Beaulieu tells us…
(Photograph and all words from Beaulieu).
A special display at the National Motor Museum, on until 2nd November 2025, marks 75 years since the inaugural Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in 1950. The temporary exhibition brings together iconic Formula 1 racing cars, including cars from World Championship winning teams. A car is displayed for every decade and the 1970s slot will now be occupied by 1977 McLaren M23 driven by German race driver Jochen Mass, who sadly died in May 2025.
Until recently the 1970s was represented by the March 761 car but it has returned to its owner to take part in motorsport around Europe.
The British built McLaren M23 was one of the outstanding Formula One cars of the 1970s. Designed by Gordon Coppuck, M23s raced successfully from 1973 to 1977, winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships with Emerson Fittipaldi in 1974 and a second Drivers’ title with James Hunt in 1976.
The car in the Museum display, M23/12, was used by Jochen Mass during the 1977 season, finishing second in Sweden, ninth in France and fourth in both Spain and Monaco. It is still raced today, competing in the Monaco Historic meeting and the Masters F1 Championship, which it won in 2021. With a 2,994cc Ford Cosworth engine it is typical of so many Formula One cars of the 1970s.
Patrick Collins, Vehicles and Research Curator at the National Motor Museum says, “We’re incredibly excited to have the McLaren M23 join the F1 line-up for the last few weeks of the exhibition. The display has been very popular with our visitors throughout the summer. In addition to celebrating this fascinating motorsport history of the World Championship era we’ve also been able to give visitors the opportunity to drive an F1 car with an ultra-realistic simulator and experience the thrill of Formula 1 for themselves.”