1973 McLaren M23

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€1,028,750 EUR | Sold

Offered from The Jody Scheckter Collection

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  • Offered from The Jody Scheckter Collection
  • One of McLaren’s greatest Formula 1 designs achieving the marque's first Constructors’ Championship in 1973
  • A model that scored two Drivers' Championships with Fittipaldi (1974) and Hunt (1976)
  • Used by Revson for much of the 1973 Formula 1 Championship, achieving victory at the British Grand Prix
  • Additionally raced by Scheckter in two Grands Prix
  • Entered into a remarkable 63 races in period—double South African F1 champion
  • Latterly part of the McLaren factory collection before being traded into the Scheckter Collection
  • Eligible for historic racing events around the world including the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
Addendum
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Eager to improve on their 3rd-placed finishes in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships of 1972, McLaren started 1973 with its incumbent M19C chassis before introducing the new Gordon Coppuck-designed M23 from the third round of the Championship onwards. The new car borrowed heavily from Coppuck’s Indianapolis 500-winning M16 design and followed the prevailing trends of wedge-shaped aerodynamics and integral side-mounted radiators; the latter compliant with the new deformable monocoque regulations applied to 1973-specification cars.

In accommodating both the oil tank and fuel cell amidships, the car exhibited a noticeably front-biased driving position. Its front suspension retained the inboard, rising-rate system of the M19—albeit optimised—while at the rear adjustable top links, reversed lower wishbones and twin-parallel radius rods were employed. Once again, McLaren retained the tried-and-tested combination of a Ford DFV engine and five-speed Hewland FG400 transaxle.

First seen at the International Trophy in April 1973, this particular car, chassis M23-2, was Peter Revson’s race chassis for eight of the 15 rounds of that year’s World Championship season. The relationship started positively, with the non-championship event at Silverstone yielding 4th place; a result later repeated at the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuich Park. In Monaco, Revson retained the upper hand against teammate Hulme by finishing 5th, although the situation was reversed in Sweden when Hulme took the M23’s maiden win at Anderstorp, with Revson 7th.

At July’s French Grand Prix, M23-2 was repurposed as the team’s spare car, but at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone it was back in Revson’s hands—and would unwittingly play a starring role in one of the most infamous Grands Prix ever held. A fine qualifying performance had Revson and Hulme join Ronnie Peterson’s pole-sitting Lotus 72D on the front row of the grid, with the 1971 and 1972 World Champions—Stewart and Fittipaldi respectively—immediately behind.

If the race’s first lap was relatively uneventful, the start of its second has since passed into Grand Prix legend. The fast-starting Jody Scheckter—at the wheel of M23-3—had just passed both McLaren teammates into Woodcote corner, when he hit a damp patch and spun the car into the pit wall. An otherwise relatively innocuous accident rapidly escalated, as the South African ricocheted directly into the path of the approaching midfield runners; some eight cars—including the entire three-car Surtees team—being eliminated as a result.

After a lengthy delay, the 19 surviving cars reassembled for the restart in their original grid order, albeit with significant gaps now present. Once again Peterson led away, initially pursued by Lauda’s BRM, Stewart’s Tyrrell, and Fittipaldi’s Lotus. Revson held a watching brief in 5th, although a stellar seventh lap—and an uncharacteristic spin from Stewart—pushed the American up to 4th place. One lap later, the McLaren passed Lauda for 3rd, while on lap 37 Fittipaldi suddenly slowed with transmission problems; the American assuming 2nd as a result. A brief rain shower further aided Revson’s cause, and on lap 39 he passed Peterson for the race lead; a position he protected masterfully for the remaining 26 laps to take a hugely popular maiden Grand Prix win.

Chassis M23-2 next appeared at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, in which Revson finished 4th behind the pace-setting Tyrrells of Stewart and Cevert and the Hesketh-entered March 731 of James Hunt; the latter visiting the podium for the first time in his nascent Grand Prix career. A 9th-place finish at the Nürburgring would mark the car’s final completed race of the year; the American retiring on the first lap of the Austrian Grand Prix with clutch failure, and teammate Scheckter—having taken over M23-2 for the Canadian and United States Grands Prix—failing to finish either due to an accident and suspension failure respectively.

A strong end to the season had Revson secure victory in Canada at the wheel of M23-4, and 5th in the Drivers’ Championship behind Stewart, Fittipaldi, Peterson and Cevert. Undeniably, the charismatic American enhanced his reputation considerably, for he had outscored teammate Hulme by two wins to one—and by 38 points to 26—of which 17 had been scored at the wheel of M23-2.

