1959 Cooper Monaco MKI Type 57 Sports Racer

This 1959 2-Liter Cooper-Climax Monaco Mark I Sports-Racing Two-Seater is a very special car. It is the first production rear-engined sports-racing car built by the Cooper Car Company in Hollyfield Road, Surbiton. The car that preceded this one was a prototype car which wore chassis number 'CM-2-59'. It's chassis was higher than this car (CM-1-59) because it was not signed off from the factory until February 25th of 1959. CM-1-59 had been singed-off on January 15th. The prototype car was sent directly to Sebring where it was piloted by Hermano da Silva Ramos in the 12-Hours classic. Chassis CM-1-59 was sent to Helsinki, Finland and to its new owner Curt Lincoln.

Mr. Lincoln was Finland's leading racing driver at the time. He raced in many Scandinavian events and in the Soviet territory.

The name 'Monaco' was chosen in honor of Maurice Trintignant's victory at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix while driving a Rob Walker-entered F1 COoper-Climax. The first series of Monaco racers had a coil and wishbones front suspension and transverse-leaf setup in the rear. They sat low and had a very short wheelbase.

It is believed that only eight Mark I cars were sold through 1959.

CM-1-59 was later sold to American Jack Brewer of Elmira, New York. It was used in competition for several years before it was sold to its next owner in Vermont. During the early 1980s, it was sold to residents of Virginia, Florida, and then to California. The current owner purchased the car in 1984 and commissioned a complete restoration. Upon completion it was raced at Riverside in Southern California. It has been entered in the Monterey Historics on several occasions and the Wine Country Classic. In more recent years, the car has been a static display in the Towe Auto Museum in Sacramento, California.

In 2007 it was brought to the Bonhams Auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia, held at the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel, California. The lot was sold for $225,000 plus premium and tax.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008