Coys Auction - True Greats
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 1st December 2009
This interesting little single-seater ‘Cooper Miniposto’ started out in life as an Atco training car in 1939.
The Atco training car was launched in July 1939 to improve road safety awareness through schools and colleges. Following the outbreak of World War II, production was halted after 250 had been sold. At some time after the introduction of the Cooper Bristol F2 in 1952, the mechanics working at the Chequered Flag Garage in Chiswick, converted this little Atco trainer into a facsimile of Cooper’s outstanding race car. The front axle was moved forward in order to create the correct proportions and the Atco body was replaced with a fair representation of the Cooper’s, crafted in steel and originally painted in BRG. Adorned with an original Cooper nose badge, which flatters to deceive as the little racer still retains the rather ponderous 1-1/2 hp Villiers engine – good fo