COOPER-CLIMAX – year 1959

Cooper Car Co.. Ltd, Surbilon, Surrey, United Kingdom

Rear-engined car has reappeared on the Grand Prix circuit since Auto Union - it was a Cooper car. Charles Cooper and his son John were at the beginning of a revolution in the concept of racing cars. The history of Cooper racing cars begins in 1946 r., when, in a small garage in Surbiton, the Cooper family contributed to the creation of a new formula 3, allowing small cars equipped with JAP motorcycle engines with a capacity of 500 the 1000 cm3. Co-founder of the first Cooper formula racing car 1 was the Australian Jack Brabham, who, along with Stirling Moss, became a player of the company. Cooper used a Coventry-Climax factory engine to drive this vehicle, founded in 1917 year, initially producing pumps and engines for firefighters. From 1955 to 1960, the Coventry-Climax engines were nothing like portable jets, doing great in car racing, especially formulas 2.

After formula racing trials 1 in years 1957 i 1958 to the season 1959 a four-cylinder in-line engine with a cylinder diameter was prepared 94 mm and piston stroke 89,9 mm (total capacity 2495 cm3). Uncomplicated, a reliable engine with two valves in each cylinder tilted by an angle of 66 ° delivered power 175,9 kW (239 KM) by 6750 RPM. The mixture was prepared by two horizontal Weber type carburetors. The power was transferred from the engine via the Borg multi-plate dry clutch & Beck for four speed gearbox, interlocked with the engine and differential and located behind the rear axle. At the front of the tubular frame there was a front axle with independently suspended trapezoidal rocker arm system. Inclined coil springs and a transverse stabilizer were used here. The rear axle had an upper transverse leaf spring later replaced by coil springs. Armstrong shock absorbers were also used. Wheels, cast from the electron, equipped with Girling disc brakes. The plastic body significantly reduced the weight of the vehicle, which was 520 kg. The car reached its maximum speed 250 km/h, thanks to which in the years 1959 i 1960 became the formula's best vehicle 1. During those years, Cooper-Climax cars driven by Moss, Bruce, McLaren and Brabham have won eleven of the twenty world championship scoring races. Jack Brabham won the world title twice then.