This year marks the 50th anniversary of McLaren taking its first World Championship constructor’s title in the 1974 Formula 1 season, and the company is planning to mark the occasion with a special celebration at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.
1974 was a special season, in which Emerson Fittipaldi became McLaren’s first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion driving for McLaren – the youngest driver to become world champion at that time. Driving alongside alongside teammate Denny Hulme, the pair delivered the first of McLaren’s eight Formula 1 Constructors titles, behind the wheel of the McLaren M23 racer.
The actual car driven by Fittipaldi will be on display at The Quail. Not only did the M23 win in ’74, but subsequent evolutions of the car were raced by the McLaren team until the mid-1977 – in total winning 16 Grand Prix, and a further World Drivers’ Championship title with James Hunt in 1976.
McLaren is also planning to unveil two very special road cars at the event, including one of only six 750S cars finished with the ‘3-7-59 Theme’. First revealed in November 2023, the 3-7-59 theme boasts artwork celebrating McLaren’s capture of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, honouring victories at the 1974 Indianapolis 500, the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, and the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.
This year McLaren has also already marked Ayrton Senna’s incredible legacy 30 years on from his passing with the reveal of two special cars at the Monaco Grand Prix. A one-off livery for the MCL38 F1 cars was seen during the race, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while McLaren Automotive revealed the McLaren Senna with ‘Senna Sempre Livery’ off track. This is another car planned to be unveiled at The Quail.
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive commented: ’50 years on from our first world championship win, we continue to be inspired by our history of racing through the ages. Today, we compete in Formula 1, GT racing, IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and in the virtual world, and every supercar we create is with a continuation of this racing heritage. The expansion of this with McLaren Trophy America in 2025 only proves our commitment to making more history on track.’
