1962 Cooper Monaco

Following World War II, Charles Cooper and his son John began building racing cars in a small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England, in 1946. By December of 1947, the Cooper Car Company had been formed and together with JOhn's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, the team was soon racing at the pinnacle of motorsport, with their rear-engined, single-seaters racing in both Formula One and the Indianapolis 500, and their Mini Cooper in rally competition.

Cooper gained a competitive edge by moving the engine from the front and placing it in the rear, proving its potential when Jack Brabham placed sixth at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix in a rear-engined Formula 1 Cooper. The following year, Stirling Moss won the Argentine Grand Prix in Rob Walker's privately entered Cooper, earning credence for the engine configuration. When Maurice Trintignant won the next race at Monaco, the racing world took notice and the rear-engine revolution began in earnest. Brabham and the Cooper Works team won the 1959 Formula One World Championship, the first to claim the title in a rear-engined car, and repeated this feat in 1960.

Having raced, and beaten, the best that Europe had to offer, Cooper turned its attention across the Atlantic, setting its sights on the Indianapolis 500. In 1960, Brabham took one of the championship-winning Cooper T53 'Lowlines' to Indy for test runs, then entered the Type T54 in the 500-mile race. The T54 was a unique vehicle based on the 1960 F1 design and compared to many other vehicles at the race, was severely underpowered with its 2.7-liter Coventry Climax engine dwarfed by the 4.4-liter Offy engines. Cooper's advantage, however, was its small size, lightweight construction, and superior fuel economy. Brabham qualified the car in 13th position within the 33-car field and ran as high as third place during the race, finishing in ninth overall (still on the lead lap). It would take four more years before front-engined Indy roadsters became obsolete, with the unique rear-engined (mid-engine) T53 being the instigator of this revolution.

The Cooper Monaco

After winning the Formula Two Manufacturer's World Championship in 1959, John and Charles Cooper returned to sports car construction, bestowing the name 'Monaco' in honor of Maurice Trignitant's victory for Cooper there. It was given the gearbox and suspension of the 1958 Grand Prix cars, clothed in sleek bodywork, and typically powered by 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter Coventry Climax SOHC aluminum engines. Driven by many of the top drivers of the era, including Roy Salvadori, Jim Russell, Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss, the Cooper Monaco quickly chalked up an enviable victory tally.

With the mid-engine layout, the Monaco did not have a central transmission tunnel, helping to reduce weight even further and maximizing power sent to the rear wheels. The engines were installed at an 18-degree angle and attached via four points on rubber bushings. On the left side of the chassis rails, the twelve-gallon aluminum fuel tank was mounted outboard, while the driver and outboard battery were located on the right-hand side, distributing the weight evenly. The rack-and-pinion steering was centrally located, and 10.25-inch Girling disc brakes provided the stopping power. 44 percent of the weight was in the front with the remaining 56 percent in the rear.

The body designs were produced in-house by chief designer Owen 'The Beard' Maddock and built there by the father and son team of Fred and Pete Bedding.

The Cooper Monaco Type 57 MKI had a wheelbase of 91 inches and a length of 141 inches. The first eight examples that were registered in 1959 sold as tax-free kit cars, with varying specifications as they were built for various racing purposes. Half of these went to the United States.

The MKII followed in 1960 and only two examples were built. They were very similar to the MKI but with a longer nose. The MKIII followed in 1961, with modifications that included straight frame tubes, updates to the suspension system with coil springs and wishbones at the rear, and a wide radiator intake. The body became more streamlined and gained tail fins. One example went to British privateer Peter Berry, another to Roger Penske, and the third and final example to Texan Hap Sharp (later of Chaparral fame), who had also received an MKI.

For the 1961 season, FIA regulations shifted focus to GT cars, so Cooper sent its Monaco to the United States to compete in the forerunner of FIA Group 7 Can-Am racing. Working directly with Carroll Shelby, the Type 61 chassis were modified in England and received its 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 paired with either a Huffaker or Colotti 4-speed transaxle state-side. Shelby received four of these 'King Cobras', and W. Mitchell and Jack Ensley each received a copy. The King Cobra was 8.5-inches wider, two inches lower, and four inches longer than the standard Type 61 Monaco chassis. Its space frame design used 1.5-inch tubing and its suspension was similar to the setup used for Cooper's Formula One program with the fronts incorporating Triumph uprights.

The success of the King Cobras was often limited due to reliability issues. Among the list of top drivers who piloted the King Cobras include Bob Holbert, Ronnie Bucknum, Bob Bondurant, Ed Leslie, Dave McDonald, Parnelli Jones, and Ritchie Ginther.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Racer
Chassis number: CM 5/62
Engine number: 5509

The Cooper Monaco CM 5/62 was produced in November 1962, as the prototype for the 'King Cobra' of the following year. Jack Hinkle took delivery equipped with a 2.7-liter Coventry Climax that had been used in Grand Prix racing in Europe. Hinkle, Chairman of the SCCA Board in 1961, was an accomplished sports car driver, winning nine of twelve races and the MiDiv D Mod Championship in 1964 with CM 5/62.

