Being Bruce: Driving Bruce McLaren's M6A

Motor Sport's Dickie Meaden drives Bruce McLaren's own M6A can-am machine, as told in the October issue of Motor Sport.
Buy your copy at shop.motorsportmagazine.com.
Our thanks go to Richard Griot, owner of M6A, for being so generous and letting us experience his fabulous car. And to Donington Park, for letting him loose during the test day...

[@johannmckraken9399]

What an honor to be able to drive Bruce’s car. Bruce McLaren showed everyone the way to go racing. Sound design, plenty of testing and immaculate preparation was the key. Follow that with two superb drivers and there’s an unbeatable formula for success. The M6A was the best looking Can Am McLaren produced. Simple and elegant and that marvelous color, perfection!

[@mikejohnson5900]

And that color (or close to it) still being used today in F1!

[@RogerSearjeant]

That was just sublime. Please make more like this - you got everything right: superb footage in-car, and Dickie Meaden manages to communicate something of what it felt like to us lesser mortals. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

[@cardinalRG]

As a kid, I saw this and other cars race in the Times Grand Prix series at Riverside in the late 1960s. At first I pulled hard for the local hero Gurney and the Texas-bred Chaparrals, but those Papaya-colored rockets quickly had my admiration. My brother Bruce was an instant McLaren fan, and helped my conversion.

[@cristiansandu7537]

I want to drive this car more than I want my next breath... thank you so much for sharing ❤️ 💛 💙 Bruce McLaren's M6A my God give me strength 💪 🎉 😊

[@acegibson9533]

Bruce McLaren accomplished quite a bit in a very short period of time. Passion, hard work and dedication to WINNING. To me that is what Bruce McLaren was about.

[@andrewcarroll1457]

I am from New Zealand where Bruce came from. He is a hero 🦸‍♂️

[@adriancole3165]

From Australia and the pleasure of seeing him here in the Tasman series. There were do many geniuses from both NZ and Oz in both racing cars and motorcycles, from drivers/riders, engineers, constructors. From memory he was the youngest F1 driver to win a GP, the USGP in 1959. The more time that passes, the more people respect these pioneers. And he was a total gentleman. An unassuming champion!

[@mikehendry34]

Ditto. My old man was around the scene back in the 50/60's and knew Bruce. Probably a bit politically incorrect to mention they had the odd drag race from the Auckland Docks up to Mechanic's Bay on a Friday night ... :) Bruce was very very under-rated as both driver and engineer. Scary to think what he might have achieved if he had lived

[@huepix]

Yup. Bruce, Dennis and Chris. Great kiwi icons. Little Scotty Dixon's done pretty well too. Bit disappointed Brendam Hartley didnt get a bit more of a chance

[@huepix]

John Brittin is pretty special also

[@michaelslack4937]

My hero as a child growing up in mid 60's Calif. Now I kind of live near Jim Hall. Lol go figure.

[@donbrashsux]

That’s a bloody symphony of Raw Awesum Sound

[@timcunningham6854]

I watched the McLaren's at Bridgehampton, many times. I worked a the Gulf gas station , the McLaren's stayed at while racing at Bridgehampton. Sooo cool.

[@seayak]

I watched Bruce race this car and its successors in several of the the Can-Am series at Mosport in Canada, alongside other legendary drivers like John Surtees, Glen Hall and Dan Gurney - I still remember the brutality of these cars, and love the music that this one makes on a trailing throttle - it is great to see it still alive and howling.

[@stewartw.9151]

I built a Cobra replica which I ran between 1992 -2002 as my road car. It weighed in at 1020 Kg and about 330 hp with a warmed up Ford V8 302 motor. That gave plenty of performance, power and torque to spare so it is hard to imagine this Mclaren at about half the weight and close to double the horses!

[@jackjohnsen8506]

Today's F1 car is 1250 pounds with 1000 hp.....what do you think that is like?????

[@mikestevens5512]

​@@jackjohnsen8506 Not nearly as good or exciting. Completely controlled by computers. These cars were so Raw, requirements of the drivers were so much more.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

@@mikestevens5512 have you ever even sat in an open wheel race car? I drove one at Riverside race way, in the late eighties just before they closed it. Have been a SSCA fan since I was 11 years old. Had a 911T and a 550 spyder, in my twenties, spent my last working years work at reporing early 356, and 911, at a world class Restorer...whats your history?..

[@mikestevens5512]

@@jackjohnsen8506 life long sports car owner and race fan. Attending F1 Grand Prix Events. But no where close to you. 550 owner amazing. My favorite series is back to SCCA Trans Am. I'm not sure if SCCA anymore however.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

@@mikestevens5512 Hey... you were a Motor racing fan and got some great cars, and thats all that counts. Im retired and do water color art of F1 and sports racing cars. love to do it...

