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Info needed on the ex-Maggs/Steve McQueen Cooper


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#1 Gary C

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Posted 12 March 2004 - 21:30

Lads, I have been entrusted with making the TV documentary / video of the restoration here in England of the ex-Ken Tyrrell, Tony Maggs, Steve McQueen FJ car. I need as much info, photographs, race programmes, film as I can on the car. Can anyone help me?? I also need to try and contact Tony Maggs himself, and I'm also wondering if there are any Tyrrell Teammechanics still around that worked on the car. I'm advised that Neil Davis is still with us.
I alsowouldn't mind getting my hands on any sort of technical drawings that might still exist of the car. Anyone have any ideas?? I've already contacted the Cooper Car Club.....................

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#2 275 GTB-4

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 11:57

Originally posted by Gary C
Lads, I have been entrusted with making the TV documentary / video of the restoration here in England of the ex-Ken Tyrrell, Tony Maggs, Steve McQueen FJ car. I need as much info, photographs, race programmes, film as I can on the car. Can anyone help me?? I also need to try and contact Tony Maggs himself, and I'm also wondering if there are any Tyrrell Teammechanics still around that worked on the car. I'm advised that Neil Davis is still with us.
I alsowouldn't mind getting my hands on any sort of technical drawings that might still exist of the car. Anyone have any ideas?? I've already contacted the Cooper Car Club.....................


I have a doco on video on Steve and in that there are home movies taken with Neil and Chad at the races.....might be worth following up....

#3 Ralliart

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Posted 15 March 2004 - 00:17

According to Mike Keyser in his "A French Kiss With Death": "During his stay in England (to make "The War Lover"),Steve also struck up a friendship with Stirling Moss who he'd met in the late fifties when Moss was racing at Riverside. Before returning to California, Steve purchased a Cooper Formula Junior which he tested at Brands Hatch...On completing the film Steve shipped the Cooper Formula Junior back to California...a month after Sebring ('63?), having taken delivery of the Formula Jr., Steve won at Del Mar, then took the car to Colati where he was battling Ed Leslie for the lead when he crashed. A week later at Santa Barbara, he won both races in the Cooper (and also drove a borrowed MGB in a production race)...At this point the film studios stepped in and stopped him from racing cars..."

#4 275 GTB-4

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Posted 15 March 2004 - 02:37

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4
I have a doco on video on Steve and in that there are home movies taken with Neil and Chad at the races.....might be worth following up....


Steve McQueen – the King of Cool
1998 Myriad Films with American Movie Classics a co production with NVC Arts

Director/Writer Robert A Katz

Exec Producer David Sehring

Narrated by Kevin Spacey

Biographer Marshall Terrill

Interviews:

Neile McQueen Toffell, Chad and Terri McQueen
Haskell Wexler
Suzanne Pleshette
Martin Landau
Bud Ekins (motorcyle rider in the Great Escape @ 65MPH!)
Robert Wagner etc

Several film archives listed in credits

This doco was shown on our Public Broadcaster (ABC)

Steve died 07 Nov 1980 aged 50

#5 Magee

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Posted 15 March 2004 - 03:58

Gary,
The only thing I can offer is a recommendation to read a short piece on McQueen in Denise McCluggage's book, BY BROOKS TOO BROAD FOR LEAPING. See page 35 for some background information on this amazing actor/driver.

#6 JB Miltonian

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 09:26

I happened to come across an interview with Steve McQueen in "Road & Track" Oct. 70, giving some further detail on the incident with the Cooper at Cotati in 1962 mentioned in Ralliart's post above. Says McQueen:

"I got up to 1st place, ding-dongin' with Ed Leslie, but I had a split in the head, and water was getting into the combustion chamber. Lost a spark plug and this put me on three cylinders. I pushed harder, started taking the turns at complete opposite lock, sliding into one of those little circuit loudspeakers. Wiped it out. Finally caught a rock in my goggles, cut one eye, and went off into the weeds. That was the first time Neile laced me in public. She was furious, yelling at me. I took it, because I knew she was speaking for a lot of the racers' wives."

There is a picture included showing McQueen in the cockpit of the #233 Cooper at Cotati.

#7 Keir

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 17:42

anyone want to post some pics??

#8 275 GTB-4

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Posted 23 December 2008 - 21:03

Attention McQueen fans:

GOTO

http://www.sbs.com.au/television

DOWNLOAD

Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool :up:

#9 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 24 December 2008 - 06:45

Here is a Julian Veovich photo of Bob McLean in Cooper T59 FJ-3-62 leading Steve McQueen in Cooper T56 FJ-2-62 at Laguna Seca...photo from Bob McLean's scrapbooks:

Posted Image

The McLean car is now in Alaska. The McQueen car is advertised here:

http://www.hardyhall..._formula_junior

And there is a photo of the McQueen car on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...81222113006r348

Vince H.

#10 Mark Learmonth

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Posted 25 December 2008 - 18:00

I thought that the 1961 Cooper T56 Mark II Formula Junior had been restored by Hardy Hall Restorations some time ago , wont be a documentary of the resto as its complete ? ? ? ?

Chassis Number FJ-2-62 the car was sold to steve in 1962 and sold in 63 to Al ‘Buster’ Brizzard.

i'm saying this as i'v contributed to a book on McQueen .

http://www.hardyhall..._formula_junior

#11 Felix

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Posted 25 December 2008 - 20:49

Gary, tried to send you a PM = your mailbox full

#12 Frank S

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Posted 25 December 2008 - 23:53

It's been nearly five years since the original request; better late than never, I reckon:

Del Mar page

McQueen gets a mention in the SCG event write-up.

--
Frank S

#13 Gary C

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Posted 26 December 2008 - 09:52

Yes, Jonathan Hall is the guy who looks after my Formula Ford & was my first port of contact for the restoration of this car. In the end, it never was produced as the owner didn't want to be on television. I bleieve the car is being hillclimbed in the UK currently.

#14 arttidesco

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Posted 29 May 2013 - 09:37

Posted Image

Photo courtesy Geoffrey Horton.

Mr McQueens Cooper turned up at the Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance recently, seen above parked up next to Elizabeth Taylors '61 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II convertible.



#15 cooper997

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Posted 29 May 2013 - 10:55

There's a for sale advert in the April 2013 issue of Octane.

Refer http://www.canepacol...ed-9962777.html

Stephen

#16 Gary C

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Posted 29 May 2013 - 14:04

Gosh... I do wonder what happened to that TV project..............

#17 arttidesco

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Posted 29 May 2013 - 18:31

Gosh... I do wonder what happened to that TV project..............


Is it time to break out the VCR from deep storage ?

#18 Gary C

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Posted 29 May 2013 - 19:48

LOL. No, because we never made it ! The then owner, in the end, didn't want to appear on TV etc etc, which effectively put the kibosh on it. A shame....as I had a contact who could have got me to Chad McQueen and the familys' home movies featuring Steve in the car.