17 replies to this topic

[Jahn1234567890]

Jo Bonnier initially entered a borrowed Cooper-ATS for the 1966 French Grand Prix as his own Cooper T81-Maserati had not yet been repaired after his Spa crash. Bonnier ran the Cooper-ATS in thursday practice but the car was all but competitive. Bonnier brokerd a deal with Brabham and they loaned him their backup car (Brabham BT11/22-Climax) for the rest of the weekend.

 

Motorsport mag. list this Cooper a "special" built by Alf Francis comprising the front half of an ex-works Cooper space-frame chassis, With his own rear end grafted on, powered by a 3-litre version of the sports A.T.S. V8 engine and driving through a Colotti gearbox.

 

Forix list the car as a T77 and Old Racing Cars list Bonnier as one of the drivers of T77 chassis F1-1-65 and the description lists "modified by Alf Francis to take an ATS V8 sports car, increased from 2500cc to about 2700cc"

 

I would like to find out more about this car. And a picture of Bonnier in this car at the French Grand Prix would be awesome. Any help is greatly appreciated! 

 

 

 

 

[Vitesse2]

This was the car later used - to no great effect - by Silvio Moser. In 1966 it was owned by a Swiss garagiste called Fritz Baumann, who apparently used it in that year's Swiss Championship. The French Autodiva forum has a number of photos of it at various events, although I think only with Moser at the wheel. It was sold to Gildo Guidi, who apparently wrote it off at the Gargellan hillclimb in 1968. Can't link to the photos, because you need to be a member to see them.

 

http://www.autodiva....ewforum.php?f=2

[Tim Murray]

Here are a couple of earlier threads featuring the car:

Cooper T77-ATS

1967 British GP

The latter includes some photos posted by Beat Schenker, who prepared Silvio Moser’s cars.

[Doug Nye]

Here's a poor-quality shot of the car in the pits at Syracuse '67...

 

DCN

 

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Edited by Doug Nye, 24 October 2019 - 09:11.

[Michael Ferner]

Yes, Baumann drove it several times in Swiss National events. I think I have a piture of it, negotiating a Slalom, of all things!

[Jahn1234567890]

Thanks for the replies and pictures! There are some in there I had never seen before. I feel like finding a picture of Bonnier in the Cooper-ATS is going to be a long shot mainly because he only drove the car for one practice session. There has be a picture of it out there somewhere but perhaps out of reach.

[Tom Glowacki]

Here's a poor-quality shot of the car in the pits at Syracuse '67...

 

DCN

 

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Electrical tape numbers?

[rl1856]

How much power did the ATS engine develop ?

[Allen Brown]

I have a note that there was an article on it in Powerslide June 1966.  That might tell you more about the engine.

 

There is a picture here, which I don't think has been mentioned:

https://www.oldracin...com/cooper/t77/

Edited by Allen Brown, 28 October 2019 - 11:17.

[Macca]

 

This is a quick snap with my phone of a photo I bought from Ferret Photographic a few years ago, I think it is testing in early summer 1966 at Modena with Alf Francis in photo, I don't know the others; if you want a good copy let me know by PM.

 

Paul M

[rudi]

This is a quick snap with my phone of a photo I bought from Ferret Photographic a few years ago, I think it is testing in early summer 1966 at Modena with Alf Francis in photo, I don't know the others; if you want a good copy let me know by PM.

Paul M

Probably May 1966, the driver is Roberto Bussinello.

[RA Historian]

Probably May 1966, the driver is Roberto Bussinello.

One of the very few times I saw this driver not called Roberto 'The Flying' Bussinello. That seemed to have been SOP back then!

 

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 30 October 2019 - 16:30.

[Doug Nye]

Really?

 

DCN

[RA Historian]

Really?

 

DCN

At least in the American mags!

[bradbury west]

There are a couple of shots of Moser in the T77 at the Br GP 1967 on e bay, one colour and one bw, selling by t_w_automobilia
Roger Lund

[Macca]

 

Another of the car when newly completed.

 

Paul M

[small block]

Is there any link between the engine in this car and the Serenissima V8 used by Bruce McLaren in 1966?

[bschenker]

The engines of the Serenissima are 2x Alberto Massimino and 1x Harry Mundy.

 

That of the ATS the base the Sport Prototype for which it marked Carlo Chiti, brought to 2800cc.

Edited by bschenker, 12 November 2019 - 11:56.