The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson-McLaren Engines. This helped push the DFV's horsepower output to around 490 bhp.
Emerson Fittipaldi in the McLaren M23 at the 1974 British Grand Prix.
Denny Hulme's 1973 McLaren-Ford M23 being demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Mike Hailwood driving a Yardley-liveried McLaren M23 at Brands Hatch in 1974
A McLaren M23 with much of its bodywork and front wing removed, Cosworth DFV visible in the rear. Note the exposed pedals between the front wheels and minimal upper-body crash protection, very different from today's F1 cars.
John Edward Barnard, is an English engineer and racing car designer. Barnard is credited with the introduction of two new designs into Formula One: the carbon fibre composite chassis first seen in 1981 with McLaren, and the semi-automatic gearbox which he introduced with Ferrari in 1989.
John Barnard
McLaren MP4/1 was the first Formula One car to use the now ubiquitous carbon fibre composite monocoque.
Niki Lauda in the 1984 championship winning McLaren MP4/2
