1963 Cooper-Climax Type 59 Single Seater

Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Chassis No: C/PMB/1/63
Mot Expiry: N/A

The father of the modern single-seater racing car was born in Surbiton, England in 1946, though it's doubtful if anybody at the time realised the full significance of the tiny 500 cc motorcycle-engined contraption created by Charles and John Cooper. While there had been rear-engined racers before (not least the mighty Grand Prix Auto Unions), nearly all designs of the time still owed their configuration to the horse and cart. Moreover, not only did the father and son start the rear-engined revolution, they did more than anybody to progress it - carrying the basic concept from the 500cc F3 category right through to F1; winning the World Championships of 1959 and 1960 along the way.

The same common sense engineering served them well in Formula Junior. Three models, each building on the success of the previous one, were introduced between 1960 and 1962. The T52 of 1960 employed the 15-inch wheels and drum brakes of the F3 cars, while the curved tube chassis was more akin to the F2 machines; as were the transverse rear spring and magnesium uprights. The front suspension featured coil springs and double wishbones. The quick release body was fashioned in aluminium. Henry Taylor won that year's prestigious Monaco Formula Junior race in a T52.

The T56 of 1961 was closer to Cooper's F1 car of the time, with its straight tube chassis clothed in a glassfibre body with distinctive high tail fin. Suspension was now by wishbones all round and the wheels had been reduced from 15-inches to 13-inches in diameter. The driver's seat was now more reclined. It was a good year for the model, with many victories falling to the Works pairing of Tony Maggs and John Love, and the Midland Racing Partnership running T56s for a range of competent drivers.

The T59 of 1962 demonstrated Cooper's increasing commitment to the formula, with far more of the components being of bespoke origin. The much improved chassis was narrower and stiffer, the wishbones were longer and the body reduced in both width and height. Braking was now by discs all round, using callipers from the Mini-Cooper. Maggs and Love were again successful for the Works and no less than 28 examples were made for export.

The T59 on offer is a unique example built especially for one of the most successful lady racing drivers of all time - Patsy Burt. In 1968, she became the first woman to win the Brighton Speed trials. Two years later she was victorious in the RAC National Sprint Championship driving a McLaren-Oldsmobile. She held the ladies' record at Shelsley Walsh from 1967 to 1978 and, between 1953 and 1970, achieved: 43 outright wins, 13 course records and no less than 172 class awards. Her successes came behind the wheels of a variety of cars, the key ones of which were immaculately turned out by her engineer and long-time partner Ron Smith and finished in what affectionately became known as 'Burt Blue'.

Chassis CPMB163 was one of these and, from the outset, lengthened at the back to take a Coventry Climax DOHC FPF engine. According to the car's FIA paperwork, this work was carried out at the garage of renowned F1 privateer Rob Walker. The same paperwork records Patsy's first outing with the car being Firle hillclimb on 26/5/1963, where she achieved FTD, something she also did at: Brunton, 19/9/63 and 13/9/64; Wiscombe Park, 9/4/64; Stapleford, 4/10/64 and once more at Firle, 30/4/65. She won first class awards at Church Lawford, Wiscombe Park (twice), Loton Park (twice) and Long Harston, while the best result from her 11 RAC Hillclimb Championship Events in this car was her 4th overall at Great Auclum on 8/8/64 - no mean feat in a modified Formula Junior car.

It would appear that at some stage after Patsy started campaigning the McLaren-Oldsmobile, the T59 passed to Cooper collector Rodney Tolhurst, who reputedly fitted it with a BMC four-cylinder engine so Josey Tolhurst could go Formula Junior racing. Another Cooper exponent, Allan Miles, seems to have been the next owner, and is believed to have been responsible for re-fitting the original-style Coventry Climax engine - certainly it is currently powered by an FPF unit coupled to a Hewland box. The car is also reputed to have twice belonged to the historic racer and restorer John Harper.

We understand the car was extensively restored by Peter Denty in 1979, since when it has been raced in Europe, South Africa and the USA. The vendor purchased the single-seater from Anthony Bailey and informs us that it has been running in HGPCA events (class 10, pre-1966 1.5 litre four-cylinder F1 cars) for quite some time now. He assures us it is a podium finisher in the right hands and tells us the Cooper is being sold with Patsy's original seat cover and steering wheel. Describing the suspension and brakes as "functioning very well indeed", he goes on to rate the chassis and bodywork as "good" and the engine as "fair"; the Coventry Climax unit having now completed more than two seasons of racing.

The late Patsy Burt was one of the sport's most loved characters and endowed this car with a great history. Reputedly forgiving and easy to drive, it comes complete with FIA papers and would surely be welcomed with open arms at some of the best historic race meetings the world over.

PLEASE NOTE: Since the catalogue went to press we have been contacted by Ron Smith, Patsy Burt's husband and longtime competition manager, to say the following:

(i) The car was assembled by Don Christmas at P.M.B. Garages in 1963 (and not at Rob Walker's Garage during 1962). Hence the reason that its chassis number is C/PMB/1/63 (C = Christmas, PMB = P.M.B. Garages, 1 = chassis number 1, 63 = 1963).

(ii) The car was originally equipped with a 2-litre long-stroke Coventry Climax FPF engine. However, its installation was achieved by moving the bulkhead forward and not by lengthening the chassis. While, Patsy Burt's diminutive stature meant that bespoke fuel and oil tanks could be fitted behind her seat.

(iii) Upon completion the car was finished in Patsy Burt's preferred shade of light blue but did not have her name applied to it in period (neither did any of her other Coopers).