29 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

Could someone please point me in the direction of a colour picture of a Tommy Atkins Cooper?

[UAtkins]

I will send you several via email, both original and one of the Niel Twyman at Goodwood (2001) in the 1959 Cooper. Any particular cars you would like? I would post to the forum but am unable to accomplish that at present.

Ursula

[Wolf]

Ursula, if You want thenm posted feel free to send them to me via E-mail ( wolf@email.atlasf1.com ).

[Wolf]

Here is one of them I will send more later, I've got them at home. Not sure which ones he wants but might as well send the one that Neil Twyman's son sent after Goodwood (the '59), the colors aren't quite authentic but some of the others I have at home I think show the colors better if that is what he is looking for. Dad's actual color was more of a pale metallic green and the white stripes, unfortunately most of my photos are b/w. The second photo is the 1964 Cooper Monaco Maserati, I thought the original colors were the metallic green and white stripe but these are it's current colors. Owned by a museum (name escapes me...no time to look here at work). More later.

[UAtkins]

Thanks so much for the posting of the photos. Barry, please let me know what you are looking for and I will try to help out. I got some color photos from Wally Willmott recently and will check on those at home tonight. I think they show the 1963 Cooper built by High Efficiency Motors (Harry Pearce and Bruce McLaren for Tommy Atkins) and credited to Coopers for the Tasman series. Once again my story may be off a bit since I am at work.

Ursula

[Barry Boor]

Thanks Ursula and Wolf. It is the lighter, metallic green and white (cream?) colour scheme I am seeking.

Also, did 'Tommy' have a T.51 F1 Cooper, or just a T.53? And if so, was the T.51 painted in the lighter green?

[UAtkins]

Well in my failing memory most of the cars were that light metallic green with white, I think that would have been in the early 60s as I don't think I went to Goodwood much until then. I have scanned a couple of photos and emailed to Wolf that came from Wally Wilmott. The quality wasn't that good but they appear to be the lighter green although it's hard to tell. I haven't got all my information dug out but I do know that Harry built the Coopers from 1958-1964. Doug's Cooper book shows the following:

F2-26-57 - August 1957 1500 cc which is Neil Twyman's car in the photo.
F2-15-58 - 1958 1500 cc Formula II
FII/8/60 is mentioned as a Works car that Tommy bought for Bruce to race (1961 or 1961?)
T62M 2.7 FPF says it was a pale metallic-green-and-white car (sports car)

There are no further mentions of C.T. Atkins in the car lists, but I know that Harry built cars for him through 1964 however, as Doug said, since they weren't built in the Cooper workshop they weren't strictly considered Coopers which is why they don't appear in the lists. He also had the Cooper Maseratis.

I do know that the 1961 car that Roy Salvadori drove at Silverstone was the light green, I have seen that one on the Legends of Motorsport tape that covers 1961 British Racing Green.

I am not much help I am afraid, I can call Harry over the weekend and check with him if that would help.

Ursula

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Wolf
And here's the last batch:

#7 - The 1500 cc 4 cyl F1 car at Goodwood testing


#8 - Tommy talking to Bruce (sitting) and Tony Maggs while Harry potters.


#9 - Harry, myself, and Bruce. Still on the grid but obviously closer to the start time as we all have our serious faces on.

[twymanj]

The colour on my father's car, is a colour match from the original paint on the car. Atkins ran the car from '57 through to '59 when it was sold to Scuderia Colonia.

Ursula you will be interested to hear that I entered the car for the Louis Vuitton Classic in London on Saturday. The car didnt win, but its not really a concours car! We were judged by Damon Hill, and Murray Smith (who used to own the car) but we were beaten by Cedric Selzer's Lotus 25.

More importantly, i got to drive the car in a parade and then i drove it down Broomhouse lane at 11o'clock in the evening in my dj .......Not bad at 16 years of age!

Joe

[UAtkins]

Hello Joe, congratulations on the Concourse. I can just picture you driving it down the road.

Thanks for the info and the pictures guys. Now that I look at Wally's photos they look darker. Perhaps it was just the '61 car that was the lighter colour although I know that the Cobra, E-Type and the Monaco were light? I will definitely have to call Harry and ask. Wolf, I'd forgotten I sent those photos to you earlier, thanks for adding the other one.

Ursula

[Wolf]

Sorry it took ma so long...

Here's the lates one:

[twymanj]

Thats me! haha

[UAtkins]

That's right Joe, you and your Dad talking to Harry at Goodwood. I have one of you driving but it's not here at work or I would have had Wolf post that one.

I'm going back to the Revival again and taking lots more photos and better video this year. Got my tickets the other day. Hope to see others there too.

Ursula

[twymanj]

The car doesnt have an entry for the race....yet, we got it fairly late last year. Hopefully the powers that be will give us one, because it was such good fun last year. Harry gave us some good information about the car and it was good to meet you! we will be there with another car i think so hopefully we will see you again.

Joe

[UAtkins]

Will look forward to seeing you there. I really enjoyed meeting you and your Dad and was really pleased that you spent so much time with Harry. He's got so many great stories to tell! This time I plan to see him and get the whole McLaren story on tape! I didn't know he'd gone from High Efficiency Motors straight to McLaren and stayed with them until 1980 so it's a whole other part of the puzzle to put together.

I think the Revival will be less overwhelming this time since there won't be as many of Dad's cars there and I don't think that Harry will be there either.

