Cooper T51
- Constructor
- cooper
- Years
- 1959–1960
- Designers
- Owen Maddock
- Engine
- Coventry Climax FPF straight-4
- Configuration
- straight-4, 2495 cc, naturally aspirated
- Power
- 240 bhp
- Chassis
- steel spaceframe
- Gearbox
- Citroen-derived or Colotti manual
- Suspension
- Front: double wishbone, coil spring and damper. Rear: transverse leaf spring with double wishbone
- Brakes
- drum
- Weight
- 701 kg
- Wheelbase
- 2642 mm
- Tyres
- Dunlop
- Races
- 24
- Wins
- 5
- Poles
- 6
- Drivers' titles
- 1
- Constructors' titles
- 1
- Specification confidence
- high
Put the engine behind the driver and the whole car gets smaller, lighter and faster with less power
Not the first rear-engined Grand Prix car, but the one that settled the argument
Cooper's rear-engined cars had been winning with half the power of a front-engined Ferrari since 1958, and the establishment kept explaining why it did not matter. Brabham's 1959 title ended the discussion: within three seasons every car on the grid had the engine behind the driver, and no front-engined car has won a World Championship race since 1960.
5 wins. Brabham's 1959 drivers' title and Cooper's 1959 constructors' title - the first for a rear-engined car.