7 replies to this topic

[David Lawson]

I am building a slot car of the prototype driven by Bruce McLaren in the US.

 

This particular car had truncated front wings to allow better airflow around the windscreen and it also had a slightly raised central section on the top of the engine cover which I am guessing was also to channel airflow as looking at a picture of the completed chassis there is nothing mechanical that requires clearance in that area of the bodywork.

 

Photographs are uncommon for this car, I have the first Goodwood test and a couple of US race photos but I haven't one with a clear view of the rear of the car. The only shot of the back of the car I have seen is McLaren's spin at the Corkscrew and the tyre smoke obscures the detail I need to check.

 

Any help with a picture would be much appreciated.

 

David

 

 

[bradbury west]

Wasn't the T61 the model on which Chuck Brandt of this parish is the expert?. Perhaps he can help.
Roger Lund

[RA Historian]

I imagine that Chuck would know. As I recall, after Bruce raced it at Riverside and Laguna Seca in the fall of 1962, he sold the car to Roger Penske. Roger apparently disliked the as delivered body, and replaced it with a custom shell. He ran it sparingly and it found its way to Sherman Decker, who put a Ford engine into it and ran it in the eastern US for a year or two. Its biggest win was the Cumberland SCCA event in May, 1965, with Decker aboard.

 

Tom

[bradbury west]

I have just checked on the glorious REVS site, searching under Laguna Seca and. riverside with a separate sort for 1962. Nothing on Riverside, but there are some thots of McLaren in the Cooper with 2 shots from 3/4 over and almost side on, plus another of Bruce in the paddock with the rear seen side on but from sufficiently high to give a good guess at the rear detail, certainly of the rear deck and engine cover
Give it a try
Roger Lund

[cooper997]

David, hopefully this helps a little.

 

 

Stephen

[David Lawson]

Thank you very much for your help Roger and Stephen. That picture of the rear of the car at the Cooper works is particularly helpful Stephen.

 

Very much obliged.

David

[cooper997]

David, since digging out the above photo, I've found a static front view in the Lawrence Cooper book. Let me know if you would like to see it.

 

Stephen

[David Lawson]

Thank you very much for the offer Stephen but I do have a nice clear picture of the front of the car sitting on the pit straight at Goodwood with McLaren and Cooper posing for the press at the car's first test.

 

David