161 replies to this topic

[David McKinney]

Yes, Ray. Perhaps one of those was my source, rather than AMS

[cooper997]

Thanks David & Ray, the M Nathan reference I've seen is in the AGP book's 1951 Chapter entry list published on page 169. There might be others, but that's the one I know of.

Stephen

[austmcreg]

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This photo is from the Graham Howard collection. Almost certainly Australian, the Mk V Cooper JAP twin is not yet positively identified, but I think i can narrow it down to two cars. Does anyone recognise this hill climb venue? 

 

If I am correct about which two cars it may be, the Australian state will also be obvious, and the date will be in the range 1953-1957 but I would prefer to see what comes out before I pre-judge it.

 

Rob Saward 

[austmcreg]

I have been pointed in the direction of this Tasmanian film compilation, which shows, at 1:13, for a few seconds in glorious colour the blue Cooper JAP Mk V /L5/51 after Alan Stephenson had his contratemps with the Quorn Hall airstrip central haybale barrier, in 1954. I have two B&W photos (photographer unknown) showing the Cooper during the accident and afterwards with damage wheel and broken front wishbone. 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=NPd3Uh-9040

 

Some nice 7- mile beach racing as well, but OT here.

 

Rob Saward

 

 

URL=http://imageshack.us...es/14/xyw7.jpg/][/URL]

 

[austmcreg]

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

 

This photo is from the Graham Howard collection. Almost certainly Australian, the Mk V Cooper JAP twin is not yet positively identified, but I think i can narrow it down to two cars. Does anyone recognise this hill climb venue? 

 

If I am correct about which two cars it may be, the Australian state will also be obvious, and the date will be in the range 1953-1957 but I would prefer to see what comes out before I pre-judge it.

 

Rob Saward 

 

A few months further on and I am now reasonably convinced this is Pat White, in the Cooper JAP 1100 MKV/L9/51 at the Toowoomba hiilclimb course on Prince Henry Drive. Looking at Prince Henry Drive on Google maps , the background terrain seems to work for one of the corners. The first event held on that hill was the AHCC on 17 September 1955, and my records have that event as the only one Pat White did at Toowoomba. There was another event  in May 1956, but I dont think White was present.

 

The other possibility was Bill Pitt in his ex Hirst / Brabham Mk V, who was second to Lex Davison at the AHCC, but the driver face, helmet and lack of engine cover on the car dont work for me.

 

I would however love to be proved wrong! Does anyone have a copy of the program for either event, or a results list with the car numbers?

 

Rob Saward

Edited by austmcreg, 28 December 2013 - 00:49.

[austmcreg]

Found this article in the "Cumberland Argus 3 June 1953. This was a Parramatta newspaper - the column was written by their motoringcorrespondent 'King Pin', and indicates that Lloyd Hirst's Cooper Mk V was being converted from JAP 1100 to Vincent power. I had heard that this was the case, but this was first evidence I have found.

 

However when the car was sold to Bill Pitt by Jack Brabham, at Southport AGP meeting in 1954, the car was again JAP powered. Did it ever run with a Vincent? Who reinstated the JAP, Hirst or Brabham?

 

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Rob Saward

[Ray Bell]

Next time I'm in Toowoomba I'll have to take this pic and duck around to Prince Henry Heights and check it out!

 

I did some work there in August/September and the terrain looks right, though I don't know this corner. 

 

The Argus article does seem to have some 'yes it really did happen' feeling about it, even though a lot of these things never did actually come to pass.

[Lee Nicolle]

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This photo is from the Graham Howard collection. Almost certainly Australian, the Mk V Cooper JAP twin is not yet positively identified, but I think i can narrow it down to two cars. Does anyone recognise this hill climb venue? 
 
If I am correct about which two cars it may be, the Australian state will also be obvious, and the date will be in the range 1953-1957 but I would prefer to see what comes out before I pre-judge it.
 
Rob Saward

That is a great pic. The loose surface and the attitude of the car as more akin to midget than a road racer.

[tsrwright]

John Holmes should know all about Toowoomba as he has organised several commemorations.

[cooper997]

I've recently found information that Gordon Greig from Newcastle, was Sydney's John Crouch Motors, Newcastle representative in 1951. Which basically means Gordon could potentially supply a Bristol, Dellow, Jowett or Cooper et al from John into his own district. Not that Newcastle is a huge distance from Sydney, but the world was a bigger place in 1951.

Of course Gordon later ran a Cooper, but is there any known evidence that might suggest GG delivered a Cooper through his business?

Stephen

[David Shaw]

Jan 29-30, Fishermens Bend races, Cooper 1000, ent. Cooper Racing Car Distributors, dr. A.J. Wylie “only four days off the boat,” Wylie spun to stop after brake problem; McAlpine helped with carburation, 2/50.3, .23

Mn/d, Rob Roy hillclimb, Cooper 1000, ent. CRCD, dr. Wylie; FTD, new outright record; tuned by Bruce Rehn, Joe Laird, 4/50.3, .33

n/d, Mt Panorama, races, Cooper 1000, ent. CRCD; “the blue Cooper”; Rehn, Laird and McAlpine; 6-lap scratch, Wylie driving, DNF gearbox; Martin drove in NSW 100, DNF, 5/50.3, .19

Nov. 7, Rob Roy hillclimb, Australasian Hillclimb Championship, Cooper 1000, K.M. FTD, 29.63; Hunt (500) 29.89; Dean (Maybach) 30.63. pic p.43 shows KM bareheaded, opposite lock off the line; slippery wet road, 11/50.3, .43

n/d, Fishermens Bend races, Cooper 1000, KM 4^th, 6-lap scratch (Davison, Whiteford, Saywell, KM); DNF Victorian Trophy, sunk float, when 4^th; “the blue Cooper”, 12/50.6, .45

The last entry of Fishermens Bend races were actually at Ballarat Aerodrome

[cooper997]

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

 

This photo is from the Graham Howard collection. Almost certainly Australian, the Mk V Cooper JAP twin is not yet positively identified, but I think i can narrow it down to two cars. Does anyone recognise this hill climb venue? 

 

If I am correct about which two cars it may be, the Australian state will also be obvious, and the date will be in the range 1953-1957 but I would prefer to see what comes out before I pre-judge it.

 

Rob Saward 

 

A few months further on and I am now reasonably convinced this is Pat White, in the Cooper JAP 1100 MKV/L9/51 at the Toowoomba hiilclimb course on Prince Henry Drive. Looking at Prince Henry Drive on Google maps , the background terrain seems to work for one of the corners. The first event held on that hill was the AHCC on 17 September 1955, and my records have that event as the only one Pat White did at Toowoomba. There was another event  in May 1956, but I dont think White was present.

 

The other possibility was Bill Pitt in his ex Hirst / Brabham Mk V, who was second to Lex Davison at the AHCC, but the driver face, helmet and lack of engine cover on the car dont work for me.

 

I would however love to be proved wrong! Does anyone have a copy of the program for either event, or a results list with the car numbers?

 

Rob Saward

 

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As Rob mentions Toowoomba is the likely scene for the original photo. On Saturday, 7/2/15 I sought out Prince Henry's Drive to do a little comparison.

 

The vehicle I was in was as far removed from a Cooper that you can get, but it was still a blast to drive the course. Admittedly the wrong way because the gated section is one way of clockwise direction.

 

Ironically 2 minutes after I left this section an enthusiast in a Fraser Clubman was giving it the beans on another section of PHD. Had I still been at the gated section I may well have asked said enthusiast to prop the Fraser in a similar position to the Cooper for a photo.

 

Stephen