1956 COOPER-CLIMAX T39 BOB-TAIL SPORTS RACER
Ex-Lance Reventlow, Harry Banta, Paul Moxham
Auction Estimate: AU$390,000 - $430,000 (US$312,000 - $345,000 approx.)
http://www.mossgreen.com.au/view-auctions/catalog/id/354/lot/133909/1956-COOPER-CLIMAX-T39-BOB-TAIL-SPORTS-RACER
This famous example for auction has a unique American history entwined with fame and fortune. Cooper Cars had a strong presence on the West Coast of America with their F3 cars and, as sports car racing was capturing the imagination of aspiring racing drivers in the post war era, the son of glamorous Woolworths heiress Barbara Hutton, the dashing Lance Reventlow, brought the first of 2 Cooper Bob-tails in to America via the Southern Californian Cooper distributor, Warren Olson. Reventlow had great success with 5 wins; 1 second place; 2 thirds culminating in 3rd overall and 1st in class co-driven with Ritchie Ginther at Elkhart Lake. Reventlow then competed in the Bahamas for the season finale at the Nassau Speed Week racing the Cooper with a best finish of 2nd in class.
During the same period, Nevada racing driver, Harry Banta also bought a Cooper Bob-tail by unwittingly acquiring the works car driven by Ivor Bueb at Goodwood. As Banta and Reventlow were both racing the same cars in the 1956 season, Banta in the ex-works MK1 and Reventlow in his new Mk11, they became fast friends and gentleman drivers on the track. Reventlow took out multiple wins and places in the G-Modified class at circuits including Buchanan Field, Seafair in Seattle and Palm Springs. The following year, being “the richest baby in the world” Reventlow bought a Maserati 200S; a Porsche 550 Spyder and also a second, larger Cooper-Climax twin-cam Bob-tail.
By 1958, his objectives changed as his endeavours developing the Scarab consumed his interest and by mid that year he sold both his Bob-tails to Harry Banta. Banta continued to compete in category although he had sold his own Bob-tail. He raced the twin-cam car in F-Modified but after encountering problems with it he preferred the single-cam Reventlow had also enjoyed so much, so he too, sold the twin cam.
Banta withdrew from competition in 1959 until 1961 other than 2 events at Vaca Valley and his home town of Reno. In 1962, he raced this Mk II Bob-tail at Stockton, Laguna Seca, Cotat and Oakland Airport. He then retired this car from the race track and registered it for road use, finally selling it in 1966 to a fellow Nevada racer John Kuenzli II. It was raced minimally and spent most of its life in storage although interestingly, it passed through Banta's hands once again from 1969 to 1974. There were 2 more owners until it was acquired through a broker in California by Paul Moxham and brought to Australia in 1995. This was a chance of a life time for Moxham who had already acquired the ex-Ivor Bueb works car. It was an astonishing reunion that any keen historic enthusiast could only relish. The ex-works car was sold in 2004. In September 2009, the Reventlow car restoration was complete enough for testing. Its shake down was carried out by 2-times Australian Driver's Champion, Spencer Martin at Wakefield Park. The car has its Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) Certificate of Description and logbook issued January 19, 2010 and its FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP).
The story of Lance Reventlow with his good looks, wealth, pedigree and his perchance for racing cars, when only the best would do, is unique. The survival and preservation of this racing car is important, as it is not only part of the Reventlow legacy, but is believed to be one of a mere 40-50 examples originally built and perhaps less than half that number survive making this genuine car extremely rare. Lance Reventlow, was tragically killed in 1972 in a light plane crash in the Colorado Rockies. He was only 36 years old.
This sleek aluminium skinned, tubular steel framed racing car features a wrap-around windscreen and two-piece drop-down doors. The 1,450 cc SOHC Coventry Climax engine, which is believed to have been fitted by Harry Banta, is fitted with twin 40DCO3 sandcast Weber carburettors and an ERSA Alliance 4-speed gearbox. This car had modifications in period to the radiator and air intake for brake cooling.
Together with the Reventlow provenance and the recent restoration, this rare 1950s Cooper-Climax is ready to be raced at any chosen premier International historic event. The car will be accompanied with a dossier of paperwork including photographs.
