Beschreibung:

This effectively Mark II bodied all coil-sprung Cooper Monaco Mark III is equipped with a full 2.7-liter ‘Indy’ version of the illustrious Coventry Climax FPF 4-cylinder racing engine, in this case one which is recalled by a very experienced former owner of the car as having been “a very special FPF indeed, one of the strongest I’ve ever experienced”. We understand that this power unit was taken, in fact, from the ex-Scuderia Filipinetti 4-cylinder Formula 1 Eagle, which infers that the engine was in fact one of the very special FPFs built up by Dan Gurney’s Anglo-American Racing (AAR) Formula 1 team at the outset of it’s World Championship campaign and career in 1966 – pending delivery of its first full 3-liter Formula 1 Westlake V12 engines. This car is regarded as a genuinely Cooper-built Monaco – still retaining its original chassis, which was probably one of the very last Monacos of its type ever to leave the Cooper factory. It was originally equipped with a ‘pointed fin’ 1961-type Monaco Mark III bodyshell but may not have been completed in 1961 as a running car. Our research indicates that it was probably retained, as an uncompleted chassis/body unit stored away by a former Cooper Car Company employee. From him it passed eventually to that wonderful character, British specialist racing car and prototype bodywork manufacturer, Mo Gomm of Old Woking, Surrey, from whom it was acquired by respected Cooper specialist Sid Hoole. He completed the car to running order fitting the broadly Mark II bodywork it still boasts today, and from him it passed to John Harper – one of the most successful, longest-serving and best known driver/dealers in British Historic racing. Harper fitted it with the 2.7-liter engine, which, by common consent, has performed in spectacular manner. It was in November, 1958, that the original Cooper Monaco Mark I offset-driving position sports-racing car was announced. The new design was named ‘Monaco’ after Maurice Trintignant’s victory there in the 1958 Grand Prix, driving a Rob Walker-entered Formula 1 Cooper. During 1959, the new Monacos were immediately successful. At mid-season British GP Meeting Stirling Moss made his Monaco debut in the first 2½-liter Climax-engined variant, while other owners fitted the 2½-liter Maserati 4-cylinder. The Monaco Mark IIs of 1960 featured subtly more handsome longer-nosed bodywork, but commonly retained the transverse leafspring rear suspension, while the Mark IIIs, such as the car offered here, emerged for 1961, based upon the World Championship-winning Formula 1 ‘Lowline’ running gear with all coil-spring suspension. During that 1961 season the Cooper Monacos were confronted by the Lotus 19 “Monte Carlo”, so named by Collin Chapman partly in honour of Moss’ win there in the 1960 Grand Prix, and partly, to “wind up Charlie Cooper”! It was still the Cooper Monacos which dominated the big-money “Los Angeles Times” Grand Prix sports car classic at Riverside Raceway that season, driven by Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren… whose tradition this particularly potent car now follows. Offered on a Bill of Sale.