Cooper
Bristol T20/T23

Why it matters

The Bristol-engined Cooper was Cooper's first purpose-designed Formula 2 car, built for 1952, and the car in which Mike Hawthorn made his name. His results earned him a Ferrari works contract at the end of that season.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

History

The Mk I (later T20) was built from scratch in a very short time and first rolled out in January 1952. A run of three cars was planned, but a fourth was ordered and all four ran at the 1952 Goodwood Easter Meeting, where Hawthorn won the Lavant Cup with the new cars taking second and third. Four more orders followed, the last on a longer wheelbase for a supercharged ERA engine.

The revised Mk II (T23) of 1953 used a tubular frame, split V-shaped radiators and larger separate brake drums, and could take other engines, including Alta four-cylinders, known as T24. It scored no World Championship points; the best result was sixth for Stirling Moss in the German GP. From 1954 the championship moved to Formula 1, which made the cars obsolete.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Cooper T20 / T23 Bristol Level B Ultimatecarpage.com

   • The engine selected was the Bristol straight-six
   • The engine selected was the Bristol straight-six, based on the famous BMW 328 engine
   • It used a box section chassis frame ... Mk II ... tubular frame chassis
   • transverse leaf spring as top half of the suspension, complemented by lower wishbones

   Accessed 2026-11-12