The announcement in John Heselwood’s column last issue that Michael Cooper, son and heir of John Cooper - a friend to all Mini enthusiasts - had been asked, and had accepted the club’s patron position in honour of his father pleases me greatly. To have and to continue the Cooper association gives the club that special touch.
Like-wise thoughts were also being had by the committee of England’s Mini Cooper Register, with their announcement in their April issue that Michael had accepted the position of Honorary President, again in honour of his famous father who held the role until his passing. Essentially the roles exist as figurehead for each club, rather than full-on duties that committee positions usually require. This is probably just as well as Michael will be a busy man, continuing the day to day responsibilities as managing director of the John Cooper Garages group and consultation and publicity for the new MINI.
I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on some of the more poignant tributes that have been published since the passing of the great man on Christmas eve. Considering it was the Autosport magazine website that confirmed for me the passing of the great man, after having briefly part seen something featuring Coopers on the early morning repeat edition of Channel 10’s Sports Tonight program on December 27th - that made me wander - it is perhaps appropriate that their January 11th issue of Autosport magazine gave a fitting 4 page tribute. Written by motor racing author Doug Nye (he wrote ‘Cooper Cars’ - the most expansive written history of the Cooper Car Company). Doug’s tribute, as it should be, being both a brief history of John Cooper and the Cooper Car Co, plus those anecdotes that John himself would relish sharing with fellow enthusiasts. A comment written by Doug sticks in my mind though - "Avuncular (uncle-like), pipe-smoking, good bloke he might be - but John Cooper could also be a tiger when he wanted to be…"
At the 1997 MiniWorld International Show - I witnessed John Cooper the tiger… although by this stage in his life big pussy cat may have certainly been more appropriate. On this occasion he took John Brigden (author of The Sporting Minis book - but by this stage working for British Motor Heritage - BMH) to task because they were clamping down on trademark infringement of all the brands that fell within the old BMC/BL conglomerate. One of John Cooper’s former employees who operated the Moto-lita company, that makes those wonderful steering wheels had received a letter from BMH on just such a matter. JC went into bat for his former employee with John Brigden, giving him a forthright view that Moto-lita had his own personal approval to use the Cooper logo on their steering wheels. I dare say that’s what you call a loyal employer!
Within the same issue Nigel Roebuck devoted his ‘Fifth Column’ to his ‘Dear John’ tribute giving praise to a man who he never dealt with professionally in his life as a Formula 1 reporter, as the Cooper Car Co had finished racing a few years before Nigel began his employ in this profession. But none-the-less that didn’t stop him getting to know John Cooper. It is also appropriate that these tributes appeared in this magazine considering Autosport grew with the likes of Cooper from humble beginnings in the early 1950’s - in fact a swarm of mostly Cooper racing cars with John Cooper shown leading a race for 500cc racing cars at Silverstone made the cover of their very first issue dated August 25th, 1950. The Cooper Car Co also helping the Autosport coffers by taking a half page advert within the brand new weekly journal.
After the tribute appeared, the following week’s issue featured a letter from Sir Stirling Moss:-
Cooper: friend and genius
From 1948 to ’62 I had the pleasure of driving most of the cars John Cooper ever built - 500s, F2s, sports-racers and Formula 1. I enjoyed every one of them, and scoring the first rear-engined Grand Prix win in Rob Walker’s Cooper 42 years ago (43 in fact - the Argentine GP 19/1/1958) this week is one of my fondest memories.
All the Coopers I raced were different, but they had two important common denominators. They were well made and strong; and they were fun to drive; in a nutshell, driver friendly. Along with the Maserati 250F, the Cooper-Climax was the best handling F1 car I ever drove. All the dealings I had with John were a delight. He was honest, fair and direct, and his endless fund of stories turned any time spent in his company into quality time. And when his little rear-engined cars started beating the might of Ferrari, he changed the shape of F1 forever.
He was living proof of the adage: "If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re probably doing it right!" He was a friend to everyone in motorsport in his era, and we’ll miss him, especially his ready smile and friendly shrug.
Sir Stirling Moss
London
Over to the February issue of Motor Sport (now sister publication of Autosport) Doug Nye also contributed their tribute to John Cooper. Now in this sense one could think that the Autosport tribute had just been rehashed, but not so as this one has some anecdotes taken from the likes of former drivers/team owners - Sir Jack Brabham, John Coombs, Roy Salvadori and Ken Tyrrell after his passing. There is also those from a couple of former employees - one of which was Sonia Lundstrom, secretary to John during the winning years. Her comment to Doug being "I was very surprised when John died to find he’d been a Roman Catholic. When I worked for him he knew I was a Catholic, and the reason I remember this so vividly was that one time (probably after the fatal accident in the1961 Italian GP - Wolfgang Von Trips was killed), when the Vatican said motor racing should be banned, John rushed into my office shouting ‘Sonia you’re Catholic. Quick, phone the Pope!’
