Dinky Toys 223; McLaren M8A CanAm; White, Blue, Cast Wheels

Bruce McLaren and his team mate Denny Hulme set a unique pattern in 1967 when they finished first and second in the dollar rich Canadian-American series for Group 7 sports cars. They alone of the European constructors realised the prestige to be gained from winning the series as well as the not inconsiderable prize money and the orders for replica cars for the next year’s series. In fact so large was the order book at the end of the 1967 series that the small Bruce McLaren Motor Racing factory near Slough could not cope and they were glad of their tie-up with the Lambretta Trojan people who had previously built Elva sports/racing car under licence. Under the licensing agreement Trojan were to build the production versions of the McLaren, leaving the McLaren factory free to build the works cars and prototypes. Thus the 1967 factory car the M6A became the production M6B and the 1968 factory car the M8A became the M12; the inconsistency in type numbers is explained by the fact that the works decided to call the 1969 factory car the M8B because it was changed very little in basic design.

The Dinky McLaren M8A went into the range in 1970 and stayed in production until 1978. Up to 1975 they are blue & white with cast wheels from 1976 on the car is green and white with Speedwheels.

This Dinky was sourced in July 2020 from a private collection