[8] Designer Robin Herd was recruited to the team in 1965 before which he had been an aerospace engineer at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE) where he worked on the Concorde project.

The chassis was a bathtub-type (i.e. open-topped) monocoque initially made from 22-gauge aluminium alloy panels glued and riveted together and to three steel bulkheads.

[11][14][15] Fuel was stored in tanks running down the side of the chassis, above the driver's legs and behind their seat, totalling 40 imperial gallons (180 L) capacity.

[11] For the M7A's first two world championship races, Bruce McLaren's car was fitted with outboard "pannier" fuel tanks at the side of the cockpit.

McLaren had a theory that sports racing cars' handling was superior to that of single-seaters because of the weight distribution of their fuel; the pannier tanks were an attempt to replicate this.

The new Lockheed four-piston lightweight alloy caliper being able to accommodate the larger designed discs which now measured 11.625 inches (295mm) in diameter.

The DFV engine, whose development was funded by Ford and which was designed and constructed by Cosworth, was normally aspirated with eight cylinders arranged in a v configuration (i.e. a V8) of 90 degrees.

The fuel was stored low and centrally in bags which were housed inside L72 aluminium pontoons, riveted either side of the cockpit and terminating at the engine by a new, full width magnesium bulkhead.

[16] Author and former McLaren secretary Eoin Young said that another purpose of the outboard tanks was to make room for a four-wheel-drive system.

[12][nb 2] The chief distinguishing characteristic of M7C was its fully enclosed monocoque which gave greater torsional rigidity than the bathtub chassis.

[12][26][27][28] For the 1968 Formula One season, after two years of driving the team's sole entry,[29] Bruce McLaren was partnered by Denny Hulme.

[13][33] After Belgium, McLaren's Goodyear tyres suffered a slump in competitiveness and the team and their car fell behind rivals Graham Hill in his Lotus and Stewart in his Matra.

[37][nb 3] An improvement in form came at the Italian Grand Prix where the cars ran without wings and Goodyear brought their new G9 specification tyre.

McLaren qualified on the front row and led to begin with until he slowed at the scene of an accident and was caught by Stewart, Hulme and Jo Siffert in a Lotus.

He ran competitively towards the beginning of the United States Grand Prix but ultimately retired via a spin, pit stops to repair damaged brake lines and a gearbox output shaft failure which spun him again, this time into a crash.

McLaren finished second there, but Hulme crashed out because of a broken suspension damper allowing Hill to win the Drivers' Championship.

At the South African Grand Prix Hulme scored a podium with the M7A; Bruce used the M7B version and the pair were joined by Basil van Rooyen in another M7A.

McLaren qualified 13th on the grid at the Spanish Grand Prix but took advantage of the crashes and breakdowns of those ahead of him to finish second.

[13][21][26][43] Meanwhile, the Colin Crabbe Antique Automobiles team bought the M7B and Vic Elford drove it at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing 10th.

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza produced another slipstreaming battle; this time McLaren finished fourth, albeit only 0.19 seconds behind winner Stewart.

More unreliability in Canada and the United States restricted the cars to a best finish of fifth before, at the season ending Mexico race Hulme scored the M7's only win of the year.