Trojan
Tim Barry's ex-Ian Ward Trojan T102 at Mallory Park in May 1994. Copyright Jeremy Jackson 2001. Used with permission.
After the success of McLaren's first sports car in 1965, a deal was done with Elva Cars to build customer versions of the cars. Trojan took over Elva during this process and built McLaren's Can-Am cars, then its M4A Formula 2 car in 1967 and 1968, and also the M10A and M10B Formula 5000 cars in 1969 and 1970. The M18 and M22 Formula 5000 designs were less successful and McLaren ended their relationship with Trojan after 1972.
Trojan built a Formula 5000 car for 1973 based on the 1972 McLaren M21 Formula 2 car and marketed this as the Trojan T101, achieving success on both side of the Atlantic. Former Brabham designer Ron Tauranac was brought in to produce a dual-purpose F1/F5000 design for 1974, but the F5000 version, the T102, was a flop. The F1 car fared little better.
All and any help would be gratefully received. Please e-mail Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com if you can add anything.
| Type | Years | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren M10A | 1969 | (See McLaren) | |
| McLaren M10B | 1970 | (See McLaren) | |
| McLaren M18A | 1971 | (See McLaren) | |
| McLaren M22 | 1972 | (See McLaren) | |
| Trojan T101 | 1973 | 5 or 6 | Successful on both side of the Atlantic, winning eight races. Full monocoque. Wheelbase 100"; front track 59.5"; rear track 60"; length 157.5"; overall length 160in. Used 5-speed Hewland DG300 gearbox and 13in wheels. Designed by Paul Rawlinson based heavily on the F2 McLaren M21. FULL CAR-BY-CAR LIST AVAILABLE |
| Trojan T102 | 1974 | 1 or 2 | One car built for Ian Ward. A second car later built up to F1 T103 specification for historic racing. At some point, Mick Hill bought one or other of these T102s to use as the basis of his "V8 Beetle" Super Saloon. The front suspension and 'pretty much' the whole of the back end of the Trojan were used in the Beetle. The original T102 and a spare tub advertised by Iris & Marty Ahlman Feb 1978. A T102 in parts advertised by Roger Hurst in Feb 1984. Tim Barry (Sittingbourne, Kent) raced the ex-Ian Ward T102 in libre racing in 1988 and, in 2004, Keith Norris bought the remains of the Beetle. |