Cooper T77

Cooper T77
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorCooper Car Company
Designer(s)Eddie Stait
PredecessorCooper T73
SuccessorCooper T81
Technical specifications
ChassisSteel spaceframe with partial stressed panels
Suspension (front)Double wishbone, inboard coil spring and damper
Suspension (rear)Lower wishbone, upper trailing arm and transverse link, coil spring and damper
EngineCoventry Climax FWMV 1.5-litre V8, naturally aspirated, rear mid, longitudinally mounted.
TransmissionCooper 6-speed manual gearbox.
TyresDunlop
Competition history
Notable entrantsCooper Car Company
Notable driversNew Zealand Bruce McLaren
Austria Jochen Rindt
Debut1964 Monaco Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsF/Laps
10010

The Cooper T77 is a 1.5-litre Formula One car entered in the 1965 Formula One World Championship by the Cooper Car Company.[1][2][3]

Development

1965 saw Cooper in a state of flux. Cooper's founder Charlie Cooper had died in 1964 and his son John sold the company in April 1965. Designer Owen Maddock had left. The 1.5 litre formula was in its final year and the focus was on the new 3-litre formula. No real development was carried out and so the T77 was not much changed from the previous year's T73.

Racing history

Cooper T77 chassis on display at the 2015 Essen Motor Show

The T77 made its World Championship debut at the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix, where McLaren finished fifth and Rindt failed to qualify. The rest of the season proved to be another disappointment for the team, their best result being McLaren's third place in Belgium, and Rindt's fourth place in Germany. McLaren finished ninth in the World Championship with 10 points and Rindt finished thirteenth with 4 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Cooper finished fifth.

This was McLaren's final year with Cooper. He left to form his own team. Jochen Rindt remained, driving the new T81, initially teamed with Richie Ginther, and then by John Surtees following his acrimonious departure from Ferrari.

Rindt's car was sold on and fitted with an ATS 2.7 litre V8 engine. Jo Bonnier practiced it at the 1966 French Grand Prix but found it too slow. Silvio Moser then drove it in the British Grand Prix. Starting twentieth, he did not finish the race because of an oil pressure problem.


Formula One World Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Constructor WCC Points
1965 Cooper Car Company Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 D RSA MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX Cooper-Climax 5th 14
Bruce McLaren 5 3 Ret 10 Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret
Jochen Rindt DNQ 11 Ret 14 Ret 4 6 Ret
1966 Anglo-Suisse Racing Team ATS 2.7 V8 D MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX Cooper-ATS NC 0
Jo Bonnier PO
1967 Charles Vögele ATS 2.7 V8 D RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX Cooper-ATS NC 0
Silvio Moser Ret

Formula One Non-Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

1965 Cooper Car Company Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 D ROC SYR SMT INT MED RAN
Bruce McLaren 5 4 6
Jochen Rindt 7 Ret Ret
1967 Charles Vögele ATS 2.7 V8 D ROC SPC INT SYR OUL ESP
Silvio Moser Ret

References

  1. ^ "Cooper T77 car-by-car histories".
  2. ^ "Cooper T77 • STATS F1".
  3. ^ Whitelock, Mark (10 August 2006). 1 1/2-litre Grand Prix Racing: Low Power, High Tech. ISBN 9781845840167.