| McLaren
"Zerex" This was Bruce's first race car for the American series. The chassis was built in the UK and was based on rebuilding from just behind the front suspension to just ahead of the rear suspension with a new McLaren designed tube frame that was welded in. This chassis was far more stiffer that the willowy Zerex original and it had the sophistication of having the water and oil flowing through the chassis tubes. There was no time to fabricate the new exhaust system and the car was flown to Mosport with eight stub exhausts poking up through the tail. First time out it won at Mosport that year and at Brands hatch at the end of August 1963. The car had three names, one "The Jolly Green Giant" (bought about due to lack of time to finish the car, a handyman's store was visited and a can of garden gate green was obtained), the second name was the "Zerex Special" (re-framed and re-engineered, which the car was more commonly known as) and for various reasons Bruce decreed that the car should be known as the "Cooper Oldsmobile". Officially the car was a Cooper Oldsmobile when Bruce won with it at Mosport in June 1964. The car won another race in the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch at the end of August that year. |
 |
 Photo by Don Markle |
