'84 McLaren gathers dust

[Neil C]

While visiting friends for dinner a couple days ago, I met an ex-pat Brit lady who, after her divorce, was left with her ex-husbands '84 McLaren parked in her garage here in Michgan.

I didn't know until recently that Mac built street cars in the 80's, and I certainly didn't know any had made their way across the pond. Can anyone show me what they look like? Mayhaps I should pay the nice lady a visit and check out what's parked in her garage?

[DAVID PATERSON]

It's news to me that McLaren have built anything other than the F1. We want pictures!!!

[GTV27]

I think there was a kit car based loosely on a McLaren Can Am car, similar to that which McLaren were preparing as a road car when Bruce was killed, but that was way before 1984 (memory hazy?)

[ghinzani]

Mclaren built a coupe road car under Bruce Mclaren, and I think you could get kit car copies of it powered by vw flat 4's (probably). Either that or its a MP4 f1 car !!! Did he work for Hercules or something? They provided the carbon fibre IIRC

I say dig further!

[ghinzani]

btw this is the most interesting thread for ages!

[krt917]

There was the M6GT road car in the 1960s (very cool looking piece of kit), but I think they only made two.

[krt917]

Right, have found Peter Filby's 'Specialist Sports Cars' book (1974). Info. in brief:
- M6GT (closed car) built by Trojan (who also built some of McLaren's Can-Am cars) with the intention of going Sportscar racing with it. To be powered by Bartz-tuned Chevy 5-litre V8
- Apparently, Porsche kicked up a stink about its homologation because they 'thought the new McLaren would probably murder their car' says the book. Don't know about that, but we can assume it was VERY quick anyway.
- 3 were built (1969), one as a race-tuned car which went to the States (where is it now?) and two road cars, one of which Bruce McLaren used as his personal runabout!
- Project was cancelled, after Bruce's death, and before more could be built or the car proved. Bruce's car went to New Zealand as part of a tribute to him, but what of the other two?
- Estimated Top Speed of 180mph.

So, could the car be a replica of one, or even one of the 'missing' two? Is it a closed car and do you have any pics?!

[ghinzani]

It nightime in Michigan still, check back this evening I reckon.

[josvandeperre]

The M6Gt is hte logical candidate and there have been a couple of extra rebodied open M6's also built I think (ie replica M6GT)- 1984 is the more or less Ron Dennis era so it is unlikely to be anything apart from (just maybe) something like a BMW M1 which was built by Lamborghini but had input from someone else I recall - invite yourself & your camera back to her garage asap !

[Truckosaurus]

I've seen a McLaren version of the Ford Mustang advertised for sale. How it differs from a regular Mustang, and what if any involvement McL had with it are unknown.

A quick Google revealed: http://www.ascmclaren.com

[josvandeperre]

Scary - are we even talking the same McLaren - maybe it was inspired by the Mclaren baby buggy or something like that !

[Aysedasi]

Let's have a pic please Neil!

[Neil C]

This is getting more intruiging by the minute. Another ex-pat Brit at the dinner I attended said that Mac built street cars (or had them built?) for a number of years so I'm surprised they're not widely known.

The lady in question works for the same company I do (Northwest Airlines) and we have mutual friends, so she should not be difficult to track down.

The hard part will be convincing my wife I'm only interested in her car.

[Aysedasi]

That much of a looker eh?


The car I mean, THE CAR!

[josvandeperre]

This sounds more & more like the mustang scenario - but if its easier send me a pm to which I'll reply requesting you to go photo the car - then you can show your wife the printout of that !

[Neil C]

Guy, thanks for the link to ASCMcLaren. You may be on to something. The production years match what I was told (84 to 90).

ASC (American Sunroof Company) is a large corporation here in the Detroit area, and they branched off into many areas of automobile performance after establishing themselves as a primary supplier to the auto industry. I also know that McLaren does have facilities here in Detroit (and believe it or not, so does Lotus).

I'll report what I find out. thanks all!

[HiRich]

i can recall a colour picture in Autosport from way back of a McLaren Mustang up on the oval banking, somewhere. I suspect it was being used as a pace car.

The car was in McLaren papaya (orange) with a small kiwi decal somewhere, and there was some mention of it being a production model.
I'm no Mustang expert, but it was more like this boxy version than the original pony car (though I don't remember it being this boxy and ugly).
However (and I might be wrong), I associate it more with the time when McLaren produced Indycars, so I would place it late-seventies. It certainly sounds more like a Teddy Mayer deal than a Ron-deal. The brochures on the ASC site make almost no mention of McLaren as a racing team, but I can't see any other McLaren it could be.
Perhaps the deal originated earlier (perhaps in-house at Ford?), and Ron had to live with it.

[Edgar Jessop]

I'm afraid I've seen pictures of the McLaren edition Mustang horror too.

You possibly should visit the ex-pat Brit divorcee as long as you both know the car is just an excuse! It's not an reason in itself!

[EERO]

Hey, Neil. Funny you should have posted this. I wore my Team West McLaren cap to work and a co-worker mentioned that he had always wanted a "McLaren". I said "Who has a million to spare?" and he replied that you could pick one up fopr about $14,000. That's when i realized we weren't talking about the same beast. A little Yahoo'ing later, I discoved the Mustang based McLaren.

Try the following link


http://www.mustang5.freeserve.co.uk/page9.htm

[ghinzani]

oooh what an ugly beast - but at least its Mclaren orange I spose....

[Neil C]

Edgar, welcome to the forum. I admit when I found the "McLaren" was likely a badged 80's Mustang, my enthusiasm waned.

Although I love the late 60's and late 90's 'stangs, the 80's leave me limp. Something about making a silk purse from a sow's ear leaves me to wonder "why?".

Thanks for the link EERO. "Who has a million to spare?" Ha, love it!!!

[EERO]

Originally posted by Neil C

Although I love the late 60's and late 90's 'stangs, the 80's leave me limp. Something about making a silk purse from a sow's ear leaves me to wonder "why?".

More like a Pigskin glove from a sow's ****.

[Airhead]

I like it!
It would make a great Pro Street car with a huge blower out the front and a aluminum wing on the boot.

[djb]

moffy, neil and E. long time no speak.

I too always found the early 80's ones rather ugly, my best friend's older half brother had a yellow turbo one but both the shape and engine sound just didn't do the "Mustang" thing for me either. This is rather interesting though to see a Mac connection with this car.

cheers from Vancouver (visiting friends)

[EERO]

Hey, handsome! how's thing's on the left coast?

I confess that I always thought the mid-80's Mustang SVO was kinda cool-even if it was a turbo four and didn't have the big V8.