Ursula

[Barry Boor]

Can we take a few steps back here people because this old codger is getting very confused?

I thought I remembered a Tommy Atkins Cooper running in 1960 or 61 in the light green colours. The driver would have been either Roy Salvadori or Bruce McLaren. Or am I thinking of another Cooper private entrant altogether?

So far, no-one has produced a picture of this colour car.

(Sorry to be a pain but it's for a model. Wouldn't you know it? )

[David McKinney]

Looks as if the team switched to the lighter green in 1961, Barry. The T53 (low-line) Cooper raced by McLaren and Brabham that year was in that shade, likewise McLaren's car for the NZ and Australian races at the beginning of 1962. Judging from b&w photos, I suspect it was at the same time that the CTA Monacos started appearing in light green as well.
I thought there was a colour pic of the T53 in the second edition of the Nye Cooper book, but now I look it's gone away. I'll try some other possibilities and let you know. I - like you - thought someone else might have come up with something by now!

[UAtkins]

Yes Barry you do remember the light green Cooper driven by Roy Salvadori and owned by Tommy Atkins. I don't know the numbers on it but it's the one I was talking about earlier before we went totally OT. It is visible a couple of times on the Legends - 1961 British Racing Green program. I don't have a color photo anywhere of it but I might be able to get you a photo capture off the tape in a day or so if you can be patient. Will have to record off the VCR onto my digital and then run through the computer to get a screen capture...not hard to do but hard to find time at the moment I should be able to manage it by the weekend.

Sorry we digressed on you. The car was also driven by Bruce I believe and I am not sure but I think it may have been the one he had the close race with Stirling at Goodwood (he lost). I defer to people with a whole lot more information and knowlege than I have on that one...Doug?

I really like the idea of the slot car....remember Dad and I racing slot cars on the floor in our entry hall when I was little, also him racing with his older friends too after I had gone to bed!

Ursula

[Wolf]

Aren't You a lucky man, Barry! Ursula just sent me this batch of photos for You...

[Rob G]

Fantastic! All of those are great pics, but that Monaco grid shot is superb!

[UAtkins]

I really feel embarrassed, I had forgotten about a box of photos I rediscovered recently . These were taken by my Dad at various locations and they were all in color. There are a lot more that I would like to know about, I will dig them out some time and see if I can persuade Wolf to post them for me. The only ones I know for sure are some that have Riverside on the back, unfortunately Dad didn't make notes on his personal photos.

If anyone knows any of the details on these photos please jump in. The Monaco shot was easy, I also recognize Roy and Billy Cotton in another but not where, the ones of the mechanics I also recognize, but who is the photographer with Roy (at Monaco?) and where is the other grid shot taken? I also recognize the Monaco at Goodwood, the colors are close to it's current ones, I hadn't remembered the red nose but having seen the photo I am now convinced.

Thanks Wolf for posting these for me. The b/w of the model is the Bentley model that I have and that was just for Barry's enjoyment.

Thanks again.

Ursula

[twymanj]

Does anyone know what the chassis number of the Cooper T45 shown is??

[twymanj]

Its alright I have found my fathers copy of Sheldon's book, I will do the research for myself. What fantastic photographs Ursula! You will be pleased to know that 26/57 will be at the Festival of Speed this year, however not the revival as there is not a race for it.

Joe

[LittleChris]

The other grid shot looks like Oulton Park

[Barry Boor]

May I offer a public THANK YOU to Ursula for those images; and to Wolf for posting them.

I have run them through a photo paint programme and you should see them now!

Regarding the Oulton Park grid shot; we know where but can someone add the when and mainly the WHO to the picture, please?

Regarding the projected model, I thought I had the colour in my mind and I popped into Halfords and bought a can of spray paint last Thursday. I took it back today! It wasn't even close. In fact, at present I'm in a degree of despair because after pondering the rows of car spray in the racks this evening, I cannot see anything even close to the green that has appeared in Ursula's pictures after I have restored their colour.

I will post the Monaco grid shot for members to observe the difference.

[Wolf]

Barry, can't You have a can mixed 'on the spot'? Basicaly it's the only way of getting a car-paint here: one either brings in the spec or chooses from standard colours by manufacturers*.

And if I would be allowed a small digression, does anyone know the composition of BRG? Well, I wouldn't mind both the paint and RGB model... Thanks in advance.

* If You can't, we'll try to figure something out...;)

[Roger Clark]

THe Oulton PArk Grid is the 7th May 1960. The front row is Bristow, Salvadori, McKee, Halford (all Coopers)

[UAtkins]

Thanks again Wolf, the photos are my pleasure . Thanks for the information on the Oulton Park grid Roger. I am looking for a Sheldon Volume 7 (who isn't) so I can get the information on all the races. I do know that the serious racing started in about 1960 so to have all the details would be really great. If anyone would be willing to copy for me out of their book and I will reimburse I would be grateful. I think that is more likely than ever finding a copy out there.

Barry, if you can get the paint custom mixed for the colour then you could perhaps use an airbrush? The photos look really good after you worked on them. These are original photos so they have faded a bit over the years.

I am glad you are enjoying and thanks once again to all.

Ursula

[alfredaustria]

Does anyone know the color of the Tommy Atkins Connought A-Type that Graham Hill drove at Goodwood in 1957?

[Roger Clark]

Green, according to the programme, but a black and white photo shows a light coloured nose band.