The Cooper T58 was a

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

car built by

Cooper Car Company The Cooper Car Company was a British car manufacturer founded in December 1947 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles's small gar ...

for the

1961 Formula One season Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United St ...

. Only one example was built; it set one pole position and one fastest lap but scored no wins.

Development

The car was effectively a

T55 T55 may refer to: Aviation * de Havilland Vampire T.55, a British-built trainer * English Electric Lightning T.55, a British-built trainer * Honeywell T55, a turboshaft engine * Slingsby T.55 Regal Eagle, a British record-setting glider Oth ...

modified to act as a test mule for the

Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British manufacturer of forklift trucks, fire pumps, racing engines, and other speciality engines. History Pre WWI The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, a joint venture by Jens Stroyer and Pelham Lee. In 1 ...

FWMV

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Origins The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...

Racing history

The T58 made its debut at the

1961 German Grand Prix The 1961 German Grand Prix was the 23rd time the German Grand Prix (or Grosser Preis von Deutschland) motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 21st European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as race ...

Jack Brabham Sir John Arthur Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Brabham won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in , and , ...

qualified second behind

Phil Hill Philip Toll Hill Jr. (April 20, 1927 – August 28, 2008) was an American racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Hill won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and won three Grands Prix across eight seas ...

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

and briefly led the race but crashed on the first lap. Brabham qualified tenth at the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

and on pole and set fastest lap at the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

but retired from both races due to overheating. The Cooper team scored 14 World Championship points during 1961 but none were scored with the T58, the team reverted to the older T55 and the newer Cooper T60 for 1962. The car was then sold to the

Reg Parnell Racing Reg Parnell Racing was a privateer Formula One team during the 1950s and 1960s. The team was founded by ex-Formula One driver Reg Parnell after he retired from racing. It raced as Yeoman Credit Racing in 1961 and as the Bowmaker Racing Team i ...

team, who entered it in one race only, the non-championship

1962 Mexican Grand Prix The I Gran Premio de Mexico (or 1st Mexican Grand Prix) was held on 4 November 1962 at the Magdalena Mixhuca circuit, Mexico City. The race was a non-championship event run to Formula One rules and attracted a large entry, including many top teams ...

, fitted with a BRM V8 engine. Driver Moises Solana withdrew from the race, claiming that the car was too slow, although his times were faster than at least four other drivers who did take part.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Notes

References

Cooper T58
at statsf1.com Cooper Formula One cars 1961 Formula One season cars {{Autoracing-stub