Motorsnippets

VSCC Boulogne & Hawthorn Trophies Race Meeting - 11th August, 2001

Text: Carol Corliss; Pictures: Martin Wollny

This meeting was for years staged in July at Silverstone but over the past few years was scheduled for June instead, this year it had moved to August and still the weather could not find a little co-operation for us. The day alternated between dry but dull with low cloud and a heavy driving drizzle.

A tribute to John Cooper CBE, took the form of a very representative selection of his racing cars plus Mini - Coopers and the new "Sanitized" model recently launched. One very popular car on display was the Austin 7 special that Charles Cooper built for the young John before the war. This was put together around a superfluous A7 engine tuned up to fit into the "Flying Flea", a home assembled cheap and cheerful aircraft kit meant to popularise flying for the masses. Unfortunately the aircraft very quickly developed an horrendous safety record and the Cooper project was quietly forgotten.

The early streamlined car was very interesting, with the bodywork lifted, immediately the Fiat Topolino origins are very apparent. The Cooper 500 came about by the availability of a crashed one sitting at the Surbiton garage. A little brainwork soon suggested that two front ends of one of these cars would stitch together to provide an independently sprung chassis capable of taking a 500 motorcycle engine. The Cooper 500 was on it's way. Many post-war Grand Prix drivers such as; Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Bruce MacLaren and many others started their racing careers driving these cheap but very fast little cars. They very quickly made their mark at hillclimb meetings where the young drivers began toppling records.

The display went forward in time to the Cooper Bristols, so synonymous with Mike Hawthorn, some of which were racing on the day.

The Monte-Carlo winning car was there with it's competition livery and even more evocative, the Cooper works van.

All in all, John Cooper would certainly have been delighted at the turnout displayed in his honour. It was no less than he deserved. His contribution to post-war British motor racing is without doubt incalculable and since Britain has led the World in racing car design for much of these latter years, he has to take credit for much of that. The cars were demonstrated during the afternoon racing besides a special race arranged for them.

I consider myself very fortunate in having met and become acquainted with this great man. In my experience he was unaffected, and totally approachable. I will always feel priviledged to have known him.