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Details
1959 COOPER-CLIMAX T51 "TASMAN" MONOPOSTO RACING CAR
Unregistered for road use
Chassis No. Not Known.
Engine No. FPF 430/17/1265
Dark green with white stripes & roundels.
Engine; 4-cylinders in-line, double overhead-camshafts, carburation by two twin-choke Weber carburettors: 250bhp at 6,200rpm; Gearbox, four-speed manual; Suspension, transverse leaf-spring and double wish-bones with telescopic shock-absorbers front and rear; Brakes, four wheel discs.
In the very short space of some 10 years, the fledgling company founded by Charles and son John Cooper, had revolutionised the world of motor-racing and by the end of the 1958 season, had produced a potent machine capable of taking on and beating the might of the European Grands Prix car manufacturers teams. The apparently simplistic tubular spaceframe chassis with its transverse leaf and wishbone suspension derived from earlier Fiat design principles, coupled with a rear-mounted lightweight 2.5 litre engine, modified from humble origins as an auxiliary fire-pump motor, provided Coopers with a supremely good power-to-weight ratio and low centre of gravity.
Graduating via the old 500cc Formula 3 and Formula 2 categories of racing where they swept the board internationally, they had acquired experienced and top-line drivers with Roy Salvadori & Jack Brabham, the former finishing 6th in the World Championship in 1958. By this time notice had been duly served to their competitors, who still clung to the traditional front-engined format, necessitating heavier chassis and transmission layouts, so that by the time the 1959 season was under way, they were to realise that they had met their match. However top drivers were expensive to maintain, so that when Salvadori was offered the number one drive for the new Aston-Martin GP team, Coopers released him and co-opted a young driver from New Zealand, who had been working in the race-preparation shop at the Surbiton works - his name was Bruce McLaren.
For 1959 Coventry-Climax produced new engines of full 2.5 litre capacity with a new block design incorporating revised bore & stroke, and modified cylinder-heads, whilst the new car chassis' were designated "T51" or numbered Mk IV F1/F2. The larger engines were in short supply, reserved mainly for the Works and only "Senior" privateers such as Rob Walker for instance. A three-car team line-up provided entries for Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren and Masten Gregory, formerly with BRM, in a season that was late starting in May, but kicked-off well with a victory in the non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone for Jack Brabham, who won a race-long-tussle with former team-mate Roy Salvadori in the new Aston-Martin. Monte Carlo was the venue for the Team's first Grande Epreuve win, where Jack Brabham was again victorious, ably supported by his colleagues with McLaren finishing 3rd and Gregory 7th. This was their first Grand Prix win and was a resounding triumph for the whole team. This busy month concluded with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where the faster track enabled their rivals to win, but Brabham coming second and Gregory 3rd. Similarly at the very fast Reims track in July, a third place for Brabham was the highest attainable, whilst McLaren was 5th.
For the British Grand Prix at Aintree in August, another redoubtable team-triumph saw a further victory for Jack Brabham, with McLaren 3rd and Gregory 7th. However at the Nurburgring for the German Grand Prix, the long tortuous Nordschleife proved too much and only McLaren finished in a distant 4th place. Second place was achieved in Portugal by Gregory, where again mechanical maladies forcing retirements for the other two drivers. Fortunes were restored in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza where Brabham took 2nd to Stirling Moss in Rob Walker's similar machine and this was sufficient to clinch for him the World Driver's Championship. The icing on the cake was completed by Bruce's first win in the US Grand Prix at Sebring and a few more points to Jack's tally with 4th position.
Meanwhile, as manufacturers, Cooper were already supplying cars in all three major formulae as well as sportscars, and to further publicise their products they sent two cars to contest the popular "Tasman" series of races in Australia & New Zealand. This was perfect for the drivers to return to their respective homelands and to show off their winning capabilities, and ideal for the company to promote sales and cement public relations. The cars were sold off to privateers after the series, which preceded the 1960 European season, for which new cars were being prepared.
The car on offer here is believed to have been one of the four original 1959 team-cars, some of which had thereafter continued racing in Australia and subsequent "Tasman Series", for which it was up-rated by the installation of the slightly later series engine, enlarged to 2.7 litres. It was acquired in the late 1960s and brought back to the UK by Mr.Tom Wheatcroft, where it formed one of the founding exhibits within his newly constituted Donington Musem Collection of historic racing cars. Since then it has been restored and maintained ever since by Messrs. Hall & Fowler, specialists in historic race-preparation, and used sparingly for demonstration events, notably by Jack Brabham again in the support race for the 1976 Long Beach Grand Prix, and track-tested for "Road & Track" magazine by Stirling Moss. It is also understood to have been authenticated by a well-known author and Cooper historian. It is currently in a very good state of presentation, refinished in the dark green & white stripes of the Cooper Car Co team colours. Whilst mechanically it has been maintained in ready-to-run condition, it is however always recommended with such cars that a careful check-over be made prior to recommencement of sporting action. It would be anticipated that this car could then once again be amongst the front-runners in todays Historic Racing events.
