- The Cooper-Bristol T40 played a crucial role in launching Jack Brabham’s legendary F1 career.
- Featuring a rear-engine layout, Brabham’s T40 set the stage for future Formula 1 car designs.
- The race car comes equipped with a 2.0-liter inline-six engine paired with a manual gearbox.
Few people have personally had the impact on racing that Sir Jack Brabham did. He built his own racing career and then headed up a motorsports company. This 1955 Cooper-Bristol T40 is the first Formula 1 car he ever drove and is now for sale. It’s a legendary piece of racing history that would look perfect in just about any classic car collection.
Brabham helped develop this car and drove it in the 1955 British GP. It features a 2.0-liter inline-six engine, a manual gearbox, and a fire extinguisher on board should something go sideways. While it didn’t finish due to overheating it was still notable for being the first F1 car with a rear-engined layout. The car might not have made it back to F1 but its layout stuck.
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The T40 then went onto other racing series including a fourth-place finish at Snetterton Circuit. “The specialized press spoke of a battle of champions, and it was certainly an important step in my career. Without that race, I would definitely have gone back to Australia…The car behaved wonderfully,” said Brabham in his autobiography.
Had it not run so well, he might not have started his own company dubbed Motor Racing Developments LTD.
Commonly referred to simply as Brabham, MRD is the same company responsible for the legendary BT46B Fan Car of 1978. Designed by Gordon Murray, it won its first and only race at the hands of Niki Lauda before Brabham itself retired it. These are far from the major innovations brought about by Brabham though. His company pioneered carbon brakes, full-width rear wings, and carbon-fiber composites.
This 1955 race car is a clear call back to a company that made a huge impact on racing. Today, Brabham as a brand is basically shuddered. It attempted to make a comeback as a supercar and racing company but its partnership with its majority shareholder ended earlier this year. Parties interested in this classic F1 car can find it at RM Sotheby’s private sales page.