Over the winter, M23-2 was sold to South African construction magnate Aldo Scribante, whose Scuderia Scribante-entered cars were invariably driven by his protégé Dave Charlton, and had dominated the South African Formula 1 Championship since 1970. Appropriately re-liveried in the colours of sponsor Lucky Strike, Charlton first contested the 1974 South African Grand Prix, finishing 19th, before taking six wins to secure his fifth consecutive South African Formula 1 Championship. The 1975 season yielded a repeat performance, with Charlton finishing 14th in his home Grand Prix, prior to two wins and a record-equalling sixth title.

The adoption of Formula Atlantic as South Africa’s top-flight class from 1976 onwards effectively rendered M23-2 ineligible for further domestic competition, with Scribante consequently offering the car for sale. Subsequently acquired by 1973 Australian “Gold Star” Champion John McCormack, it was converted to F5000 specification in preparation for the upcoming 1976 series. Duly equipped with a 4.9-litre version of the all-alloy Leyland P76 production V-8 engine—in contrast to the DFV installation, suspended via twin A-frames and operating as an “unstressed” unit—the car proved competitive, with the Tasmanian taking a win at Calder and 3rd place in the end of year standings. Greater consistency was the key to a victorious 1977 campaign, with wins at Surfers Paradise and Winton and podium finishes at Calder and Philip Island securing a second Championship for McCormack, ahead of no less than seven Chevrolet-powered Lola T332/T400 challengers.

By 1978, both the competitiveness and reliability of M23-2 was on the wane, and in 1979 McCormack converted the car to central-seat Can-Am specification in order to contest a handful of races in North America. The sojourn yielded just one finish—at Watkins Glen—in three starts, and upon its return to Australia, M23-2 was converted back to single-seat F5000 specification. However, a serious road accident en route to the 1980 Australian Grand Prix at Calder left McCormack with life-changing injuries; his illustrious racing career, regrettably, at an end as a result.

After a brief period in storage, M23-2 was reacquired by McLaren who restored it to its original DFV-engined specification for display in their burgeoning Heritage Collection. Thereafter it passed, appropriately, to its former driver—and 1979 World Champion—Jody Scheckter in direct exchange for M19C-1, and has remained in his private collection since.

Chassis M23-2 must surely rank among the most active and historically significant of all Formula 1 cars. A remarkable example of one of McLaren’s greatest models, it is also blessed with glorious patina, impeccable provenance, and enviable eligibility for numerous historic racing events.

