Lot 209: 1959 Beart Cooper-Climax Type 45/51 Formula 2 Racing Single-Seater

This very interesting and attractive Historic racing single-seat Cooper was the subject of a letter written in October 1977 by Duncan Rabagliati � celebrated and widely respected co-founder of The Formula 1 Register group � which described it as follows:

�This is the Beart-Cooper F2 car driven in 1959 by fast rising young Yorkshire star Trevor Taylor. In 1960, owned by C.T. (�Tommy�) Atkins and driven by Roy Salvadori and in 1961, still owned by Atkins and driven by george Morgan in F1. I last heard news of it in 1964 owned by Graham White��

A further letter in the documentation file accompanying this Cooper comjes from Brian Classic Limited, explaining that �Brian bought the F2 (Cooper) from a British Car Auctions Vintage and Specialist car sale during 1973 according to our records. It is possible that Hexagon of Highgate owned the car for quite a period��.

Yet another illuminating letter in the file came from Tony Mantle � the renowned specialist Coventry Climax engine builder/preparer � who wrote on August 22, 1996 advising that: �Your current engine was originally supplied to Lotus as an F2 engine and left the works on 1/7/57��

An old-style FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form, number 24/143, was issued for the car as an �FII Type 51 single-seat racing car� on February 12, 1994, listing its previous owners as R.Taylor 1959, C.T. Atkins 1960, G. White 1964 and on to the contemporary owner who had kept it in the family since as long ago as 1975.

In period in 1959, Yorkshireman Trevor Taylor was one of the brightest young hopes of English motor racing, rising fast from his early grounding in 500cc Formula 3 racing. His father ran the Ace Garage in Rotherham and the engines for their F3 cars were prepared by renowned contemporary Norton specialist Francis Beart. He then modified their Type 45/51 Cooper-Climax during preparation for a Formula 2 racing programme in 1959 � hence the nickname �Beart-Cooper� as applied to this car. In the season-opening Lavant Cup race here at Goodwood on Easter Monday young �Trev� made his debut in the car. He reappeared in it in the British Empire Trophy at Oulton Park and the London Trophy at Crystal Palace � finishing 6th.

In 1960 this chassis serial �F2-5-59� was noted on the Tommy Atkins/High Efficiency Motors-entered car driven by Roy Salvadori in the Oulton Park Trophy, placing 3rd, the Lavant Cup here at Goodwood 3rd, and Aintree �200� before winning a minor F2 event at Oulton Park on May 7, 1960. Into 1961 when 1 �-litre Formula 1 racing was introduced which was effectively a direct upgrade for the previous year�s 1500cc Formula 2 cars, George Morgan was recorded as driving �F2-5-59� in the Lombank Trophy race at Snetterton on March 29, finishing 12th in the Glopver Trophy here at Goodwood on Easter Monday, but then crashing on the opening lap of the Aintree �200� that year.

As offered here the car features all-coil and wishbone suspension, and it has been modified in some respects for specialist hill-climbing against the lock and it has the spectacular added cachet of having been preserved within one family ownership for more than 30 years.