Cooper Because Company

Cooper Because Company is an old stable of automobile race rested by Charles and John Cooper. Charles started to build single-seaters of race in a small garage of Surbiton in the Surrey before his/her son does not join it to found their dispensary in 1953. Cooper took part in particular at 128 Grands Prix of Formule 1 between 1950 and 1969. Cooper gained the championship of the world of the manufacturers in 1959 and 1960 and allowed these two years to the pilot Jack Brabham to take down the championship of the world of the pilots. Cooper registered a total of 342 points in championship, taken down 16 victories, 11 pole-positions and 14 better turns in race.

History

Cooper before Cooper

Charles Cooper, mechanic automobile who was during several years the principal adjuster of the famous English pilot Kaye Don, decides as of 1946 to design a single-seater for his son John, mechanic's apprentice since it left the school at 15 years, which has inclinations to become racing driver. The first single-seater built in the modest family garage of Surbiton, is a 500cm3 intended for John Cooper and his friend Eric Brandon. The frame is produced starting from parts of FIAT Topolino and the car is motorized by a JAP of motor cycle. The fact that the group-engine comes from a motor bike led Charles Cooper to lay out it in power station-back position in order to preserve drive chain. Thus, as of its first realization, Cooper revolutionizes the design of the single-seaters of race by laying out the engine behind the pilot.

Small Cooper 500, relatively cheap since practically the only new racing cars racing that one could acquire at the time, quickly becomes the preferred machine of the British private pilot candidates (" privateers") in particular Stirling Moss, Peter Hakes and even Bernie Ecclestone. Proof of their success, of the hundreds of these mini-cars (realized in eleven alternatives), are produced until 1957 in spite of the many imitations inspired of the new concept " all with the arrière". Cooper 500 gain 64 races of importance over the 78 where they are engaged and are at the origin of first Cooper of Formule 1.

First Cooper de F1, Cooper T12, with the characteristic to be propelled by an engine JAP V2 of 1100cm3 initially intended for the race of motor cycles. It is acted in fact of a coupling of both 500cm3 of Cooper 500. T12 makes its beginnings in competition with the GP of Monaco 1950 and is entrusted to Harry Schell. If Cooper revolutionizes the world of F1 by establishing its small V2 engine with the back of the single-seater, it does not have the leisure to show the cogency of its step since Schell does not succeed in establishing time in qualification and thus springs of the last place on the grid. Moreover it is implied (like 8 others pilot) in the enormous pile-up of the first turn caused by Giuseppe Farina. Cooper, scalded by this experiment, leaves the competition and the way of the F 1 qu ' in 1952 does not find.

In 1952, Cooper makes its return in championship of the world with T20 from now on motorized by a Bristol (ex- BMW) 6 on line. The results are quickly with go since Alan Everest Brown is classified 5th GP of Switzerland then 6th of the GP of Belgium. The British pilot Mike Hawthorn finishes as for him 4th in Belgium and in the Netherlands and succeeds in even the exploit to be classified 3rd at the time of his national GP.

Birth of Cooper Because Company

In 1953, John Cooper joined his father in the family workshop and Cooper Because Company is created. T20 T23 succeeds, always driven by a Bristol-board and entrusted to many private pilots who do not manage to make it shine in championship of the world. A new frame, Special Cooper, (always conceived by Owen Maddock) is placed at the disposal of Stirling Moss at the time of the GP of France, Great Britain and Germany. The Special one has an engine Alta 1.970 Cm3 with 4 cylinders in line which develops 150ch. Moss is constrained with the abandonment in France, declares fixed price in Great Britain but finishes 6th GP of Germany. The small Alta motorization seems higher than cumbersome Bristol and an T24-Alta is even built for Peter Whitehead who finishes 9th Grand Prix of Great Britain.

1954/1957: Present limited in F1

In 1954, Cooper are committed only for their national Grand Prix and still, it is about old T23-Bristol-board and T24-Alta entrusted to gentleman-drivers which are qualified only in bottom of grid and of which more endowed, Bob Gerald, only manages to take down one 10th final place.

In 1955, Jack Brabham request in Owen Maddock to help it to design a new model which is called T40. This single-seater is intended to dispute the GP of Great Britain to the hands of the Australian pilot and has a body " Spaceframe" with integral careenage which include the nose gear wheels and backs. The T40-Bristol-board allows Brabham only one qualification in 25e and last position on the grid at 27 seconds of the poleman Stirling Moss. Brabham gives up with the third of the test on breaking of valve and T40 will be never again committed in F1.

