McLaren M6B Can Am, 1968
McLaren
McLaren•
•5 مشاهدة
Chassis No.: 5017
- Exterior: Red
- McLaren M6B Can Am chassis no. 50-17
- Ownership and racing history since new
- Prepared by Heritage Motorsports
- Documented with two original log books, FIA certifications and copy of the original bill of sale and telegrams
- Ordered new by Oscar Koveleski and campaigned in Can Am in 1969
- The original tub was damaged in 1969, it was rebuilt for competition using an improved tub
- Sold to Cliff Apel, who raced the car in Can Am in 1970 and 1971
- This car, as it sits today, is the car that raced Can Am in 1970-71
- Koveleski bought the car back and raced it through the late 1970s
- David Franklin purchased the car from Koveleski in the early 1980s and won a Super Sports championship in Europe
- Franklin sold the car to Manfred Dolata who raced the car in Europe in the 1990s
- Dolata sold the car the Uli Berberi-Martini then the current owner acquired it in 2009
- Competed at the Monterey Historics and Road America
- Shown at Amelia Island and Carmel Concours d’Elegance
- Rebuilt by Koveleski with an upgraded tub in 1969
- Restored by Franklin in 1982 and more recently prepared for vintage racing
- Currently finished in Koveleski’s no. 54 livery
- First place finish at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix Historic Race
- First place in the first Historic Race SVRA event held at the Brickyard in Indianapolis
- Also raced at Laguna Seca, Road America, Sebring, Road Atlanta
- Fuel injected 383 small block with 720 HP
- Hewland LG600 gearbox
- Sold on a bill of sale
Bruce McLaren’s M6 sports racers laid the foundation for the team’s four-year run as the preeminent force in Can Am. Deceptively simple in design, the Robin Herd-designed M6A was the first car designed specifically for the Can Am and proved virtually unbeatable, carrying the Kiwi team to victory in five out of the year’s six races. Under license from McLaren, British manufacturer Trojan produced the customer version, the M6B, exactly reproducing the M6A’s specification. This 1968 McLaren M6B, Chassis No. 50-17, is a well-known car with an established ownership and competition history.
It was delivered new to Auto World founder and racer Oscar Koveleski, who raced it under Auto World sponsorship in the 1969 Can Am season, as well as the Giant’s Despair Hill Climb in Laurel, Pennsylvania. After the car’s original tub was damaged in a garage explosion, it was rebuilt for competition in 1969 using an improved tub. Koveleski sold 50-17 to Cliff Apel, who raced it in the Can Am in 1970 and 1971. This car—as it sits today—is the McLaren M6B that raced Can Am in 1970-71 and boasts a collectively exhaustive racing and ownership history since. It should be noted that the original damaged tub was repaired and is the basis of another race car with the same chassis number.
Koveleski later regained ownership and raced the car in the USRRC and hill climbs through the late 1970s. Briton David Franklin purchased the car from Koveleski in the early 1980s and with it won the 1987 Super Sports Trophy in Europe. German Manfred Dolata owned and raced the car in the 1990s, then sold it to Uli Berberi-Martini. Since its present owner purchased 50-17 in 2009, the car has been prepared by Heritage Motorsports for the vintage racing circuit. It has competed at the Monterey Historics, Road America and Indianapolis vintage races with Daytona 24 Hours winner Jim Pace at the wheel and has appeared at the Amelia Island, Florida, and Carmel, California, concours d'elegances.
Pace also achieved podium finishes at Road America, Road Atlanta and Sebring, and won the SVRA Group 7 race at the Indy Brickyard and the HSR event held as part of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. McLaren M6B 50-17 wears the original-style No. 54 Auto World livery and is powered by a fuel-injected 383/720 HP small-block V-8. In addition to its Hewland LG600 gearbox, the car is documented with two original log books, FIA certifications, two original spiral notebooks of Koveleski’s track notes and copies of the original bill of sale. This car presents a splendid opportunity to own and race a Can Am icon.
