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The Cooper Bristol T40 was the first Formula One car with the engine behind the driver.
Jack Brabham’s first ever Formula One car – the 1955 Cooper Bristol T40 – has been listed for sale in Monaco.
Based on John Cooper’s existing T39 and built almost entirely by Sir Jack, the T40 is significant as the first mid-engined car to ever compete in the top tier of post-war Grand Prix racing.
The Cooper’s mid-mounted 2.0-litre Bristol engine produced approximately 112kW, sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed transmission borrowed from a Citroen road car. The bespoke aerodynamic body was inspired by the Lotus MK8 and Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner.
Performance specifications are hard to come by, but the T40 wasn’t particularly quick – even for its time.
Despite its revolutionary layout, it struggled on track from the get-go, retiring from the only official championship Formula One race it entered – the 1955 British Grand Prix – on lap 30, after qualifying in 25
th
position.
While this was the only official Formula One race in which it was entered, Brabham later won the non-championship 1955 Australian Grand Prix behind the wheel of the T40.
Despite its (largely underwhelming) performance in competition, the Cooper Bristol T40 laid the groundworks for a mid-engined revolution that would take over the top tier of open-wheel racing before the decade was out. In 1959 Jack Brabham would win his first world championship, driving his legendary Cooper T51.
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