In 1956, Bob Gerald, engage his breathless T23 for its national Grand Prix and, if it makes a beautiful race by gaining 11 places compared to his position on the grid, however only 11th test is classified.

In 1957, Owen Maddock creates two new models, the T43-Climax and the T44-Bristol-board. T44 is engaged by Gerald (who finally got rid of his T23 antique) with the GP of Great Britain and allows him to finish the test in the 6th place whereas it was only 18th on the starting line. But the true revolution will take place with the T43 model which has a formidable motorization Coventry Climax. Brabham finishes 4th GP of Monaco, Mac Dowell is 7th in France, Roy Salvadori 5th in Great Britain. Cooper, conscious of having designed from now on a machine able to obtain results in championship of the world then decide to be invested fully Formulates 1 of them more especially as the championship of the world of the manufacturers is founded in 1958.

1958: Objective world champion

Cooper engages with the championship of the world 1958, its T43, T44 and T45, all conceived by Owen Maddock and having the block Climax which proved reliable the previous year. Cooper are the only central engine single-seaters back, provision which makes it possible to have a constant motricity whereas the front engine cars lose their motricity as the gasoline tank was emptied. This singular idea of Cooper does not make school, Enzo Ferrari declaring even that " the horses draw the plow and do not push it pas". First Ferrari " Cooper" school; will be the 246P of 1960…

As of the entâme of the season, Stirling Moss on T43 gains the GP of Argentina without needing to stop to supply or change its Continental tires. Moss leaves then the stable for Vanwall but Maurice Trintignant, on T45, gains the test Monegasque where Jack Brabham, him also on T45, finishes 4th. Cooper obtain very good performances thereafter but do not join again any more with the victory. Roy Salvadori finishes 4th in the Netherlands, 3rd in Great Britain, 2nd in Germany and 5th in Italy. Trintignant is 3rd in Germany and Brabham 6th in France and Great Britain. Unfortunately, Moss, Stuart Lewis-Evans and Tony Brooks on Vanwall take down 9 places on the podium, including 6 victories and allow Vanwall, with 57 points, to gain the championship of the world, Cooper finishing third with 31 points. Cooper believes in the cogency of the back provision and is in the best provisions for 1959, more especially as Vanwall, champion in title leaves the competition offiellement.

In 1959, Cooper official are of T51- Maserati but of many private pilots engage of the T45-Climaxes, Cooper- Alta or even an exotic T51- Borgward. The inaugural Grand Prix of Monaco is a festival for Cooper: Brabham gains the race, Trintignant is 3rd, Bruce McLaren 5th and Roy Salvadori 6th. At the time of the GP of the Netherlands, Brabham finishes second in front of Masten Gregory, both on T51. Brabham continues on its impetus and takes down the podium in France while McLaren finishes 5th. Brabham joins again with the victory at the time of the GP of Great Britain with Aintree where McLaren goes up on the third walk of the podium and Trintignant finishes in 5th position. The French carries out the best performance of Cooper in Germany by finishing the race in the 4th place. In Portugal, over the circuit of Monsanto, Moss the race gains in front of Masten Gregory whereas Trintignant is 4th. Successes are connected as pearls since Stirling Moss still gains in Italy where Brabham supplements the podium. At the time of the last GP of the season, in the United States, Bruce McLaren gains in Sebring its first race of F1 in front of Trintignant and becomes thus the youngest winner of GP while Brabham is 4th " with the poussette" because victim of a gasoline breakdown. Cooper thus signed 13 podiums, 5 victories, 5 pole positions and, with 53 points, of which 40 are retained, are world champions of the manufacturers in front of Ferrari. Jack Brabham also gains the championship pilots.

The season 1960 is still better for Cooper which aligns T51-Maserati again although a T53 frame is designed during the year and will dispute 2 GP with the hands of Jack Brabham (which will gain twice). The inaugural Grand Prix in Argentina sees Moss taking the pole position (but it is constrained with the abandonment) while McLaren gains the test and that Trintignant and the regional one of the stage Carlos Menditeguy are classified respectively 3rd and 4th. In Monaco, McLaren takes down the second final place and Tony Brooks, party of the 3rd place on the grid finishes the test in the 4th place. It is then the " Brabham" festival; who goes gains 5 consecutive victories, exploit only carried out previously by Alberto Ascari. Cooper carry out the triplet at the time of the GP of Belgium and France and doubled at the time of the Portuguese test. If the last two GP of the season are less convincing, Cooper nevertheless took down 16 places on the podium including 6 victories, 4 pole-positions, 5 better turns in race and registers 64 points including 58 (48 retained) for the official stable crowned again world champion of the manufacturers, Brabham preserving its title at the championship of the world of the pilots: Cooper literally crushed competition.

