The M14 series of Formula 1 cars did not prove to be as successful as people had hoped, so for the 1971 Formula 1 season, McLaren set about designing an entirely new car.

The M19 was designed by Ralph Bellamy, who came to McLaren from Brabham. He was brought in as Gordon Coppuck, McLaren’s usual designer, was committed to working on the Can-Am and Indianapolis projects. Bellamy’s new car, the M19A, had its press premiere in February 1971 and had a distinctive ‘coke bottle’ shape, wider and longer than any McLaren F1 car before it. The swollen shape around the cockpit was to hold the majority of the fuel around the center of the wheelbase to improve road holding. The M19A had a tall airscoop placed on the Cosworth DFV engine and a center pillar mounted rear wing, but the greatest change was in the suspension. Rising rate suspension was devised with front and rear inboard coil springs/damper units. The effect of this was that the springs compressed as the suspension deflated, meaning the faster the car was going, the harder the suspension became.

After much testing, it was discovered the rising rate suspension was of no advantage at the rear and they reverted to conventional suspension. The M19As with standard rear suspension continued to be run into the first part of 1972 alongside the M19C as it was introduced. The M19C differed little from the M19A, it was lighter but the largest and most obvious difference to appear on the M19C was new paint. In 1972 the McLaren orange gave way to Yardley Cosmetics sponsorship and their livery, while Goodyear and Gulf kept their places as co-sponsors. Peter Revson was signed by McLaren to partner Hulme in the 1972 Formula 1 season. They also enlisted two other drivers they thought would help them to victory, Brian Redman and Jody Scheckter.

It was not until Osterreichring, Austria, August 13, there were two M19Cs on the grid. McLaren had their best result all season, Hulme only one second behind the victorious Fittipaldi, Revson third. Hulme also claimed the fastest lap time of 134.485 mph on lap 47. The M19C was effectively made illegal in 1973 by the introduction of deformable structural regulations. McLaren then introduced the M23 and they finally had a winning car in Formula 1 again.