The Mallite was for the main structural monocoque ( car body ) sections . This is a procedure he developed on the first McLaren single-seat race cars , including the McLaren M2B of 1966 . The external design of the car was a product of Herd 's use of Mallite sheeting ( a wood-aluminium laminate composite ) for the principal structural monocoque sections , a technique he pioneered on the first McLaren single-seat cars , including the McLaren M2B of 1966 .