1956 Cooper Type 41 Single Seater

Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Chassis No: F2/4/56
Mot Expiry: N/A

Cooper's first single-seater to feature a mid-mounted water-cooled engine, the T41 was built to compete in the 1957 1½ litre Formula 2 class. Designed by John Cooper and Owen Maddock, its ellipsoid-shaped tubular steel spaceframe chassis was heavily influenced by the pair's earlier F3 500 and sports racing projects. Equipped with all round transverse-leaf independent suspension and high-efficiency finned drum brakes, it was powered by the four-cylinder, ohc Cooper-Climax FWB engine mated to a modified, close-ratio Citroen ERSA four-speed gearbox. Carrying its radiator and three fuel tanks upfront (to offset an undoubted rearward weight bias), it boasted a frontal area of just 5½ square feet thanks to the careful shaping of its sleek aluminium 'slipper' body. With a dry weight of only 694lbs, the racer claimed a power to weight ratio of 323bhp per ton.

One of the first examples produced, chassis F2/4/56 reputedly emerged from the Surbiton factory in summer 1956. Of the four T41s thought to have been made that year (there is some discussion about a possible fifth 'Monza' chassis), two were retained by the works for use by Jack Brabham and Roy Salvadori, while the others were sold to Rob Walker and Ken Wharton. Believed by some to be the Salvadori car and therefore not only the T41 prototype but also the winner of various summer / autumn '56 races (run to '57 F2 regulations) held at Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Goodwood and Oulton Park, F2/4/56 is known to have been purchased ex-works by New Zealand racer Syd Jensen as an entry for the January 1957 NZ GP. Retiring from that race, it nevertheless recorded 2nd and 5th places at Mairehau and in the Lady Wigram Trophy respectively before being sold onto fellow countryman Ron Frost. Winning his heat first time out at Levin en route to 2nd in the Zambucka Trophy, Frost managed seventh overall in the 1958 NZ GP (ahead of two Maserati 250Fs!) and victory in the Hudson Trophy (though, he did roll F2/4/56 in between times). Apparently passing thence into the hands of Tony Shelley, Dave Evans, Duncan Mackenzie, Chris Amon, Bruce Abernethy and C E Bensemann, the nimble Cooper ended its period race career with the latter as a sprint / hillclimb car in 1969.

Rescued by Bill Clark, its owner of some twenty-nine years between 1970 and 1999, it was rebuilt with a new chassis - but seemingly the original engine - by the highly regarded Auto Restorations of Christchurch during the mid 1980s. Assembling a detailed file on the car, Clark noted that "this was always understood, in its early years in NZ, to have been the works F2 prototype first raced by Salvadori at the British GP meeting in July 1956, and in subsequent UK events later that year. It would not therefore logically have been given the fourth chassis number in the series; it was however very likely the fourth chassis to be SOLD (earlier examples having gone to Rob Walker, Ken Wharton and Jack Brabham) and given its number at the time of sale"

Obtaining FIA papers on 23rd June 1999, F2/4/56 came into the possession of Ted Rollason shortly thereafter. Treated by him to an extensive engine overhaul during which its block was acid dipped and line bored prior to being fitted with a new CES / Mantle crankshaft, work also included a cylinder head refurbishment, conversion to unleaded and fresh timing chain. Running at a compression ratio of 10.7:1 (compared to 8:1 in 1956), it was raced by its next owner Max Blees at various events in 2002 including the Pau Historic GP, AvD-Oldtimer GP, Dijon-Bourgogne Historic GP and Spa Francorchamps HGPCA event. Used sparingly by the vendor, its most recent outing was at Oulton Park in August 2004 (again with the HGPCA).

Despite Bill Clark's best efforts, there is no concrete evidence to confirm F2/4/56 as the Salvadori car, simply an apparent balance of probability. Though, even if it is judged solely on its NZ antics, it remains an historic car and one eligible for a wealth of prestigious events. Offered for sale with FIA papers, large history file and the disintegrating remains of its original chassis (though this latter piece of distressed metalwork will have to be collected from the vendor).

PLEASE NOTE: Comments from an interested New Zealand client.
I am very familiar with this car, and probably saw all its NZ races after 1959. In fact I supplied Bill Clark with a race-by-race breakdown and I have never been in any doubt that this one is the ex-Salvadori car. The attachment photograph shows it on test just after it arrived in NZ at the end of 1956 and if you compare that with the photos in Doug Nye's Cooper book (pages 134-135 in the second edition) I think you'll agree it has to be the Salvadori car. As to its chassis number, the number F2/4/56 would seem logical.
The successful buyer can be placed in touch with this individual.