[@shimshonbendan8730]

Bruce raised the bar for the Can Am in 1967. Besides having a start of the art chassis and bodywork, the M6A had been thoroughly tested before the beginning of the season. Only Jim Hall and the Chaparral and Mark Donohue and the Penske Sunoco could come remotely close to having developed their cars like Bruce did. Part of Bruce's success was to build simple, elegant and well thought out cars.

[@mikejohnson5900]

What a beautiful beast that McLaren was. The sound of it was glorious! And love how the ratio was set between 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th gears. The simplicity of it is just beautiful.

[@tomescover1166]

Fabulous stuff. As a kid, I saw him win the 1967 Laguna Seca Can-Am race in this car. A memory I will hold forever.

[@olsonspeed]

For me, Can-Am is the pinnacle of motorsports, brute power combined with cutting edge design.

[@mikestevens5512]

Totally Agree!! Amazing Series!!

[@jiffjiffernson7292]

Motorsport - The viewership may not be high yet but they quality of your production is. Please keep with it. With time, they will come.

[@buddyrupp6235]

Fantastic. I saw one in 1970. A monster to hear, you feel it in your very being!

[@johncorboy2163]

Awesome video well done ..Always checked the news as a boy in the late 60s to see how Bruce ; Denny and Chris were doing overseas .. inspirational

[@jubu3136]

Great video! pleasure to watch and great commentary. Such an inspirational person, makes you proud to be from NZ 👍

[@roydonmilne2214]

New Zealand for life

[@grumpytortoise3868]

Fabulous...........you're a lucky man Dickie!

[@stevekeene2682]

Awesome video. Beautifully filmed and put together. Great job dickie that would have been an awesome experience

[@RedBatRacing]

Bruce, Denny and Chris Amon are revered in New Zealand. I race at Circuit Chris Amon regularly and Bruce McLaren Motorsport park when I can. At grass roots racing they are still inspiring fabricators, designers, mechanics and drivers.

[@philgiglio9656]

I got really piffed at Matchett and Hobbs at Speedvision because they didn't say a single word when the unluckiest F1 driver ever died...ChrisAmon.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

this was a good start for the team, but was nothing compared to the M8D with the 427 chevy engine that made it a real rocket, that Hulme said was His favorite of all the cars. The aerodynamics of the D made it go to the next level....I was a t every California Can Am race, and still remember this car so well, when it accelerated away from you, that even though I was 100 yards behind it, the could feel the heat and power...,

[@jowinner]

Just great! Both: content and documentary! Thanks

[@hoisthanger1586]

Spectacular! Looking forward to your future content.

[@soyounoat]

This is a fine production that brings it's subject vibrantly to life. Excellent.

[@mercoid]

Outstanding video!! Thank you!

[@karlsumner5594]

What a great video, wonderful car and great driver in Dickie Meaden.

[@1972juankarlos]

I love your channel to came up with this beautiful shorts films

[@danisf903]

Thanks Bruce from the future 👍

[@nekozabuza]

Oh....oh my....OH MY GOD THAT SOUND!!!!!

[@BestWafflesEUW]

That is the colour the mclaren f1 should be this year :)

[@billystone2002]

The M6A and the T70 Lola words cannot express......

[@daremba]

Great stuff :)

[@emerckx53]

Beautiful. Everything...

[@psk1w1]

Bruce McLaren stood on the brink of becoming a truly great car maker. He was a trained engineer, an expert fabricator, and a top-class driver. It is hard to think of another who had all three skills. Colin Chapman was an engineer and a good driver, but a fabricator? Teamed with his best mate, Denny Hulme, who was also a top-notch fabricator and driver. One thing few know about Team McLaren in its early years - the staff were all New Zealanders. It was not a nationalistic refusal to work with non-Kiwis, just that they found Kiwis had a go-for-it, can-do attitude without self-importance. They had regular team meetings to discuss the cars, raise problems and brain-storm solutions. No prima-donnas, they shared ideas and skills. It was a TEAM effort. They got results. The M8D was their first effort at big rear wings. Lots of downforce, big improvements in lap times. Testing at Goodwood, the new big wing bodywork tore off. Bruce got killed in the crash. Cause? The bodywork was putting huge forces into the car, but they hadn't reinforced the mounts, it tore off, and suddenly no downforce. The car speared off the track Dickie Meaden - that car was made by Bruce and Denny and their mates. Physically constructed by them. Treat it with care - and use it for what it's for.

[@Miwna]

I think you can add Jack Brabham to that list. Only F1 champion in his own car.

[@HarshWinter101]

i thought he crashed because he was about to stop the testing for the day but decided to put a steeper angle on the spoiler and test it one more time which meant along that lap at one point he accelerated too hard, lifted the front wheels off the ground causing him to lose control and unluckily hit the commentary box which had been due to be demolished the week before

[@melanierabuyasilk4125]

Paul Standeven f

[@thethirdman225]

@@HarshWinter101 My understanding was that the rear wing collapsed and this is why the other McLarens were fitted with two support struts under the wing.

