Highlights

Ex-Bill Needham car with extensive European racing pedigree
Restored sympathetically to original specification by the current owners
Competed in the Earl of March Trophy at the Goodwood Revival (1998–2001)
Extensive spares package, including a rebuilt zero-hours 4B JAP engine, trailer, and pit starter
Cockpit cover signed by Sir Stirling Moss

The Appeal

The Cooper 500 was the car that helped define post-war British motorsport. The 500cc Formula 3 class served as a proving ground for a generation of racing talent, and Cooper’s rear-engined cars were right at the front of the pack. This 1950 Mk4 (T12), chassis number 1000/14, is an ex-Bill Needham car that was campaigned extensively across some of Europe’s most celebrated circuits, including the Nürburgring, Spa, Zandvoort, Montlhéry, Pau, and Monza, as well as numerous UK circuits and hillclimb venues.

The current owners have carried out a sympathetic restoration to original specification, as far as it can be established. The car is fitted with a Bill Needham-built 4B JAP engine running on an Amal Type 27 carburettor, having covered only a few genuine running hours since rebuild. The vendor states that the car’s condition is excellent throughout.

More recent competition history includes taking part in the Earl of March Trophy at the Goodwood Revival from 1998 to 2001, and it was selected for static display at the 2011 Revival alongside other prominent 500cc cars—an occasion on which Sir Stirling Moss sat in the car and signed the cockpit cover. The car’s history is documented in Duncan Rabagliati’s respected book, Historic 500cc Formula 3 1970–2011.

Accompanying the car is a substantial spares package, a two-wheel trailer, and a Honda pit starter, making this a ready-to-campaign proposition for historic racing or a notable addition to any serious collection.

Key Information

Mileage: n/a
Country of registration: Not road registered
Technical inspection status: exempt
Technical specs: 500cc single-cylinder 4B JAP engine, four-speed manual gearbox
Paperwork: FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Forms, 750 MC Vehicle Identity Registration Forms, 500 Owners Association Vehicle Identity Forms, and an extensive history file with competition photographs

The Detail

Restored sympathetically by the current owners to original specification, as near as can be ascertained
Includes a rebuilt zero-hours 4B JAP engine as a spare
Spare set of magnesium wheels included (two fitted with tyres, though the vendor notes the tyres are not in good condition)
Spare clutch, clutch plates, gearbox, and duplex oil pump included
Stands, quick-lift jack, and various other spares included
Two-wheel trailer included
Honda pit starter included
Cockpit cover bears the signature of Sir Stirling Moss
Documented in Duncan Rabagliati’s Historic 500cc Formula 3 1970–2011

BEFORE YOU BUY

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