1961: New regulation and slow decline

The season 1961 sees the regulation evolving/moving and the engines limited 1,5 liter from cubic capacity. The Scuderia Ferrari is from now on favorite with the championship: the Commendatore ended up admitting that the future was with the engines back and made adopt this architecture on its single-seaters since the previous year with the 246P and 156. Moreover Ferrari, which produces its own engines, anticipated well the change of regulation and Ferrari Dino V6 of 1.480 Cm3 develops approximately 185 ch while the Coventry Climax FWMV of T51, T53 and T55 is heavier and more cumbersome with its 8 cylinders.

Cooper, that they are official or customers, do not gain only one success of all the season, the only facts of glory are the pole-position of Jack Brabham at the time of the last Grand Prix of the season with Watkins Glen and the podium of Bruce McLaren in Monza. Contrasts, that it is with the past season or compared to the Ferrari competitor, are seizing: the Cooper-Climaxes registered only 18 items (14 retained) against 64 in 1960 while Scuderia (5 victories, 6 pole-positions and 14 places on the podium) gains the championship with 52 points including 40 retained. Most alarming is that the stable Lotus of Colin Chapman which also has the Climax finishes second of the championship, Cooper pointing only in the 4th place. The slow decline of the stable takes shape…

In 1962, Owen Maddock puts in building site T60 while Hugh Aiden-Jones conceives T59/Aiden which will be reserved only for Ian Burgess. All Cooper registered with the championship of the world are driven by a Climax, except T53- Alfa Romeo controlled by Mike Harris, whose single Grand Prix shows an abandonment. Jack Brabham leaves the stable which led it by twice to the world title to create its own team, Motor Racing Development and McLaren becomes the leader of Cooper.

The first Grand Prix of the season sees Tony Maggs being classified 5th in Zandvoort but it is Bruce McLaren which brings really comfort by gaining the GP of Monaco, first victory since more than one year. The joy is of short duration since the GP of Belgium is a true fiasco, both T60 being forced with the abandonment. In France, Maggs is classified 2nd and McLaren 4th while daN Gurney, on Porsche sign his first victory Formulates 1 of them. In Great Britain, McLaren must be satisfied with one 3rd final place, then of modest a 5th place in Germany. The New Zealand pilot finds his gloss starting from Monza and connects three consecutive podiums (3rd in Italy and in Watkins Glen then 2nd at the time of the GP of fence with East London in South Africa where the regional one of the stage Tony Maggs supplements the podium with its T60). At the end of the season, Cooper points with the 3rd world rank with 29 points. If the Ferrari threat were managed perfectly (the Italian stable is only 5th), the danger comes from now on stables Lotus (with a Climax engine) and BRM, world champion with 42 points. With the championship of the piloters, McLaren is preceded by Graham Hill (BRM) and Jim Clark (Lotus).

Of 1963 with 1965, Cooper are put under the extinguisher by the Lotus, Ferrari and others BRM. They do not gain only one victory in three years, in front of being satisfied with 4 podiums into 1963,2 in 1964 and 1 only in 1965, almost all acquired by Bruce McLaren. Thus, in 1963, 1964 and 1965 Cooper is only 5th with the classification of the manufacturers and is in particular preceded by Lotus and Brabham (the stable of the old driver fetish of Cooper), two stables having the same Climax engine. The decline is manifest, the stable marking only 26 items (25 retained) in 1963,10 less in 1964 and only 14 in 1965. It is obvious that the old strong point of Cooper, namely their frame, became their weak point. Lotus passed to the frame monoshell since the Lotus 25 of 1962, the BRM P261 has a frame aluminum monoshell, just like Ferrari 158 and 1512. Owen Maddock, historical originator of Cooper which persisted in the standard design of frame " Spaceframe" from now on exceeded (T66, T73, T59 and T77) the place with Derrick White charged leaves to build first Cooper monoshell planned for the championship of the world 1966.

1966: The start thanks to the frame monoshell of T81

In 1966, the hopes of Cooper rest on the shoulders of the new designer Derrick White which is in responsibility of conceive the T81 news with frame monoshell. The regulation evolves/moves on the level of the motorization, the cubic capacity passing from 1,5 to 3 liters. New agreements of supply engine are signed by the majority of the stables and the T81 news receives a Maserati V12, intended exclusively for Cooper, while the Climax is preserved by Lotus and team also the Eagle.