Hinkle sold CM 5/62 less Climax, to Tracy Bird, who installed a 3.0-liter Ferrari TR250 engine and raced CM 5/62 very successfully in 1965 and 1966.

In 1968, Bird sold CM 5/62 to Pete Lovely, who is well known for installing a Ferrari engine in a Cooper T-51 and racing the 'Cooper-Ferrari' at the Formula 1 race at Riverside in 1960, finishing 11th.

CM 5/62 was acquired from Lovely by Mr. William Commarano in 1974. Lovely had returned 250TR #0718 to its rightful chassis, so Ferrari 250GT V12 Lusso engine #5509 was used to restore the car to Tracy Bird specs.

Fred Burke acquired the car in 2005, and intends to continue the chain of good stewards for his interesting and historically important sports racing car.

Sports Racer
Chassis number: CM-2-62

The rear-engined Cooper Monaco sports-racing series of cars was launched for the 1959 racing season. Cooper had been a pioneer in the rear-engine setup, initially with its chain-driven motorcycle-engined 500cc Formula single-seaters from as early as 1946. In 1955, the design continued with the rear-mounted water-cooled lightweight aluminum racing engines manufactured by the Coventry-Climax company. Jack Brabham drove a 1.96-liter Formula 2-derived single-seater Cooper-Climax in 1957 against the full 2.5-liter Formula 1 cars in the Monaco Grand Prix. Early in 1958, an enlarged Cooper-Climax single-seater driven by Maurice Trintignant won the Monaco Grand Prix. In homage of the victory, the 1959 rear-engines sports-racing Cooper was then named 'Monaco.' Fittingly, their driver, Jack Brabham, would win the marque's second consecutive Monaco Grand Prix that year, and later clinch the Formula 1 World Championship titles for himself and the Cooper-Climax marque.

The early Cooper Monaco had short chassis and a stubby-body design. In the early 1960s, the model evolved, receiving a longer wheelbase, multi-tubular chassis, and more sophisticated coil-spring/telescopic shock absorber suspension replacing the original design's transverse leaf spring arrangement. The body designs were produced in-house by chief designer Own 'The Beard' Maddock and produced by the father and son team of Fred and Pete Bedding.

Cooper-Monaco's were piloted by many famous and accomplished drivers including double-World Champion Driver, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Roy Salvadori, and Jim Hall.

This 1962 Cooper Monaco Type 61 Mark 3 is presently equipped with a Buick V8 power unit and Halibrand-made McKeen transaxle. It was delivered new to American customer Van Housen Motors of Sacramento, California in April of 1962. The chassis featured the latest model modifications including the coil-spring independent rear suspension setup. The aluminum body style, with its sharply pointed tail fins, was specifically tailored by Charles and John Cooper to suit 'American taste' and thereby owed rather more to the 1961-style Cooper Monaco than to the rather more sober 1962 styling then being adopted by the Formula 1 World Championship-winning marque's Surbiton factory, in Surrey, England.

The car was delivered with a 4-cylinder Coventry Climax FPF engine serial ''FPF'/430/17/1236.' The owner/driver was SCCA and USAC road-racing luminary William Sturgis of Gardenville, Nevada. Sturgis retained the car from 1962 through 1963. In 1962, the car was entered for 1962 F1 World Champion Driver Graham Hill to drive in the 1962 Pacific grand Prix 'West Coast Professional series' event at Laguna Seca in California. Unfortunately, the car encountered difficulties and failed to finish.

During the 1962 and 1963 seasons, Mr. Sturgis entered the car in many American races, earning many outright victories. In 1964, it was purchased by Washburn Motors of Santa Barbara, California. While there, the four-cylinder Climax engine was removed and replaced by a Chevrolet Corvette V8 power unit driving through a Halibrand-McKee gearbox.

On June 13th of 1969, the car was sold to George Lehman of Goleta, California. The car had been purchased with the intent of racing, but it was later taken apart, and put into storage. He moved in 1973 he the Cooper was split up, with the chassis and body lost in the move. The remainder of the Cooper remained in storage until 1999. The remains were sold on February 1st of 2000 by Mr. Lehmann's widow. The purchaser is the present owner of the vehicle.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Quail Lodge auction presented by Bonhams. It was estimated to sell for $225,000 - $275,000 but did not receive a high bid needed to satisfy its reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports car racing had been slowly growing in popularity since the conclusion of the Second World War, peaking near the close of the 1950s. The competition had grown, and designs had become perfected. Cooper began work on their racer in 1958, with the intention of competing during the 1959 season. The resulting vehicle was named the Monaco, in honor of Trintignant's accomplishments at that race in 1958. A Cooper Monaco prototype was displayed at Hollyfield in November of 1958.

