Denny Hulme 1970 McLaren M14A Formula 1 Car for Auction

1967 Formula 1 World Champion Denny Hulme is much loved in these parts. It is not surprising given his reputation for fantastic versatility, race winning speed and being the only Kiwi to ever win motor racings top prize.

RM Auctions is going to auction off his 1970 F1 ride, the glorious McLaren M14A at their Sporting Classic of Monaco on 1st May 2010.

Here is the official blurb from RM Auctions

Est. 440 bhp, 2,993 cc mid-mounted Ford Cosworth DFV V8 racing engine with large-port cylinder heads, four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts and Lucas fuel-injection, Hewland DG300 manual gearbox, four-wheel independent suspension with wishbones and coil-over shock absorbers, and four-wheel ventilated hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,408 mm (94.8″)

By 1967, McLaren was virtually unbeatable, with founder Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme dominating Can-Am by winning five of six races. In 1968, the Ford Cosworth-powered McLaren M7 Formula One car won the Belgian, Italian and Canadian Grands Prix, along with the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch. A hard-fought 1969 Formula One season saw McLaren and Hulme chalk up five victories, while they swept all 11 Can-Am races, netting Bruce the driver’s championship.

For 1970, the new M14A Formula One car arrived. Based largely on the M7, its full-monocoque chassis included inboard rear brakes, increased fuel capacity and tubular anti-roll bars. It debuted in South Africa where McLaren crashed, while Hulme placed second. Hulme contested the next four races in the M14A, earning two more podiums before suffering burns at Indianapolis. This, plus the death of McLaren himself in his M8D Can-Am car at Goodwood, forced the team’s withdrawal from the Belgian Grand Prix. McLaren returned for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, with Dan Gurney and Peter Gethin driving.

Hulme returned to the cockpit of A2 for the French Grand Prix and grabbed three more podiums, never finishing lower than fourth for the rest of the 1970 season. Remarkably, this was in addition to Hulme scoring the Can-Am driver’s championship. In 1971, Hulme drove A2 for one race, scoring third at Spain. Its next drivers for 1971 included Peter Gethin, who finished fifth in the British Grand Prix, followed by Jackie Oliver, who was forced to retire in the car’s next four starts. Ultimately, the M14 was replaced by the M19, and McLaren refocused its attention on Formula One after 1972.

In addition to its period racing history, chassis A2 carries known provenance. In 1974, it was sold by McLaren to A. Kaye, who installed an F5000 engine. In 1977, Phil Riley of San Francisco acquired it and converted it back to Cosworth DFV power. Subsequent owners are L. WyBrock of Dallas in 1980, followed by R. James of Los Angeles in 1985, D. Clark of the UK in 1994, Tony Smith of the UK in 1995, Clark again in 1998 and Smith in 2000.

As offered, A2 maintains its period racing appearance and is race-ready, clearly benefiting from the care of one of the best racing car preparers in the business. It was fully stripped in 2007, crack tested and rebuilt with new stainless steel rose joints. The engine was rebuilt by Richardson Engineering and the gearbox by BPA Engineering, and it has completed just one race since. The only non-original parts are a set of new brake discs and disc bells, since peg-drive discs are no longer available today. Likewise, CV joints are used for the drive shafts, as no spare roller-spline drive shafts are available. In addition, a Stack electric rev counter enables the use of a gear-change light. Complete with a comprehensive spares package including all original parts and a full 20 rims, an MSA Historic Technical Passport and original FIA documents, this M14 is eligible for entry into today’s most prestigious historic racing events, including the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and the Master TGP racing series.

This is an extremely desirable, rare and attractive “round tub” F1 from McLaren that has had some of the all-time greats behind the wheel.

You can view the entire catalog including the automobilia section online here

Via: RMAuction.com and TheChicane.com

Images: RMAuctions.com and TheChicane.com