# Cooper T45

The Cooper T45 was an open-wheel formula racing car, developed and built by the Cooper Car Company in 1958, and designed by Owen Maddock. It competed in Formula 2 racing as well as in Formula One racing, where it won one World Championship Grand Prix, the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, being driven by Maurice Trintignant.

## Development history and technology

The Cooper T45 was the successor to the Cooper T43. The chassis remained almost unchanged, but the wheel suspension was revised. The engine was lowered. Until 1959 the cars had drum brakes, which were then replaced by disc brakes.

## Racing history

For the Formula 1 version, Climax developed a 2.2-litre engine. Since this engine was exclusively available to the works team, Rob Walker had to resort to the 2-litre engine, which had less power. In 1958, Frenchman Maurice Trintignant surprisingly won the Monaco Grand Prix with the Walker 2-litre T45. However, the car lacked power on the fast stretches. Especially against the competition from Ferrari and Vanwall, the Coopers had no chance. Works driver Roy Salvadori was third at Silverstone and second at the Nurburgring and fourth overall in the Drivers' Championship. Cooper finished third in the Constructor's Championship, which was held for the first time.

## Complete 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 | Points | WCC |
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Climax FPF L4 | D | | ARG | MON | NED | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | MOR | 31 | 3rd |
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Climax FPF L4 | D | Jack Brabham | | 4 | 8 | | Ret | 6 | 6 | Ret† | 6 | Ret | 11† | 31 | 3rd |
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Climax FPF L4 | D | Roy Salvadori | | Ret | 4 | | 8 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 3rd |
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Climax FPF L4 | D | Ian Burgess | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 31 | 3rd |
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Climax FPF L4 | D | Jack Fairman | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | 31 | 3rd |
| 1958 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Climax FPF L4 | D | Maurice Trintignant | | 1 | 9 | | | | | 3 | | Ret | Ret | 31 | 3rd |
| 1959 | High Efficiency Motors | Maserati L4 | D | | MON | 500 | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | | | 0 | - |
| 1959 | High Efficiency Motors | Maserati L4 | D | Roy Salvadori | 6 | | | Ret | | | | | Ret | | | 0 | - |
| 1959 | High Efficiency Motors | Maserati L4 | D | Jack Fairman | | | | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 | - |
| 1959 | High Efficiency Motors | Climax FPF L4 | D | Jack Fairman | | | | | Ret | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1959 | Jean Lucienbonnet | Climax FPF L4 | D | Jean Lucienbonnet | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1959 | Equipe Alan Brown | Climax FPF L4 | D | Mike Taylor | | | | | Ret | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1959 | Equipe Alan Brown | Climax FPF L4 | D | Peter Ashdown | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1959 | Gilby Engineering | Climax FPF L4 | D | Keith Greene | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1959 | R.H.H. Parnell | Climax FPF L4 | D | Tim Parnell | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 40 | 1st |
| 1960 | Equipe Nationale Belge | Climax FPF L4 | D | | ARG | MON | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | | 48 (58) | 1st |
| 1960 | Equipe Nationale Belge | Climax FPF L4 | D | Lucien Bianchi | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | 48 (58) | 1st |
| 1960 | Arthur Owen | Climax FPF L4 | D | Arthur Owen | | | | | | | | | Ret | | | 48 (58) | 1st |
| 1960 | Wolfgang Seidel | Climax FPF L4 | D | Wolfgang Seidel | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | 48 (58) | 1st |
| 1960 | Gilby Engineering | Maserati L4 | D | Keith Greene | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 | - |
| 1961 | Fred Tuck Cars | Climax FPF 1.5 L4 | D | | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | | | | 14 (18) | 4th |
| 1961 | Fred Tuck Cars | Climax FPF 1.5 L4 | D | Jack Fairman | | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 14 (18) | 4th |
† Formula Two entry. ^1 Points also scored by the Cooper T43. ^2 All points scored by other Cooper models. ^3 Points also scored by other Cooper models.