Bruce McLaren’s racecar crops up on sale after 7 rebuilds

The racecar of the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team, which had been overhauled almost every competition year and later sent to storage for nearly five decades, is now available for purchase in disassembled form.

The so-called Cooper-Zerex-Oldsmobile was aptly named “The Transformer” in its era due to the constant rebuilds. Having debuted in 1961 with a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine under the hood, it suffered in a major crash in the USA Gran Prix. A year later, it received a larger 2.7-liter engine, sealed wheels and a new cockpit. The next year saw it redone yet again to accommodate a second seat in compliance with the new regulations. Later additions included a 3.5-liter V8 and ultimately a 3.9-liter V8.

The last racing event the car took part in was on the South American continent, after which a local participant put it in storage. Eventually, someone imported it back to Great Britain. The sellers claim the car is largely complete despite missing some of its bodywork.