to get some answers. Cheers

McLaren had Löwenbräu livery in Montréal, Watkins Glen (1978) and Long Beach (1979). It was a specific deal with the Bavarian brewery to promote the beer brand for its markets in Canada and America. In these GP's the team was entered as 'Löwenbräu Team McLaren' AFAIK.

I can't recall them running National City Bank livery in 1977.

Edited by hansfohr, 06 March 2010 - 00:49.

[Tom Glowacki]

Apparently McLaren ran the 1977 USA GP with National City Bank's livery and with Lowenbrau's in 1978.
Can someone explain why? Where these the only exceptions to their traditional Marlboro livery at the time?
What was the official team name for those GP? I am really curious to get some answers.
Cheers

If I recall correctly, Phillip Morris owned both Marlboro and Lowenbrau at that time, so it was all the same corporate money either way. I agree, the First National was the CART sponsor, not the primary F-1 sponsor

[Rob G]

McLaren had Löwenbräu livery in Montréal, Watkins Glen (1978) and Long Beach (1979). It was a specific deal with the Bavarian brewery to promote the beer brand for its markets in Canada and America. In these GP's the team was entered as 'Löwenbräu Team McLaren' AFAIK.

I can't recall them running National City Bank livery in 1977.

They had National City Bank logos on the front wings at Long Beach.

Click here

[RA Historian]

As pointed out above, McLaren ran in Lowenbrau livery on a few occasions in the US and Canada. Phillip Morris not only made Marlboro cigarettes, but for many years owned Miller Brewery, which among its many brands, had the license to produce Lowenbrau in the North American market. At that time they were in the process of rolling out the Lowenbrau brand, so the McLaren cars carried these colors to help market that effort. As Tom Glowacki mentions, the money all came out of the same suit, just a different pocket.

Brian has posted some fine photos showing the cars in their multi-hued livery. I saw them at Montreal and I must say it was a bit of a jolt not seeing the familiar Marlboro red and white.

Tom

[RA Historian]

They had National City Bank logos on the front wings at Long Beach.

Click here

How very thoughtful of Hunt to position his car such that the logos in question could be seen!
Tom

[Twin Window]

Slightly O/T, but in a similar vein, Gunnar Nilsson's Lotus 78 ran in Imperial colours for the 1977 Japanese GP...


(Image copyright LAT/FORIX)

...and Rosberg ran in Marlboro Lights colours [on race day] in Portugal 1986...


(Image supplied to FORIX by Rainer Nyberg)

In both instances their respective team-mates ran cars bedecked in their teams' regular liveries.

[Victor]

Thanks guys, you are great.
Following your tips I made some further research throught the contraditory information available on the net and I concluded that McLaren used the Löwenbräu livery only in the USA West GPs of 1978 and 1979. I cannot seem to find anything about the Canada GP. RA Historian, did you actually saw this livery in a Canadian GP or was is another kind of event? When was that?

Another "double liveries" that spring to my mind were McLaren's Marlboro and Yardley teams in 1974 and, of course, BAR's 555 & Lucky Strike 1999 odd colour scheme.

[Tim Murray]

... and I concluded that McLaren used the Löwenbräu livery only in the USA West GPs of 1978 and 1979.

The Autosport report of Long Beach 1978 has a photo of Hunt's McLaren in Marlboro livery. Brian Brown's photos in post 6 show that the Löwenbräu livery was used at Watkins Glen 1978. Doug Nye's McLaren book says that the Löwenbräu deal covered the 1978 USA(East) and Canadian GPs. I agree about Long Beach 1979.

Edited by Tim Murray, 07 March 2010 - 11:09.

[RA Historian]

Thanks guys, you are great.
Following your tips I made some further research throught the contraditory information available on the net and I concluded that McLaren used the Löwenbräu livery only in the USA West GPs of 1978 and 1979. I cannot seem to find anything about the Canada GP. RA Historian, did you actually saw this livery in a Canadian GP or was is another kind of event?

Definitely the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal. I have photos I took that day of the Hunt and Tambay McLaren M26s in Lowenbrau livery. If I was smart enough to know how to post photos here I could show you.
Tom

[Rob G]

Another "double liveries" that spring to my mind were McLaren's Marlboro and Yardley teams in 1974 and, of course, BAR's 555 & Lucky Strike 1999 odd colour scheme.

More recently, the Lucky Strike Honda team ran a few Asian races in 555 livery.

[Rob G]

If I was smart enough to know how to post photos here I could show you.

http://forums.autosp...showtopic=70638

[don hodgdon]

Long Beach '79

[Victor]

Thanks for the pics guys.
So, hansfohr got it right from the start: USA East and Canada 78 plus USA West 79.
Can anyone prove which livery was used in Canada 79?

[Formula Once]

Thanks for the pics guys.
So, hansfohr got it right from the start: USA East and Canada 78 plus USA West 79.
Can anyone prove which livery was used in Canada 79?

Marlboro, got the pictures, dont know how to post them

[Twin Window]

Marlboro

Definitely

[RA Historian]

Marlboro, got the pictures, don't know how to post them

Beat me to it. I have the exact same reply.

Re Don's post number 16. I had forgotten just how horrible the McLaren M28 looked!

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 08 March 2010 - 18:44.

[giacomo]

Another "double liveries" that spring to my mind were McLaren's Marlboro and Yardley teams in 1974 and, of course, BAR's 555 & Lucky Strike 1999 odd colour scheme.

Lowenbrau McLaren wasn't a case of double livery, it was an one-off livery which was used at both cars of the team.