McLaren’s Very First Race Car Was Also a Film Star


The first of anything often carries a certain cachet. Good, bad, or otherwise, first impressions are something that people only get one shot at. Bruce McLaren seemed to understand that truth, because he built his first race car in a way that made sure it was going to be remembered … only to have its connection to a rock and roll star be the thing for which most people outside the racing community remember it.

Built from scratch rather than based on an existing production car—McLaren didn’t make a road car until the F1 in 1992, in fact—the M1A was a trailblazer. The mid-engine design was still quite experimental in 1963 and keeping the side profile ultra-low required some interesting design choices: The fuel cell is split into four separate tanks held outboard of the driver’s compartment, and the spare tire is stored on the dashboard. (Is that considered an airbag?)

Jay Leno’s Garage

The M1A was designed by Bruce McLaren himself, from the tube frame up. The small-block behind the driver’s compartment of the car you see here is the original Oldsmobile 350-cubic-inch V-8 that sports Chevrolet finned valve covers. Later iterations of the M1A featured even more power from big-block engines, but we can’t help but think that kind of power would be overkill in a car that weighs less than 1800 pounds. Don’t take our word, though; watch Jay Leno take one for a spin down the airport service road next to his collection:

The drive is at the end of the video, but the story that precedes it is pretty fascinating. The striking gold-and-white color combination was not Bruce’s original vision for this M1A. The car was originally white with a green stripe down the center, but when it was cast in a movie alongside Elvis, the gold hue was sprayed on and the look seems to have stuck. The movie, Spinout, debuted in 1966 and featured a whole host of awesome iron alongside the superstar lead actor.

McLaren M1A Jay Leno's Garage engine
Jay Leno’s Garage

Somehow the car has retained many of its original parts. That exceptional originality is what really drives the value of this particular M1A, rather than the star connection. “This car is a big deal; the first or last of anything is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts,” says Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor. “While the luster of the Elvis connection is undoubtedly a plus, it is likely more of an interesting footnote compared to the racing and development history of the M1A.”

Regardless of what makes this McLaren cool to you, we can all agree it is cool. How could a race car designed by Bruce and powered by a mechanical-fuel-injected small-block not be cool?

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