The doubt settles following the first GP of the season in Monaco which sees Richie Ginther and Jochen Rindt to give up but the hope returns at the time of the disputed following race in Spa-Francorchamps where Rindt takes down the first certificate of merit while Ginther is classified 5th. Registered Rindt of new points at the time of the tests Frenchwoman and British. After a virgin assessment in the Netherlands, John Surtees and Rindt go up on the side steps of the podium to Germany then to the United States. The apotheosis is reached at the time of the Grand Prix of fence in Mexico since Surtees has taken down the first pole position for five years and sign the first victory for 4 years. The assessment of White Derrick is one cannot more satisfactory: 6 places on the podium, 1 pole, 1 victory, 35 points (including 30 retained) and the 3rd place with the championship of the manufacturers behind Scuderia and Brabham- Repco, Brabham having skilfully negotiated the change of regulation with its exclusive partnership with the Australian motor mechanic. The results are still better with the championship plote since Surtees is vice-champion in front of his Rindt fellow-member.

In 1967, T81-Maserati, if effective the former season begins the season with the hands from Rindt and Pedro Rodriguez, but of the private pilots, still engage of T79 or T77. The season begins in brass band in South Africa: Pedro Rodriguez gains the test in front of theregional one of the stage John Love which runs on a T79-Climax private. Rodriguez is the man in form of the beginning of the season at Cooper since it is still classified in the points in Monaco (5th). Cooper return bredouilles of the GP of the Netherlands but Rindt is classified 4th in Belgium at the wheel of the new T81B. T81 however has always resources as show it OJ Siffert and Rodriguez, respectively 4th and 6th in France. However, it becomes obvious that Cooper cannot claim, with regular, with the victory nor even in a place over the podium. The Brabham - Repco of Denny Hulme and Jack Brabham trustent the victories and, when they stumble, the Lotus benefit from it for rafler the setting.

A new single-seater is then put in building site by Derek White and makes her first turns of wheels in Great Britain: T86 is forced with the abandonment and the mishap is repeated at the time of the GP following to Germany. It is only with antepenultimate GP that T86 finally makes it possible Rindt to return in the points (4th in Monza where Jacky Ickx is classified 6th on a " banale" T81B). Blow T86 is garaged and T81 engaged for the two last sleeves of the season when they allow Rodriguez, Joakim Bonnier and OJ Siffert of glâner some points. Cooper are classified finally 3rd championship of the manufacturers, like the former season, but with 28 points, are largely preceded by the Lotuses (44 points) and especially by Brabham (67 items including 63 selected).

1968: Song of the swan

In 1968, T81 begins the season, without success, before the T86B does not make its appearance starting from the GP of Spain. If the frame is only one evolution of T86 appeared at the end of the season 1967, the revolution occurs on the level from the engine since the Maserati V12 is replaced by a BRM V12. This change of motorization bears its fruits immediately: Brian Redman takes down the third final place in front of its fellow-member Ludovico Scarfiotti. At the time of the Grand Prix following on the urban circuit of Monaco, Scarfiotti is classified again 4th and is preceded by its fellow-member Lucien Bianchi (who obtains the 6th final place at the time of the GP following in Spa to Belgium). After a virgin result in the Netherlands, Cooper register new points at the time of the French test via Vic Elford which is classified 4th, and will register other points at the time of the Canadian sleeve where it finishes 5th, registering the last points of the season for Cooper.

Like the season spent, Cooper never were able to claim with the victory, the two 3rd places over the podium being their only facts of glory. With only 14 registered points, Cooper, 6th with the classification of the manufacturers, is definitively outclassed by its rivals. The death-blow occurs when the founder of the stable John Cooper is wounded seriously during tests of one of his cars. Cooper then leaves officially the championship of the world of Formula 1, rich person of 2 championships of the world of the manufacturers, but not having known to resist the emergence of the new stables such as Lotus, Brabham or McLaren.

In 1969, Vic Elford engages for the last time Cooper in F1 within its private stable Antique Cars . At the wheel of T86B-Maserati, it finishes with the door of the points, six turns of the winner, behind three Lotuses, Brabham and two McLaren, the wheel definitively turned for Cooper…

Victories Formulates 1 of them

Results in championship of the world of Formula 1

( the championship of the world of the manufacturers is founded only as from the season 1958 )

External bonds

Site of Cooper Because Club
Liste of the stables having run with a Cooper frame Formulates 1 of them

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