This Cooper Sports has had a fascinating history, almost lost to the scrap yard but for a petrol head who instead of crushing it sold it for £40 .00 to the chap George Cooper bought it from. John Cooper had made three prototypes during the 1949/50 period. The first one was a Cooper Vauxhall, a Cooper Rover (In conjunction with noddy Coombs) and then, for himself he built the Cooper Sports MG. At Goodwood in June 1950 he gave a young Stirling Moss a race, sharing helmets. The first two prototypes have vanished, possibly broken up, and as you will learn the CMG was so close to the same fate before George Cooper of Kilsyth came along.
Several different drivers seemed to give it an airing during its short time as a Works car. It was seen at Silverstone, reported at Montlhery, Prescott etc. etc. Backtracking to 1950/51 Ken Wharton got his hands on it, rallied, raced and Hillclimbed it with success (as was reported in the mags of the day). It was sold to the Reece Cousins of Liverpool, then Francis Dundas of Dumfries in 1953. Frank used it at driving tests, The Rest & Be Thankful and our very own Bo’ness.
