Ken Miles, Cooper Porsche, Palm Springs, 1957

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26840269772270154&set=gm.3358274384346142&idorvanity=132380976935515

At the Paramount Ranch on Nov '56, Ken won both the Under 1500cc. and Over 1500cc. main events in this car.

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/BillTibbetts051MilesCooperPorsche1.html

I posted about the car 15 years ago... how weird to say "oh, just happened to have learned about this 15 years ago, and did a decent job putting the info on this blog" 

15 years... that's a LOT of years 

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/05/just-learned-about-pooper-yeah-stupid.html

'61 Mini Cooper dragster

https://www.dragzine.com/features/this-radical-1961-mini-cooper-is-door-car-meets-dragster

in homage to Verne Troyer, Mike Meyers, and Austin Powers (Austin, huh, I didn't put that together with British secret agent, and British car maker, Austin, until just now) I present the Mini Cooper

https://catchmeifyoucan427.tumblr.com/

how a car get designed sometimes is happenstance

photo from http://www.conceptcarz.com/z13765/Cooper-T43-Mark-II.aspx

John Cooper put the engine behind the driver, because when he built F3 cras, he used motorcycle engines and they connected to the drive wheels by chain.

Cooper cars dominated in F3, so the designer Owen Maddock took the concept to F1

the Cooper t56 that Steve McQueen once raced

Kimberly Cooper special

1949 Cooper /MG T10

The Shelby King Cobra was at the LaJolla concours

 As for why this Cooper badges car is called the Shelby King Cobra: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/shelby-king-cobra-1964-usrrc-and-usac.html

they just could not get the turn signals or brake lights sorted out, and thought that if it was running it might work. Nope. They didn't give up though, and it must be worth quiet a few point on the judging to have the stuff work... so why are so many concours cars not showing up tot he show with them ready and working? A 1970s Porsche had a surprise when the judge told the owner (of 20 some years) to turn the fog lights on, and he had absolutely NO IDEA how. Zero clue on a car he's owned for 20 some years. He even hit the windshield washer fluid pump by mistake and had to clean that up off the roof and windshield. 

That awkward moment when you crash a $12 million Ferrari... and a couple other cool photos from Asaucerfulofwheels.tumblr.com

That awkward moment when you crash a $12 million Ferrari, http://asaucerfulofwheels.tumblr.com/post/11862140196/david-love-ferrari-250-tr-monterey-historics-2009 tp see it in slow mo

David Love/Ferrari 250TR/Monterey Historics/2009

Timo Mäkinen Mini Cooper S RAC Rally 1967. http://rcma.free.fr/escort/victoires.htm


Hitchcock in a big cart... never would have thought I'd ever see that!

1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Streamline Roadsterm, built for a King of Iraq, Erdmann & Rossi coachbuilders
all found on http://asaucerfulofwheels.tumblr.com/

The Shelby King Cobra, the 1964 USRRC and USAC fall series from 1963-1964

 

turbo Busa powered 1966 mini Cooper

240 hp at 1500 pounds. Must be really fun! In comparison, the porsche Spyder from the factory weighed about 1250pounds and had 110 hp. A kit car with a tricked out engine will get about 230 hp, so this Cooper has nearly the power to weight of a racing Porsche Spyder. Pretty damn amazing

Just learned about the Pooper. yeah, stupid name, but catchy: Porsche engined Cooper race car by Pete Lovely

When the Porsche 550 RS was replaced with the much-improved 550A, John von Neumann had trouble procuring one of the in-demand new cars for his racing stable. 

So driver Ken Miles called upon his days building custom specials and had von Neumann order a light and nimble Cooper race car without a motor. 

After a Porsche 550 engine was installed and modifications were made with the help of fabricator Dick Troutman, the “Pooper” proved nearly unbeatable in its class. 

Porsche took notice and, dismayed that the homebuilt special was beating their factory cars, quickly delivered a 550A to von Neumann’s shop, putting an end to the Pooper’s reign.

So you can even call it a Lovely Pooper.

Read about it if you're curious at: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970705&slug=2547962

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/PebbleBeach2.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1957842381816862&set=pcb.1980998202463970

Mini Coopers and Innocenti were well represented with a variety at the British car show

I think the VTEC Honda engine has to drastically improve the power to weight ratio... must be a ball to drive!

And the way they customized the bonnet to get out of the way of the mechanic.. I wonder why this hasn't been done before? Tilt forward hoods and front ends aren't uncommon.. but this is one unique trick!

1973 Vtec Mini... http://www.vtecminis.com/ with a '98 jdm spec vtec

there is one Innocenti among these, I can't recall which one