Vintage Racing Services

1959 Bob Akin Cooper Monaco Mark I

1959 Bob Akin Cooper Monaco Mark I (T49)

A superb example and arguably the best-known Cooper Monaco in North America. Previously owned and raced extensively by professional and vintage sports car racer Bob Akin. Serial number CM 5-59.

History

Cooper Monaco CM 5-59 was sold new in 1959 to BP Trading Italy and raced initially by Scuderia Centro Sud powered by a Maserati 200SI engine. The car was campaigned by Colin Davis, Carroll Smith and Gianni Balzarini. CM 5-59 car finished 1st in the Grand Prix of Messina and was raced in the 1960 Targa Florio.

The Cooper Monaco was essentially a tube-frame Cooper Formula 1 car widened to accommodate two seats and finished with a full-fendered aluminum body for sports car racing. Stirling Moss had turned the F1 world on its head in 1958, when he won the Argentine GP driving a privately entered Cooper-Climax owned by Rob Walker against larger front-engine competition. Australian Jack Brabham won the F1 World Championship driving works Cooper-Climaxes in both 1959 and 1960, changing the face of F1 and sports car racing forever.Among other drivers who raced the Mark I Cooper Monaco in 1959 were Brabham, John Fitch and American Hap Sharp, who later partnered with Jim Hall to build and race the legendary Chaparral sports racing cars. Cooper Monacos were also notably raced by Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Briggs Cunningham and others in the U.S. in 1961-62. The majority of Cooper Monacos were built with the Coventry Climax FPF similar to the engine used by Brabham and Cooper to dominate Formula One racing in 1959-60, although other cars were delivered with no engine.

A total of 30 Cooper Monacos were constructed by the works. Other cars were later built up from spares.

By 1963-64 the Cooper Monaco proved to be a popular basis for creating a lightweight rear engine V-8 powered sports racing car. All twelve of the later T61 Cooper Monacos built in 1963-64 were delivered to their first owners with no engine. Carroll Shelby and Shelby American took delivery of eight of these cars, installing the Ford 289 c.i. engine raced successfully in Shelby Cobras. These Ford-powered Cooper Monacos became known as ‘King Cobras’ and were extremely effective in the hands of drivers Dave McDonald, Bob Holbert and Parnelli Jones.

Special Provenance

CM 5-59 was converted to coil-over suspension and the current body format in period by Carroll Smith, who later became well known for his race car engineering and set-up skills. The modified body work—including the distinctive open rear wheel wells—is also attributed to Smith.

CM 5-59 was later purchased by New York racer Bob Akin, who installed the Coventry Climax FPF engine. Akin’s professional career included winning the 12 Hours of Sebring twice and racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times. Akin was well known for his red Coca-Cola sponsored Porsches. When he retired from professional racing in 1991, he continued as a top vintage racer with Cooper Monaco CM 5-59 and other cars. The Bob Akin Motorsports Award is presented annually at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Specifications

Chassis: CM 5-59
Engine: 2.5 Coventry Climax FPF
Engine Number: 430/270/1249
Transmission: Hewland FT 200
Brakes: racing disk brakes
Color: red/black
Price: $250,000

Market Intelligence
Cooper Monaco Sports Racing Car
Number built: 30 (8 Mark 1 T49)
Auction Est. $300,000-400,000
Recent Sales: Bonhams 2007, $225,000