[@craigsped]

Cardinal RG I think that you could put Mark Donohue in this category also. Mark and Bruce co drove a Ford Mark IV in the 1967 24 hours of LeMans. He also had a degree in mechanical engineering from Brown university.

[@markli3889]

Wish I'd have been at donington that day. Would've been truly special

[@apexit1]

Giving it a decent bit of boot. Good stuff

[@Frank-rh7vh]

This is, what a race fan needs to like... THANK YOU !!! FACT

[@richardmatatahi4563]

wow for a small nation we had our hand in a lot of sports Bruce Mclaren, Denny Hulmes, Chris Amon as well as Ivan Major, Barry Briggs in speedway we're proud of them, kiwis are known for putting their minds to the tasks at hand, and coming up trump

[@artmchugh5644]

Don't forget John Britten and his home made Superbike!!!!😁😁😁😁🏍🏍🏍🏍🏁🏁🏁🍺🍺🍺

[@richardmatatahi4563]

@@artmchugh5644 thats right, he died too young.

[@paxwallacejazz]

As a child when these amazing cars were being campaigned CAN AM and LeMans prototypes were the stuff of dreams. They captured the imagination of an entire generation round the world as evidenced by that Japanese cartoon speed racer

[@johnmatthews1095]

glorious

[@wareidav]

You lucky lucky man Dickie.

[@David-ci3vd]

Better than modern F1

[@josephbradshaw3294]

Was this car to become the supercars we know today...

[@christopherbullock2644]

You forget about anything going wrong with the car and just stand on it. Hell, yes.

[@dudley7540]

I'm Dickie Meaden... from the man who needs no introduction!

[@tonyroberts3629]

Small correction, Bruce was 5'8" and Denny's car was 2" longer - not 5'5" and 5" longer.

[@starguy2718]

Going into 5th gear, and it still shoves you back in the seat. Gotta love that Chevy big-block!

[@letsride2057]

First series of cars were small blocks the 1968 M8A was the first big block being a Reynolds all aluminum 427 cid with about 650hp. later they went to 494 Reynolds aluminum cid. I worked on a M84 with the 494 engine, it had come back from the engine builder for a freshen up before the historic races in Seattle. The dyno sheet read 792 hp 798 torque. when we finally got it started, I had never heard one before, the explosion it made!, I had to look to see if it blew down the fence 20 feet away!

[@jdmimportlogistics]

@@letsride2057What a story! Would be interested to know more details. People don’t appreciate all of the unsung heroes and hard work behind these cars-Than you Sir!

[@sanmaster9933]

Someone know the music?

[@wat6816]

Does Dickie have his own classic car review channel?

[@trevorthefilthyrat3742]

All that Chevy 454 goodness 😀

[@philgiglio9656]

427, they didn't use the 454 until the M8F model IIRC. Everyone up and down pitlane had trouble with the 454 at first.

[@MichaelSmith-nd4rr]

Small block even fire Buik in that car, the car after her, m8 had the 427

[@denislinehan5581]

Nothing has inspired the fire and passion for competitive 'anything'...not just auto racing...like the Can Am series. Nothing. If you weren't there to experience it there is, sadly, no way to describe it to you. Chaparrals', McClaren's, Lola's, the beginnings of aerodynamics and ground effects, the sound. Every lap at Watkins Glen or Elkhart Lake pounded the heart. Modern F1 can't do it, NASCAR?, you can go and get a beer and you rarely miss anything, Drag racing? You can't recognize much of anything or anyone any more. But Can Am...Wow!!! Too bad they allowed turbo's in, who knows what we might be seeing today..

[@MichaelSmith-nd4rr]

I wonder what would have been if he was still here, the mechanic with a gas stn from The Atatu West Auckland New Zealand, took on the best and beat them with a small block buik

[@donbrashsux]

Wasn’t his garage on Remuera Rd in Remuera Auckland ..I have seen the one in TeAtatu that’s got his name as the garage is located on Bruce McLaren Rd Auckland

[@huepix]

Rear wheel drive, 5 on the floor. Real race driving.

[@petrolhead447]

makes me dont wanna watch F1 again

[@brittenv1000]

Kiwi power!

[@garyjanssen5388]

The idea is what i mean.

[@madaro504]

Drive it like you gotta put food on the table.

[@reginaldcassagnol2467]

Sre you up. Reggie?

[@markrenton5791]

Did they not us airfilter?

[@humsimardassociationinc9861]

Its can am mark type 6A

[@massimilianobelloni5613]

One of the best ever but he didn't drive the bus... and Soviet Union aka Sabonis are still celebrating their 1988 gold medal

[@billsmart2532]

The music smothers the video…

[@mctavish199]

It's not as bad as some. But I agree with you in principle. Why editors feel a compulsion to overlay (often) crap music at such volume is beyond me. Does the word 'subtle' not exist in their vocabulary?

[@garyjanssen5388]

made in new zealand

[@thethirdman225]

Bruce was but the cars were made in England, using American motors.