The McLaren M4B was a Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 racing car constructed by Trojan

Trojan (Racing team)

Trojan was an automobile manufacturer and a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. The complete history can be found at The car producer Trojan Limited was founded by Leslie Hounsfield in 1914 in Purley Way, Croydon, South London and produced cars and especially delivery vans until...

 for Bruce McLaren Motor Racing and raced five times by New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

er Bruce McLaren

Bruce McLaren

Bruce Leslie McLaren , born in Auckland, New Zealand, was a race-car designer, driver, engineer and inventor....

 at the start of 1967.

The M4B was based on the M4A Formula 2 car as a stopgap between the M2B

McLaren M2B

The McLaren M2B was the McLaren team's first Formula One racing car, used during the 1966 season. It was conceived in 1965 and preceded by the M2A development car. Designed by Robin Herd, the innovative but problematic Mallite material was used in its construction...

 and the M5A

McLaren M5A

The McLaren M5A/1 was a racing car constructed by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, and was McLaren's first purpose-built Formula One car. Like its M4B predecessor, only one car of this type was ever built...

. Additional fuel tanks were added either side of the cockpit to allow the car to run a full Grand Prix distance, and the rear end of the car was cut away to accommodate a 2.0 litre BRM

British Racing Motors

British Racing Motors was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grands Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion...

 type 56-2 V8, an enlarged and updated version of the engine with which Graham Hill had won the World Championship in 1962.

The car made its debut in the 1967 Race of Champions

1967 Race of Champions

The 2nd Race of Champions was a non-Championship motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 12 March 1967 at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, UK...

 at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...

, showing promise with fourth and sixth places in the heats before a missed gear by McLaren in the final race put him out with engine failure. In the Spring Trophy at Oulton Park

Oulton Park

Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...

 McLaren managed fifth place in both heats and the race, and came fifth again in the International Trophy

1967 BRDC International Trophy

The 19th BRDC International Trophy was a non-championship Formula One race held at Silverstone on April 29, 1967.-Classification:-References:...

 at Silverstone

Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

.

The M4B's Grand Prix debut came at Monaco

1967 Monaco Grand Prix

The 1967 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 7, 1967.- Race report :The opening few laps were eventful - Jack Brabham spun in front of Bruce McLaren and Jo Siffert who collided taking avoiding action, whilst Jim Clark had to take to the escape road.Jackie Stewart swept...

, where its short wheelbase made it surprisingly competitive. McLaren ran as high as third before a pit stop to replace a flat battery dropped him back to fourth at the finish - the first points scored by a McLaren chassis that season. In the next Grand Prix in Holland

1967 Dutch Grand Prix

The 1967 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Zandvoort on June 4, 1967.The race saw the debut of the Ford Cosworth DFV engine, in Jim Clark and Graham Hill's Lotuses.- Classification :-Notes:*Pole position: Graham Hill - 1:24.6...

 McLaren crashed the M4B on the first lap, but after the car had later been repaired it caught fire during a test at Goodwood

Goodwood Circuit

Goodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...

and was written off.