Sections: Events | In the Press Aug 29th, 2005 5 Comments From Montereyhistoric.com:
Cooper will be the featured marque at the 33rd Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races, August 18-20, 2006, announced Steven J. Earle, president of General Racing Ltd. and founder of the event. Cooper Car Company will be part of a larger celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, featuring the racecars and champions that have competed there.
Founded in 1947 by Charles and John Cooper, the Cooper Car Company started in a small garage in Surrey, England, where the father/son team began building racecars. By the 1950s and 1960s the Cooper Car Company reached its peak as their rear-engine, single seat cars found multiple successes in Formula One events and altered the face of the Indianapolis 500.
Brabham placed sixth in a Cooper Formula 2 car at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix; Moss won the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix in a Cooper; and in 1959 and 1960, a Cooper won 11 Grand Prix races, with Brabham winning two world championships. Cooper and Brabham shocked the racing establishment at the Indianapolis 500 when they appeared in 1961 with the revolutionary, rear-engine Kimberly-Cooper-Climax. By 1962, every Formula One car on the starting grid had been totally redesigned to follow Cooper’s visionary rear-engine concept.
Perhaps, the Cooper Car Company may be best known for the Mini Cooper. The distinct shape of the Mini Cooper is still recognized today.
[ Cooper to be Featured Marque At 2006 Monterey Historics ] Montereyhistoric.com
Charlie Aug 29th, 2005 Link
Hey Gabe, Does this mean you’ll be coming to Monterey next year?
The Historics Week is an automotive overload for all the senses, especially one’s wallet. We’re still recovering from two weeks ago! Charlie
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Eelke Aug 29th, 2005 Link
[quote]Perhaps, the Cooper Car Company may be best known for the Mini Cooper. The distinct shape of the Mini Cooper is still recognized today.[/quote] Nice quotes, except for this one… Another source that fails to realize Cooper only was behind the performance versions of the Mini, and that the Mini itself was a BMC product, designed not by Cooper but by Issigonis.
Good to see Cooper being recognised.
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gmini Aug 29th, 2005 Link
For three years running the MINIs have been given a parade lap or two at the Rolex Vintage Festival at Limerock, CT every Labor Day. There are always vintage Cooper Race Cars booming around the track.
That quote perturbed me, too. Poorly put. But it is true that when the name cooper is pertained to automobiles, it is most often the MINI that pops into conscience.
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Greg W Aug 30th, 2005 Link
I wonder if Michael Cooper will be there to represent his father’s legacy or some of the first F1 Cooper drivers – namely Jack Brabham from Australia. Bruce McLaren and Denis Hulme (both New Zealanders)have gone to the big racetrack in the sky. John Cooper got to BMC first before the likes of Donald Healey (of Austin-Healey sportscar fame) and an MG version (see British Heritage museum prototype) – Issigonis didn’t really want the association, and it was ok’ed by the boss of BMC. Maybe even McLaren who started his racing career in an Austin Seven in New Zealand, and founded McLaren Cars (that little orange symbol is a Kiwi bird) – a MINI McLaren doesn’t sound the same does it?
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