Cooper T53

Cooper T53

Category	Formula One, Formula Two
Constructor	Cooper Car Company
[[automotive design|DesignerTemplate:Pluralize from text]]	Owen Maddock
Predecessor	Cooper T51
Successor	Cooper T55
Technical specifications
Chassis	Steel spaceframe
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, coil spring and damper
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone, coil spring and damper
Axle track	F: 1,190 mm (47 in) R: 1,220 mm (48 in)
Wheelbase	2,310 mm (91 in)
Engine	Coventry Climax FPF 2.5-litre straight-4, naturally aspirated, rear mid, longitudinally mounted.
Transmission	Cooper 5-speed manual gearbox.
Weight	500 kg (1,100 lb)
Tyres	Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants	Cooper
Notable drivers	Template:Flagicon Jack Brabham Template:Flagicon Bruce McLaren Template:Flagicon John Surtees
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 22 5 3 4
Constructors' Championships	1 (1960)
Drivers' Championships	1 (Jack Brabham, 1960)
Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

File:1961 Cooper T53 Donington Park 2023 01.jpg

Cooper T53, Donington Park, 2023

The Cooper T53 is a Formula One car built by British motorsport team Cooper for the 1960 Formula One season. Jack Brabham drove it to his second World Championship that year, and with teammate Bruce McLaren gave Cooper its second Constructors' Championship.

A T53 was purchased by Honda as part of its own F1 development efforts and can be considered the forerunner of Honda F1 machines.

Design and development history

The T53 was lower and slimmer than its predecessor, the Cooper T51. It was equipped with a new tubular steel frame clad in aluminium panels. Suspension was by double wishbones, coil springs and telescopic dampers all round, a change from Cooper's usual transverse leaf spring at the rear. Power came from the latest version of 2.5 litre Climax FPF which developed around 240 bhp and drove the rear wheels through a Cooper five-speed gearbox.

Racing history

In its first race, Jack Brabham drove the new Cooper race car to second place in the International Trophy at Silverstone in May. At its first World Championship event at Monaco, Brabham qualified second but in the race itself he was disqualified after spinning off and then receiving a push start. Bruce McLaren put in a strong race, finishing second to Stirling Moss.

Thereafter, Brabham reeled off five wins in a row to tie up the World Championship with two events to spare. McLaren was runner-up, and Cooper won the Constructors' Championship. Brabham also won the non-championship Silver City Trophy.

In 1961 Cooper turned to the T55 but the T53 became a big sales success for the Cooper team, with no less than eight teams running it. Most teams ran the car with the 1.5 litre Climax FPF Mk. II to comply with the new F1 regulations, but Scuderia Centro Sud sourced a Maserati engine instead. Although they had some success in non-championship events, the privateers were largely outclassed in the 1961 World Championship.

The T53 was also used by various teams in the short-lived Intercontinental Formula in 1961. Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham won all five races in the series with the car, fitted with a 2.7 litre version of the FPF engine. Several examples also made their way to Australia and New Zealand and took part in the Tasman Series.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	WCC
1960	Cooper Car Company	Climax FPF 2.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD		ARG	MON	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	POR	ITA	USA	48 (58)*	1st
				Template:Flagicon Jack Brabham		DSQ		1	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position	Template:F1 race position	1		Template:F1 race position
				Template:Flagicon Bruce McLaren		Template:F1 race position		Ret	2	3	4	2		3
1961	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Climax FPF 1.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD		MON	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	USA			14 (18)	4th
				Template:Flagicon John Surtees	11	7	5	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	Ret
				Template:Flagicon Roy Salvadori				8	6	10	6	Ret
	H&L Motors			Template:Flagicon Jackie Lewis			9	Ret	Ret	9	4
	John M. Wyatt III			Template:Flagicon Roger Penske								8
	Camoradi International			Template:Flagicon Masten Gregory	DNQ	DNS	10	12	11
				Template:Flagicon Ian Burgess						12
	Hap Sharp			Template:Flagicon Hap Sharp								10
	Bernard Collomb			Template:Flagicon Bernard Collomb				Ret		NC
	Momo Corporation			Template:Flagicon Walt Hansgen								Ret
	Scuderia Centro Sud	Maserati 6-1500 1.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD	Template:Flagicon Lorenzo Bandini			Ret		12	Ret	8				0	-
1962	Ecurie Galloise	Climax FPF 1.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD		NED	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	USA	RSA		29 (37)	3rd
				Template:Flagicon Jackie Lewis	8			Ret	10	Ret
	Hap Sharp			Template:Flagicon Hap Sharp								11
	Bernard Collomb			Template:Flagicon Bernard Collomb						Ret
	Mike Harris	Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD	Template:Flagicon Mike Harris									Ret		0	-
1963	Scuderia Centro Sud	Maserati 6-1500 1.5 L4	Template:Tfm/datedD		MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	USA	MEX	RSA	0	-
				Template:Flagicon Ernesto Brambilla							DNQ

* Some points were scored using a Cooper T51