Unregistered for road use
Chassis No. Not Known.
Engine No. FPF 430/17/1265
Dark green with white stripes & roundels.
Engine; 4-cylinders in-line, double overhead-camshafts, carburation by two twin-choke Weber carburettors: 250bhp at 6,200rpm; Gearbox, four-speed manual; Suspension, transverse leaf-spring and double wish-bones with telescopic shock-absorbers front and rear; Brakes, four wheel discs.
In the very short space of some 10 years, the fledgling company founded by Charles and son John Cooper, had revolutionised the world of motor-racing and by the end of the 1958 season, had produced a potent machine capable of taking on and beating the might of the European Grands Prix car manufacturers teams. The apparently simplistic tubular spaceframe chassis with its transverse leaf and wishbone suspension derived from earlier Fiat design principles, coupled with a rear-mounted lightweight 2.5 litre engine, modified from humble origins as an auxiliary fire-pump motor, provided Coopers with a supremely good power-to-weight ratio and low centre of gravity.
Graduating via the old 500cc Formula 3 and Formula 2 categories of racing where they swept the board internationally, they had acquired experienced and top-line drivers with Roy Salvadori & Jack Brabham, the former finishing 6th in the World Championship in 1958. By this time notice had been duly served to their competitors, who still clung to the traditional front-engined format, necessitating heavier chassis and transmission layouts, so that by the time the 1959 season was under way, they were to realise that they had met their match. However top drivers were expensive to maintain, so that when Salvadori was offered the number one drive for the new Aston-Martin GP team, Coopers released him and co-opted a young driver from New Zealand, who had been working in the race-preparation shop at the Surbiton works - his name was Bruce McLaren.
For 1959 Coventry-Climax produced new engines of full 2.5 litre capacity with a new block design incorporating revised bore & stroke, and modified cylinder-heads, whilst the new car chassis' were designated "T51" or numbered Mk IV F1/F2. The larger engines were in short supply, reserved mainly for the Works and only "Senior" privateers such as Rob Walker for instance. A three-car team line-up provided entries for Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren and Masten Gregory, formerly with BRM, in a season that was late starting in May, but kicked-off well with a victory in the non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone for Jack Brabham, who won a race-long-tussle with former team-mate Roy Salvadori in the new Aston-Martin. Monte Carlo was the venue for the Team's first Grande Epreuve win, where Jack Brabham was again victorious, ably supported by his colleagues with McLaren finishing 3rd and Gregory 7th. This was their first Grand Prix win and was a resounding triumph for the whole team. This busy month concluded with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where the faster track enabled their rivals to win, but Brabham coming second and Gregory 3rd. Similarly at the very fast Reims track in July, a third place for Brabham was the highest attainable, whilst McLaren was 5th.
For the British Grand Prix at Aintree in August, another redoubtable team-triumph saw a further victory for Jack Brabham, with McLaren 3rd and Gregory 7th. However at the Nurburgring for the German Grand Prix, the long tortuous Nordschleife proved too much and only McLaren finished in a distant 4th place. Second place was achieved in Portugal by Gregory, where again mechanical maladies forcing retirements for the other two drivers. Fortunes were restored in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza where Brabham took 2nd to Stirling Moss in Rob Walker's similar machine and this was sufficient to clinch for him the World Driver's Championship. The icing on the cake was completed by Bruce's first win in the US Grand Prix at Sebring and a few more points to Jack's tally with 4th position.
Meanwhile, as manufacturers, Cooper were already supplying cars in all three major formulae as well as sportscars, and to further publicise their products they sent two cars to contest the popular "Tasman" series of races in Australia & New Zealand. This was perfect for the drivers to return to their respective homelands and to show off their winning capabilities, and ideal for the company to promote sales and cement public relations. The cars were sold off to privateers after the series, which preceded the 1960 European season, for which new cars were being prepared.
The car on offer here is believed to have been one of the four original 1959 team-cars, some of which had thereafter continued racing in Australia and subsequent "Tasman Series", for which it was up-rated by the installation of the slightly later series engine, enlarged to 2.7 litres. It was acquired in the late 1960s and brought back to the UK by Mr.Tom Wheatcroft, where it formed one of the founding exhibits within his newly constituted Donington Musem Collection of historic racing cars. Since then it has been restored and maintained ever since by Messrs. Hall & Fowler, specialists in historic race-preparation, and used sparingly for demonstration events, notably by Jack Brabham again in the support race for the 1976 Long Beach Grand Prix, and track-tested for "Road & Track" magazine by Stirling Moss. It is also understood to have been authenticated by a well-known author and Cooper historian. It is currently in a very good state of presentation, refinished in the dark green & white stripes of the Cooper Car Co team colours. Whilst mechanically it has been maintained in ready-to-run condition, it is however always recommended with such cars that a careful check-over be made prior to recommencement of sporting action. It would be anticipated that this car could then once again be amongst the front-runners in todays Historic Racing events.