Cooper T20
The Cooper T20 was a Formula 2 racing car built by the British Formula 1 team Cooper .
Development history and technology
With the T20 in 1952, Cooper not only interrupted the series of Formula 3 racing cars, but also built the first vehicle for Formula 2. The designation T was originally introduced by Cooper for the 500 cubic centimeter racing car. These racing cars ran in Formula 3 and Formula Junior .
Through this commitment, Cooper had a large customer base of drivers and their sponsors. Many of them wanted to enter the highest class of motorsport and expected a car from Cooper for that. The answer was quickly found there and the T20 was developed. The T20 was based on the T15 and, like there, had the engine in a simple frame in front of the driver. The suspension and wheels were also taken from the T15.
Racing history
The engine used was the 2-liter engine from Bristol , a six-cylinder, the basis of which was the engine from the BMW 328 . The engine made about 130 hp. Therefore, the car had to be light and easy to handle in order to compete with the Ferrari that dominated at the time. As expected, the car didn't stand a chance against the vehicles from Italy, but it scored its first points for Cooper in the Formula 1 World Championship by Alan Brown at the Swiss Grand Prix in 1952. Mike Hawthorn achieved his first successes on a T20 and was in Britain became a popular racing driver almost overnight.
literature
- David Hodges: Racing Cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 , p. 62.
