Jack Brabham’s 1955 Cooper-Bristol T40

August 20, 2024 JOMA

The First Formula 1 Car Driven by Jack Brabham

Playing a significant role in the career of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Jack Brabham, the Cooper-Bristol T40 was not only the first Formula 1 car driven by Brabham but also the first Formula 1 car to feature a rear-engined layout. The T40 combined Cooper’s T39 chassis, with its wheelbase extended by 50 mm, and a Bristol 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine, which Brabham further developed for his Formula 1 use.

The T40 made its debut at the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree, but unfortunately, it did not reflect the hard work Brabham and his team put into making the car successful. After qualifying in 25th position, some 27 seconds behind Stirling Moss on pole, Brabham spent most of the race in last place before retiring one-third of the way through due to an overheating engine. His mechanics had to push him at the start of the race, as the car struggled to get off the line due to a damaged clutch and a gearbox with first gear removed to fit both the gearbox and engine into the chassis. This would be the only Formula 1 race the T40 participated in, but the car’s impact on the sport was long-lasting, as the T40 marked the beginning of Formula 1’s rear-engined future.

Brabham continued to race the T40 at events outside the Formula 1 World Championship, memorably finishing 4th at an event in Snetterton after a lengthy duel with Stirling Moss. Brabham recalled the race in his autobiography When the Flag Drops: 'The specialized press spoke of a battle of champions, and it was certainly an important step in my career. Without that race, I would definitely have gone back to Australia… The car behaved wonderfully.' Brabham eventually decided to return to Australia and New Zealand, where the car raced at Orange, Ardmore, and Port Wakefield, with its most notable appearance being a victory at the 1955 Formula Libre Australian Grand Prix (an event that at the time did not count toward the world championship).

Brabham sold the Cooper-Bristol to Reg Smith in 1956 to finance his family’s move back to Europe, where his career truly took off, ultimately leading to three Formula 1 World Championships, 123 races, and fourteen victories.