Description:

1971 McLaren M10B 

Alan Hamilton’s first F5000 racer 

• Storied history 

• Motorsport Australia COD 

• Historic Logbook 

Chassis number: 400-002 

According to the official Motorsport Australia Certificate of Description (COD) and the extensive research conducted and provided to us by our vendors, this McLaren M10B chassis 400-002 had led a very convoluted but storied life. 

McLaren M10B chassis 400-002 was originally purchased new in 1969 and raced with success by Sydney property developer Neil Allen. 

An accident in June 1970 at Warwick Farm (NSW) saw 400-002 extensively damaged, which necessitated the chassis to be returned to Trojan in the UK, which was the company responsible for building all McLaren customer cars at the time. 

Fortunately, by then Neil Allen had already acquired a spare chassis (400-019), which his crew then built up using the remains of 400-002 and he was able to race on. 

Confusingly, however, Allen raced 400-19 using the logbook for 400-002, before deciding to retire at the end of the 1971 season, selling his then current race car (400-19) to Kevin Bartlett, complete with the logbook for 400-002! 

Having returned from Trojan, Allen’s original (now repaired) chassis 400-002 was purchased by Alan Hamilton, on the condition that Allen’s mechanics – Peter Molloy and Graeme Adams – built it up into a complete car, so that Hamilton could begin his F5000 career. 

As Kevin Bartlett had the 400-002 logbook for chassis 400-019, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) issued a new logbook for Hamilton’s ‘real’ 400-002, using chassis number 400-003. 

Entering the Australian Drivers’ Championship in 1971, Hamilton came third in the Australian Grand Prix, and was equal second in Gold Star Championship, ironically tied with Kevin Bartlett! 

Alan Hamilton then sold his McLaren to Pat Burke, who put a young Warwick Brown in the car, before he too had a major accident at Warwick Farm.

Brown moved into a Lola F5000 and Burke sold chassis 400-002 (log booked 400-003) to Shepparton (Victoria) racer Bryan Thomson, to form the basis of the Peter Fowler-built VW-Chev Sports Sedan. 

Ironically, the sister car, the ex-Bartlett chassis 400-019, was also sold to create a Sports Sedan, to Tasmanian patron Don Elliot, for the Alfetta-Chev raced by Tony Edmondson! 

Seasons went by and ultimately the VW-Chev Sports Sedan was crashed by a subsequent owner and scrapped, and with its demise Peter Bick approached Thompson about purchasing the redundant chassis 400-002 and various bits, which he agreed provided that it was fully rebuilt as a McLaren M10B F5000.

Bick then sold the car to George Palby, who raced it several times, before it was acquired by Sydney businessman Lynden Riethmuller, who by then had also bought and almost completed the rebuilt of the ex-Bartlett car (chassis 400-019 but running under the 400-002 logbook). 

Sadly, Riethmuller was then killed in a New Zealand avalanche while skiing in 2009. 

Subsequently, in May 2011, Alan Hamilton bought back his original chassis (400-002), and also the ex-Bartlett M10B chassis (400-019), and had the pair restored by Mark Day, with assistance from Jim Hardman, for historic F5000 racing. 

Hamilton’s long-time driver Alfie Costanzo raced both McLarens in local historic events, switching between the two cars, before an unfortunate accident at Sandown saw 400-002 rebuilt yet again, around a brand new chassis, with new uprights, new wheels, new brakes, a new DG300 Transmission, and an entire new Chevrolet F5000 engine with Aluminium heads.

McLaren M10B chassis 400-019 was subsequently bought from Hamilton by Joe Ricciardo – father for former F1 drive Dan – and remains in his ownership today. 

Hamilton’s remaining car – chassis 400-002 – is now effectively the newest McLaren M10B anywhere in the world following its post-Sandown rebuild, having only been raced in several Historic events since, and is in near new condition. 

During its most recent outing there were some top-end tuning issues that will need attending by the new owner.  

This storied McLaren F5000 is being offered for sale complete with its Motorsport Australia Certificate of Description and a current Historic Logbook, as well as several period CAMS Logbooks.  

Importantly, it also comes with a number of folders documenting its complex history, photos of its restoration, a box of reference materials, various correspondence, period photographs of the car in action, even an original Repco F5000 engine records folder. There’s also a period McLaren/Trojan brochure. 

An iconic car from the early days of F5000 racing, the McLaren M10B is recognised worldwide for its significance in the popular formula’s development.

And this particular example has special significance here in Australia having been raced in period by some of the sport’s most stellar names of the 1970s, as well as contributing to the success of one of the country’s most celebrated Sports Sedans.  

Website:

Facebook:

Video:

Keyword Search Terms: