Founded in 1946, the Cooper Car Company competed in Formula 1 from 1953 to 1968, securing two drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 1959 and 1960.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Jack Brabham: The Australian driver was instrumental in Cooper’s success, winning the Formula One World Championship in 1959 and 1960.
Bruce McLaren: A key driver for Cooper, Bruce McLaren achieved his first Formula 1 win at the 1959 United States Grand Prix. McLaren’s success with Cooper laid the groundwork for his own F1 team, McLaren.
John Cooper: As a founder of the Cooper Car Company, John Cooper was a pioneering figure in the introduction and development of the mid-engine layout in Formula 1, contributing to the team’s two Constructors’ Championships and making a lasting impact on the sport.
Throughout their time on the grid, Cooper entered 129 races, achieved 16 wins, secured 11 pole positions, and recorded 14 fastest laps.
The T43 model marked a pivotal moment in F1 history as the first mid-engined car to secure a Formula 1 race win. This innovation was highlighted when Stirling Moss won the season’s opening race in Argentina, followed by Maurice Trintignant‘s win in Monaco, which started the era of mid-engined cars in the sport.
Once every Formula 1 car manufacturer shifted to building mid-engined cars, the simplicity and clever design of Cooper’s single-seaters were surpassed by more advanced technology from companies like Lola, Lotus, BRM, and Ferrari. The decline of the Cooper team accelerated following a serious road accident in 1963 that left John Cooper gravely injured while driving a twin-engined Mini, compounded by the death of Charles Cooper in 1964.
Following his father’s death in April 1965, John Cooper sold the Cooper Formula One team to the Chipstead Motor Group.
The final nail in the coffin for the Cooper Car Company began in 1969 when it unsuccessfully sought sponsorship for a new car powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, leading to numerous layoffs. Frank Boyles, responsible for building customer cars, was the last to leave. There was hope that more Formula 2 cars would be sold, but this did not materialise. Beyond F1, Frank designed and constructed a Formula Ford car named the Oscar and a series of Oval Circuit cars called Fireballs. Competing in a rear-engine Fireball, Frank won over 200 races until 1975, a record believed to be unmatched, in a car he designed and raced himself.
Cooper Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 129 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 2 (1959, 1960) |
| Drivers’ Championships | 2 (1959, 1960) |
| Race victories | 16 |
| Pole positions | 11 |
| Fastest laps | 14 |
| Final entry | 1969 Monaco Grand Prix |
Cooper Drivers’ Champions
The following drivers won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship for Cooper F1.
| Driver | Nationality | Championship Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Brabham | Australian | 1959 |
| Jack Brabham | Australian | 1960 |
Cooper Championship Results
The World Constructors’ Championship was not awarded until 1958.