Sports car racing requirements at the time stated one working door, and two seats, along with a host of other requirements. They had to comply with FIA regulations used in Europe and built solely for racing. Superchargers were not allowed; the use of superchargers bumped the car into another class. The vehicle's engine size determined its racing class.

The Cooper Monaco chassis was made up of four large tubes resting on a wide wheelbase. The engine bay was designed to accept a variety of engines, such as the Bristol engines which had been used in Cooper's open-wheeled Formula racing cars. As competition increased from other marques such as Lotus, Cooper continued to refine their Monaco by giving them more rigid frames, improved suspension, engine modifications and continued to perfect the design. The Monaco and the Cooper Formula cars shared many similarities and mechanical components in an effort to minimize problems during development and to streamline the building process.

The spaceframe chassis was designed for a mid-engine layout with seating for two. The rear-mounted engine meant no central transmission tunnel was needed which helped in weight reduction and allowed for more power to reach the rear wheels. A Citroen-ERSA four-speed transaxle was mated to the 1.5- or 2.0-liter FPF engines. The engines were mounted at an 18-degree angle and attached via four points on rubber bushings. The 12-gallon aluminum fuel tank was mounted outboard on the left side of the chassis rails. The driver and outboard battery were located on the right-hand side. This configuration was chosen to keep the driver as far away from the fuel source as possible and to distribute the weight more evenly.

The rack-and-pinon steering was centrally located. The front suspension was comprised of double wishbones and coil springs and damper units. In the rear was the tried-and-true transverse leaf-spring setup with a single lower wishbone. Girling disc brakes were at all four corners and measured 10.25 inches in diameter.

The entire package had a wheelbase of 91 inches with a length of 141 inches. As expected, the vehicle's weight was pretty well distributed, with 44% in the front and 56% in the rear.

The Cooper Monaco's immediately dominated the racing circuit and eventually became one of the most successful mid-engined sports racing cars ever constructed. When introduced, Cooper did not plan on running any works cars. The first few examples sold were tax-free kit cars. In total, eight examples were registered in 1959, each with unique specifications and purposes.

The Cooper Monaco MKII Type 57 was raced during the 1960 season and was nearly identical to the MKI, except for a longer nose. The MKII was produced in smaller quantities and most were sold in Britain where they provided many podium finishes for their drivers.

In 1961, Cooper introduced their third iteration of the Monaco, the Monaco MKIII Type 61. By now, the Monaco was basically a Formula 1 car in a two-seater configuration. These versions had straight tubes in the frame, replacing the curves and angles, and similar to the Lowline Formula 1 cars. There was a wide radiator intake. The suspension was improved with the use of coil springs and wishbones at the rear; this was the first time a production Cooper car would contain this setup. To improve aerodynamics and to appeal to the American market, the cars were given tail fins and a slightly revised body.

There were three Monaco Mark III's registered, including the prototype machines. One went to Roger Penske, another went to Texan Hap Sharp, and the third was sold to British privateer Peter Berry.

In 1963, Carroll Shelby's Cobras were doing very well in SCCA Competition. They won the A/Sports Racing National Championship and US Road Racing Championship. Though these street-derived Mustang Cobra vehicles were fast, they could not compete with the USAC-sanctioned 'Fall Series' held on the West Coast. This series would eventually evolve into the Canadian American Challenge Series (CAN-AM), which had few rules and restrictions resulting in high horsepower cars with lightweight, aerodynamic bodies, large wings, and tires.

Carroll Shelby had all of the ingredients to compete in the Fall Series, except the car. He used his connections in England to resolve that problem. He approached John Cooper in search of finding a car that could house a 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 engine. Cooper had enjoyed great success with his mid-engined Coventry Climax-powered sports cars, and their successor, the Monaco. Charles Cooper and his son John had created a series of non-production car-based sports racing cars using a multi-tubular chassis designed to hold Bristol engines. From this, other series of cars were constructed. There was potential in the 1100cc Coventry Climax FWA engines, due to their lightweight construction, power, and durability. In 1955, a lightweight and aerodynamic body were constructed to house these engines. These sports racers were known as 'Bobtails'. The Monaco cars were further evolutions of the Bobtails.

Shelby purchased two cars, CM/1/63 and CM/3/63, and powered them with an American cast-iron V8 engine. The engines featured four dual chock downdraft Weber carburetors and matted to a BMC/Huffaker four-speed transaxle. The gearbox proved to be problematic, so it was replaced by a Colotti four-speed unit, which, too, was not without its problems. The body was constructed of aluminum and clothed the 1.5-inch 18 gauge tubing and fully independent suspension with coil springs and shock absorbers. They were delivered early in the season but they were not completed until the close of the USRRC season.

Carroll Shelby nicknamed these cars, the 'Cooper Ford', which persisted until it was replaced by Steve Smith of Car & Driver who thought up the name 'King Cobra'. This was the perfect name for these newly created sports racers.

by Dan Vaughan