Doug also re-tells a tale from former works manager, Ron Searles as told to Autosport’s Cyril Posthumus back in the 1950s. "I love working for Charlie and John. They pay bugger all, but you’d never have as much fun anywhere else. Nobody has as good a time as us chaps at Cooper’s."
The team at MiniWorld excelled with an 11 page tribute to their famous columnist in their April edition (due in Australian newsagents fairly soon). John Cooper had been on-board as columnist with MiniWorld since issue 2 (when the magazine was a quarterly) after having been featured in the first issue of the tome, sharing anecdotes throughout the years with Mini enthusiasts on a diverse motoring life. So it is only fitting that MiniWorld’s Tim Mundy and Karen Drury returned the favour with a very nice selection of archive photographs and words describing the great man. They also pieced together a wide variety of personal anecdotes from well-known drivers, etc. and not-so-well known enthusiasts who wanted to share their special tale of John Cooper. It is perhaps for me the words of former MiniWorld editor and publisher, Nigel Fryatt that remonstrates the great man at his best. Over the years, starting back in 1987 with an interview for now defunct Sporting Cars International magazine, Nigel had got to know John well and this comes out in his - John Cooper: A Personal Tribute. Buy yourself a copy and enjoy.
As I have already mentioned in this article Michael Cooper, accepted the position of Honorary President to the Mini Cooper Register and this is officially announced in their April issue. An issue devoted as their ‘Special Tribute Edition to John Cooper’ - much of which is filled with anecdotes and tales from enthusiastic members sharing their thoughts and friendships, plus the likes of Paddy Hopkirk - 1964 Monte Carlo Rally winner, Stuart Turner & Peter Browning - both former BMC Competitions managers, Warwick Banks & John Rhodes - both former Cooper Car Co Mini Cooper S race drivers and Ginger Devlin - former Cooper Car Co employee and much responsible for piecing together the prototype Mini Cooper. Ginger’s tale is worth re-telling in its entity as it shows us John Cooper the larrikin.
In the early days of the Cooper organisation, long before Minis were spawned, it was not unknown for single seaters (500s & 1000 cc cars) to be seen sprinting along the Kingston bypass!(Traffic lights were light in those days). The deed entailed a pair of trade plates, a ‘silencer’ pushed into the end of the open exhaust, and a pip squeak bulb horn clipped into the cockpit. The ‘silencer’ was secured with locking wire, and didn’t do a lot!
The trip entailed about ¾ mile through the streets of Tolworth and Surbiton, onto the bypass at the ‘Toby Jug’ roundabout, a quick dash up to the ‘Ace of Spades’ roundabout (no fly under in those days) and back via Hook Rd to the workshop in Hollyfield Rd - distance about 4 miles.
One day John appeared round the corner going at a fair clip, shot into the workshop, yelled to someone "Shut the doors, quick." He was shortly followed by two very large policemen on Triumph twins - John by this time was nowhere to be seen!
However, he was soon rooted out to face his accusers by Cooper senior (the ‘old man’ as he was universally known). "Was that you driving a racing car on the public road?"
"Not me," said John, "it was probably someone from Alta Cars." (Altas made racing cars in a small factory on the bypass at Hook, by the Ace of Spades).
The policemen by now had located the car in the workshop, still with plates and silencer, etc. One of them touched the engine cover.
"This is still hot." he said.
"Yes" said John, "its been standing in the sun!" (It was a cold cloudy day in March!) The policemen gave John the look that could burn off paint.
John blustered "It’s legal, its got a silencer and a horn."
"Where’s the mudguards?" said the copper.
"Its not raining." said John.
"There’s no ratchet on the handbrake." said the other copper.
"It’s got a twin cylinder braking system." said J.C.
This confused the law a bit. A long pause - then "Don’t let us ever catch you again" they said.
No charges were ever made. I think the policemen were rather amused by the whole incident and as the police station was almost opposite our showroom, relations were fairly matey anyway.
Over the years others, including J. Brabham, Bruce McLaren and also myself were guilty of the same ‘offence’, but our blue clad friends were pretty tolerant!
Nowadays, with all the regulations prevailing it would be impossible - no seat belts, stoplights, lights to work at all times, etc, etc. Hey ho for freedom! - Ginger Devlin"
Several things remain universal from all that has been written of the great man since his passing. He was totally under-rated for much of his achievements – particularly in the changes he and his team progressed in Formula 1. But despite this maintained his enthusiasm, his professionalism and his modesty after all his many and varied achievements in a life destined always to be involved in motoring and motor sport. He would unselfishly give his time to those that shared a common interest, be it to visit him at Ferring or at one of the shows he would annually take part in. This gave him much enjoyment in doing so and gave those enthusiasts who had the opportunity to meet with him some extremely fond memories. He was indeed the Mini & Mini Cooper’s greatest ambassador and will be sorely missed.
April 2001
