In 1969 McLaren faced the Formula 1 championship with three versions of the M7: the 1968 A, the B and the C. The latter, in a unique example like the B, derived from the F.5000 monocoque but with suspension and transmission. of the M7A. The engine was the Ford Cosworth V8. The M7C was used by Bruce McLaren for all the GPs of the season, except the inaugural one in South Africa, where he piloted the M7B. The best result of the M7C in 1969 was a second place in Spain. Bruce McLaren finished third in the drivers' championship behind Stewart and Ickx, while the McLaren team was fourth among the manufacturers behind Matra, Brabham and Lotus.