1973 McLaren M23 - chassis 2      
RaceDateEntrantNo.DriversQualifyingOverall Finish
International Trophy - SilverstoneApril 8, 1973Yardley Team McLaren10Peter Revson4th4th
Spanish Grand Prix - Montjuich ParkApril 29, 1973Yardley Team McLaren6Peter Revson5th4th
Belgian Grand Prix - ZolderMay 20, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson10thDNF
Monaco Grand Prix - Monte CarloJune 3, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson15th5th
Swedish Grand Prix - AnderstorpJune 17, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson7th7th
French Grand Prix - Paul RicardJuly 1, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Jody Scheckter-Practice only
French Grand Prix - Paul RicardJuly 1, 1973Yardley Team McLaren7Denis Hulme-Practice only
British Grand Prix - SilverstoneJuly 14, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson3rd1st
Dutch Grand Prix - ZandvoortJuly 29, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson6th4th
German Grand Prix - NürburgringAugust 5, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson7th9th
Austrian Grand Prix - ÖsterreichringAugust 19, 2023Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson4thDNF
Italian Grand Prix - MonzaSeptember 9, 1973Yardley Team McLaren7Denis Hulme-Practice only
Italian Grand Prix - MonzaSeptember 9, 1973Yardley Team McLaren8Peter Revson-Practice only
Canadian Grand Prix - Mosport ParkSeptember 23, 1973Yardley Team McLaren0Jody Scheckter3rdDNF
United States Grand Prix - Watkins GlenOctober 7, 1973Yardley Team McLaren0Jody Scheckter11thDNF
South African Grand Prix - KyalamiMarch 30, 1974Scribante Lucky Strike Racing23Dave Charlton20th19th
Mercury "100" - Roy HeskethApril 13, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Cape South Easter Trophy - KillarneyMay 4, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Republic Day Trophy - KyalamiMay 25, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Brandkop Winter Trophy - BrandkopJune 15, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Bulawayo "100" - BulawayoJune 30, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Natal Winter Trophy - Roy HeskethJuly 13, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Rand Winter Trophy - KyalamiAugust 10, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
False Bay "100" - KillarneyAugust 31, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Rhodesian Grand Prix - DonnybrookSeptember 15, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-3rd
Rand Spring Trophy - KyalamiSeptember 28, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Goldfields "100" - Goldfields Raceway (Welkom)October 19, 1974Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-8th
Cape South Easter Trophy - KillarneyFebruary 8, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
South African Grand Prix - KyalamiMarch 1, 1975Scribante Lucky Strike Racing31Dave Charlton20th14th
Goldfields "100" - Goldfields Raceway (Welkom)March 22, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-DQ
Mercury "100" - Roy HeskethMarch 29, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Brandkop Winter Trophy - BrandkopMay 3, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Republic Day Trophy - KyalamiMay 31, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
False Bay "100" - KillarneyJuly 5, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Rand Winter Trophy - KyalamiJuly 26, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Natal Spring Trophy - Roy HeskethSeptember 1, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-1st
Rand Spring Trophy - KyalamiOctober 4, 1975Scuderia Scribante1Dave Charlton-2nd
Australian Gold Star Race - Oran ParkSeptember 19, 1976John McCormack1John McCormack4thDNF
Australian Gold Star Race - CalderOctober 17, 1976John McCormack1John McCormack1st1st
Rose City "10,000" - WintonNovember 7, 1976John McCormack-John McCormack2ndDNS
Mirafiori 5000 - Phillip IslandNovember 28, 1976Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack1st5th
Australian Grand Prix - Oran ParkFebruary 6, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-DNF
Surfers Paradise "100" - Surfers ParadiseFebruary 13, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-12th
Sandown Park Cup - Sandown ParkFebruary 20, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack8th5th
Adelaide "100" - Adelaide International RacewayFebruary 27, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack6th6th
Kleber $40,000 - CalderMarch 19, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-N/C
Australian Gold Star Race - Surfers ParadiseAugust 28, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-1st
Australian Gold Star Race - Sandown ParkSeptember 11, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-DNS
Australian Gold Star Race - CalderOctober 16, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-2nd
Rose City "10,000" - WintonOctober 30, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-1st
Australian Gold Star Race - Phillip IslandNovember 13, 1977Budget Rent-a-Car Team77John McCormack-3rd
Sandown Park Cup - Sandown ParkFebruary 5, 1978Budget Rent-a-Car Team81John McCormack-DNS
Adelaide "100" - Adelaide International RacewayFebruary 12, 1978Budget Rent-a-Car Team81John McCormack6thDNS
Surfers Paradise "100" - Surfers ParadiseFebruary 19, 1978Budget Rent-a-Car Team81John McCormack1st10th
Oran Park "100" - Oran ParkFebruary 26, 1978Budget Rent-a-Car Team81John McCormack3rdDNF
Australian Grand Prix - Sandown ParkSeptember 10, 1978-1John McCormack-DNF
Rose City "10,000" - WintonOctober 28, 1978--John McCormack-4th
Sandown Park Cup - Sandown ParkFebruary 4, 1979--John McCormack21stDNF
Adelaide "100" - Adelaide International RacewayFebruary 11, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing7John McCormack14thDNF
Surfers Paradise "100" - Surfers ParadiseFebruary 18, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing-John McCormack8thDNS
Oran Park "100" - Oran ParkFebruary 25, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing7John McCormack7th5th
Australian Grand Prix - Wanneroo ParkMarch 11, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing-John McCormack-DNF
Can-Am Challenge Race - Mosport ParkJune 3, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing28John McCormack18th18th
Can-Am Challenge Race - Mid-OhioJune 10, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing28John McCormack13th13th
Can-Am Challenge Race - Watkins GlenJuly 8, 1979McCormack Unipart Racing28John McCormack18th12th

Piloted by Peter Revson with Yardley McLaren livery, chassis 2 was driven to outright victory at the 1973 British Grand Prix.
Hurtling past the marina at the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix, Peter Revson drove this McLaren M23 to a 5th-place finish, having qualified 15th.
Just behind Ronnie Peterson’s Lotus 72D was Jody Scheckter in this McLaren M23 at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix. Scheckter qualified in 3rd, but suffered a collision on 32nd lap.