3 replies to this topic

[O Volante]

Almost twenty years ago Doug Nye has written about the following:
"Two more Mark Is (Cooper-Climax T41) were built with Owen (Maddock)’s original upturned nosecone design and slimline bodies. They sold to the New Zealand speedway riders Ray Thackwell and Ronnie Moore, both with FWA 1100 cc single-cam engines, and were exported to them in South Africa ready for the early-1957 Springbok series of races. According to the surviving Register they were numbered F2/1 and F2/2/57 - see the chassis Appendix .... Later in the year the Kiwis took delivery of FWB-engined F2 Mark IIs numbers ’17 and ’18/57 for racing in the UK and Europe. The rapid Rhodesian Mike Stafford apparently bought one of their Mark Is, a compatriot named Guthrie the other. Sadly Stafford was killed in his at Bulawayo.”(Doug Nye, Cooper Cars. Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1983, p. 139.)
Can somebody tell me details about the races and about the later lives of the two cars?
Many thanks in advance!!!

[ry6]

Off the top of my head -

The Stafford car went to Mike Harris who fitted it with a Borgward engine and raced it in Rhodesia. It was called a Borgward Special but the pictures clearly show it was a Cooper T41.
(Harris later acquired an ex YC Cooper which he fitted with an Alfa engine.)

The Guthrie car went to Roy Humpheys who raced it in the 1960 January South African GP (won by Paul Frere).



PS - I was told last week that Stafford was killed "in a Lancia". I had always thought it was in the ex-Ecurie Kiwi T41. I must try to find out more.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by ry6
I was told last week that Stafford was killed "in a Lancia". I had always thought it was in the ex-Ecurie Kiwi T41. I must try to find out more.

I'm sure Autosport said it was the Cooper

[O Volante]

Well, I had hoped this request would yield a little more ...

Many thanks anyway, ry6 and David!

PS: There is a nice shot of Humphreys with his T41 in "Sun on the grid"!