McLaren M7A
Denny Hulme in a McLaren M7A at the 1968 United States Grand Prix
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
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| Constructor | McLaren | ||||||||
| Designer(s) |
Robin Herd Gordon Coppuck |
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| Predecessor | McLaren M5A | ||||||||
| Successor | McLaren M9A / McLaren M14A | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminium alloy and magnesium alloy monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Upper and lower top links, radius arms and outboard coilover springs and dampers | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Lateral top links, twin radius arms, reversed wishbones and outboard coilover springs and dampers | ||||||||
| Engine | Ford-Cosworth DFV 2993cc V8 naturally aspirated Mid-engine, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland DG300 5-speed manual | ||||||||
| Fuel |
Shell (McLaren) Gulf (Anglo) |
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| Tyres |
Goodyear (McLaren) Dunlop (Anglo) |
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| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, Anglo American Racers |
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| Notable drivers |
 Bruce McLaren Denny Hulme Dan Gurney (Anglo) |
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| Debut | 1968 Spanish Grand Prix | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 0 (Best: 2nd - 1968) | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The McLaren M7A and its M7B, M7C and M7D variants were Formula One racing cars, built by McLaren and used in the world championship between 1968 and 1971. After two relatively unsuccessful years of Formula One competition, the M7A was used to score McLaren's first win at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.
Designed by Robin Herd and Gordon Coppuck, the M7A was the first McLaren to be powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, which went on to be used by the team until 1983. The M7B had outboard fuel tanks and the M7C a modified chassis, whilst the M7D was powered by an Alfa-Romeo engine.
The M7A made its Grand Prix debut at the second race of the 1968 world championship. After its victory in Belgium, it took another two wins that year, helping to place McLaren second in the constructors' championship.
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963;Bruce McLaren was a factory driver for the Cooper motor racing team which competed in Formula One, the highest level of international single-seater competition. Since 1966, McLaren and his team had been building and racing their own Formula One cars. Their first two seasons had been relatively unsuccessful, with six points scored (out of a potential 180) and a best result of fourth. The lack of a suitable engine caused problems: the 1966 M2B car's Ford and Serinisimma V8 engines both lacked power and the 1967 M5A's British Racing Motors V12 did not arrive until mid-season.
In 1967 Cosworth debuted their DFV engine which was supplied exclusively to the Lotus team. It was immediately successful, winning its first race, and for 1968 it became available for purchase by any manufacturer. McLaren bought five DFV engines at a cost of 7,500 pounds sterling each. Designer Robin Herd was recruited to the team in 1965 before which he had been an aerospace engineer at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE) where he worked on the Concorde project. His assistant Gordon Coppuck was another ex-NGTE employee. Herd began the design of the M7A towards the end of 1967 but left to join Cosworth before its completion, leaving Coppuck and Bruce McLaren to complete the work.
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