mk1-forum.net

Then and now.

http://excoboard.com/immcc/77467/1970509

Nice pictures thanks for posting.

Some more here:-
The Cooper Works later The Traffic Police Garage In Surbiton
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7193

Love that shot of JC outside the showroom with the three Minis, a shot I've been after a while , anyone know where I can get a decent res copy of that ?

I'm sure it's in either the Filby or the Golding book Pete, but it's a montage photo, and in the original you can clearly see the joins!

I have it somewhere, I'm sure. will have a look for it and let you know where.

Al

Cheers Al, though I don't recall seeing it any of the books to be honest. It's rare to find a shot of the showroom at all and you can just see the corner of it in that one.

Page 257 of 'Cooper Cars' by Doug Nye.

The photo credis notes that both Father (Charles) and later John both lived with their families in the flat above the shop on the corner of 243 Newell Road

Al

Aha ! That book ! Costs a bomb does that little book, hence why I've never bought it, I wondered why I'd not seen it before !

Thanks Al, I could probably email Doug to see where it came from or if anyone fancies scanning a copy of that shot I'd be very grateful

will email you the pic later today.

I think the same picture appeared in John Cooper's column in Miniworld many years ago, but may have been a closer crop

Al

Page 257 of Nye 'Cooper Cars' (World Champions series) Osprey.

Cropped in the other photo, bottom left says 1962, and inset of Cooper special to compare 1936.

Corner showroom window says "The Austin Super" and a weird squiggle... "Austin for Luxury"

Full caption of the picture (I hope Doug Nye won't mind!):

The Cooper empire after 25 years’ effort, depicted in this montage promotional photo ; Charles and John supposedly blocking Hollyfield Road with their Mini-Coopers, No 243 Ewell Road on the corner with the family flat above where first Mr & Mrs Cooper Snr then Mr & Mrs Jr lived before buying properties elsewhere ; the corner showroom where Stirling Moss spotted his first Cooper 500, where Owen Maddock studied the ThinWall Special and from where Ian Burgess and Andrew Ferguson used to run the Drivers’ School. In the background is the rebuilt production factory, now with the drawing office housed in the penthouse extension, while Major Owens had taken over the old drawing office behind the ‘Esso’ sign. Inset, the Cooper Spl ‘TI’, John up, in the Brooklands paddock.

I was in a postal book club back in the early eighties and bought a lot of books that way, now very pleased I spent the money!

Cheers