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Clasp Garage
Cooper-Monaco Mark II 1960
Clasp Garage: Cooper-Monaco Mark II 1960

"This Cooper Monaco sports-racing prototype that David Murray's Ecurie Ecosse organization entered and ran in the 1960 Le Mans 24-Hour race was their first rear-engined car.

Between May 1960 and April 1964 then, the Ecurie Ecosse Cooper Monaco contested no fewer than 32 races, of which it won 16. But at Oulton Park on 11 April, 1964, Jackie Stewart was driving during practice when he lost control on cold tyres and hit a trackside tree. He was wracked with remorse for having damaged the Cooper "...for it was a wonderful car, and I had won a lot of races with it...".

1960 Cooper Monaco Mk II
Jackie Stewart’s First Race Car
http://www.thevrl.com/profiles/blogs/1960-ecurie-ecosse-copper-type

This is particular Cooper ‘Manaco’, one of 32 built between 1959 and 1964 and one of only four Mk II’s built in 1960, was purchased in kit form from Coopers and built by Ecurie Ecosse. This Scottish team was a major international force in the 1950’s, winning Le Mans twice for Jaguar in 1956 and 1957. In the 1960’s it was the launching pad for Jackie Stewart, one of the world’s greatest racing drivers. In this ‘Monaco’ he had his first professional contract, first win, first course record and first major racing incident. In it, he was also discovered by Ken Tyrrell for Formula 1, and as they say “the rest is history”.

Crazy good numbers.

Engine

Coventry Climax
Engine No. : FPF 430 / 17 / 1177
2 ½ Liter
Four cylinder DOC, 94mm bore x 89mm stroke
Dual side-draft 58mm Weber carburetors
Rated at 260 b.h.p.

The ‘Monaco’ was designed by John Cooper as a sports car, directly developed from the 1958 Cooper Grand Prix car. It inherited the suspension, engine and driveline from its Formula forebears. The majority of the later Type 61M ‘Monacos’ were sold to Carroll Shelby to form the basis of the ‘King Cobra.’ There are very few remaining today that retain the original Coventry Climax motor.