1972 McLaren M8 E/F Can-Am

by Michael Duffey

In 1966, a new form of racing started in the US and Canada. This was the famous Can-Am series, short for the Canadian-American Trophy. John Surtees won the first Can-Am title in a Lola T-70 in 1966 but after this, McLarens in the hands of Bruce McLaren himself and Denny Hulme, ruled the series. Like Lola, McLaren depended for financial survival on selling copies of its winning cars to private customers who would then go have fun in the series and if the leading cars broke, stand a chance of winning. The M8D, which preceded the “E” was the factory car of 1970. Featuring a monocoque “tub” or chassis, these cars had independent suspension front and rear with twin wishbone setup and angled shock absorbers inside coil-springs. The rear suspension comprised the classic British single upper link with reversed bottom wishbones and coil-spring/shock absorber units. Massive magnesium alloy uprights connected the wishbones and mounted the ventilated disc brake/caliper...