Beschreibung:

Rear-engined Cooper-Climax racing cars such as this need little introduction as being amongst the most competitive and popular of all Historic Grand Prix cars. This particular example dates from the season before full 2.5-litre Coventry Climax FPF engines were adopted for the Surbiton marque’s Formula 1 World Championship racing programme, which brought his first World title to their number one driver and three-time Champion, Sir Jack Brabham. We understand that this particular car was introduced in 1958 as the first 1.5-litre Formula 2 Cooper-Climax chassis to be campaigned by the newly-created ‘British Racing Partnership’ team. This new equipe had been set up in partnership by Stirling Moss’s father Alfred and his business manager, Ken Gregory. With ‘The Boy’ long-since signed-up as a fully-fledged works racing driver for Vanwall and Aston Martin, ‘Pa’ Moss and Ken Gregory had founded this independent racing team to exploit their experience and expertise in international Formula 2 racing, which could itself be quite lucrative in those days. Their little team was based at the Moss family’s home – White Cloud Farm at Tring – where Stirling’s former second mechanic Tony Robinson took charge of car preparation. Vanwall’s incredibly promising and rapid young third works Formula 1 team driver, Stuart Lewis-Evans, was signed-up for BRP’s Formula 2 programme that season. He was to drive this car whenever his Vanwall commitments permitted, while another promising young driver, Tom Bridger, would deputise for him whenever Formula 2 dates clashed with Vanwall’s Formula 1 Grand Prix schedule. The BRP-entered Formula 2 Cooper’s 1958 racing record has been recorded as follows: Easter Monday Goodwood, Lewis-Evans, 4th - Aintree 200, Lewis-Evans, 5th o/a, 2nd F2 - Brands Hatch (May), Bridger, 5th - Crystal Palace, Bridger, 2nd - Brands Hatch (June), Lewis-Evans, FIRST - Reims, Bridger, 8th - Clermont-Ferrand, Lewis-Evans, 3rd - Brands Hatch (August 4), Lewis-Evans, 2nd - Brands Hatch (August 30), Lewis-Evans, 3rd. Tragically, Stuart Lewis-Evans sustained fatal burns in his Vanwall during the 1958 season-ending Moroccan Grand Prix at Casablanca, where Tom Bridger was less seriously injured when he crashed this car in the Grand Prix’s concurrent Formula 2 class. We understand that the damaged car was quickly repaired and acquired by Jack Brabham who fitted a 2-litre Climax FPF engine similar to that offered in the car today and shipped it ‘back home’ to Australia that winter. After winning the South Pacific Road Racing Championship event in this car at Gnoo Blas circuit, Orange, NSW, he sold it to local veteran Len Lukey who drove it to 4th place at Fisherman’s Bend. In the Australian GP at Longford, Tasmania, Lukey again starred in this car, before concentrating upon winning the Australian Gold Star award for 1959-60, winning three rounds of that series and placing second in two more. Early in 1960 Len Lukey then sold ‘FII-10-58’ to Jon Leighton – 5th at Longford, 4th at Lowood. Subsequent owners since Mr Leighton have included Jim Abbot 1961-69, Don Biggar 1969-71, Terry Bley 1972, Richard Berryman until 1978, Helen Lukey 1979-1993, and Robert Shannon before the most recent owners. After meticulous restoration this most attractive Historic racing car was driven by Sir Stirling Moss in the Historic Demonstration preceding the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne. Now returned to its native land ‘FII-10-58’ is now offered here as rebuilt for present-day Historic racing with the 2-litre Climax FPF 4-cylinder engine still installed. These Coopers are renowned for being tremendously rewarding cars to drive, stable, quick and forgiving, and with the 2-litre FPF engine installed here is a relatively affordable - and well known - entry-level vehicle for any sporting owner wishing to join in the fun! VAT?