1972 Mclaren M20 Can Am

1972 denis hulme mclaren m20 mosport canada scca can am race 35mm photo slide.

1972 mclaren m20 can am. After several years dominating the can am series with a series of school bus yellow racers mclaren cars stood up to the developing porsche challenge with the brand new 1972 m20. Designed by gordon coppuck and dubbed the m20 the all new can am racer was ready for extensive testing in the summer of 1972 can am was traditionally a fall series. Denis hulmes mclaren m20 is on its carrier before the start of the scca can am race held at mosport international raceway. David newhardt courtesy of mecum auctions.

The mclaren m20 was a sports prototype developed by mclaren for the 1972 season of the canadian american challenge cup. Denis hulme is driving for bruce mclaren motor racing in their 5 mclaren m20 2 chevrolet. The m20 can am was constructed around the coke bottle platform with a very low polar movement chassis while the vehicles mass was concentrated within the wheelbase. It consisted of fia group 7 racing cars running two hour sprint events.

Written by thor thorson. It served as a replacement for the teams m8fs but it later became the final can am design created by mclaren before the team left the series after failing to secure the 1972 championship title. Designers gordon coppuck and tyler alexander departed from standard mclaren practice in the m20 by removing the radiator from the front of the car and replacing it with two side mounted units. Ex peter revson 1972 mclaren m20 can am july 2 2014 by andrew newton 2 comments the orange cars from mclaren were the ones to beat in the glory days of can am as the m8 and its derivatives steamrolled the competition and as its two star drivers mclaren and hulme put on the bruce and denny show.

Compared the m8f it replaced the m20 had a rear mounted radiator which made way for a front mounted air spoiler that dramatically increased from grip. Following the latest formula 1 design trend coppuck moved the radiators from the nose to the side pods alongside the cockpit. Proving that the legendary canadian american can am challenge series has lost little of its appeal even four decades after its glory years a mclaren m20 can amcampaigned by peter revson throughout the 1972 season sold for 2 million at mecums monterey sale. It began june 11 1972 and ended october 29 1972 after nine rounds.

A sports prototype the mclaren m20 was developed by mclaren for the 1972 season of the canadian american challenge cup. The 1972 canadian american challenge cup was the seventh season of the can am auto racing series. 1972 mclaren m20 can am.