Topic: Solved - MJW #148 - Cooper-Consul

[woodinsight]

What is this car called and who built it?
One point puzzle

[Allemano]

Thanks for posting all those cool car puzzles!

[woodinsight]

My pleasure. Plenty more to come!
I think it's necessary to try to cover many obscure cars here that don't necessarily appear on the 'net.

[woodinsight]

Experts should solve this one quickly

[barrett]

That's the Cooper-Consul, built by Tony Kunesch between 1953-56 on a Cooper 500 chassis with a 1500cc Ford Consul engine.
It had a lightweight tubular frame covered by Aluminium bodywork and was registered 90 APL.
The body was left unpainted throughout Kunesch's ownership.
Kunesh used the car every day for 5 years, clocking up nearly 50,000 miles before it was sold in 1961.
The car was sold to Californian Michael Tangney in 1987 but was brought back to the UK by Duncan Rabigliati at some point
and sold with the rest of his collection, now fully restored, in the late 1990s.
I don't know of the current whereabouts of this car.

[woodinsight]

That's the car and thank you for the background to this interesting car.
I may have some more photos that I'll post here in due course.

[Wendax]

I found some more information about this car:

Ivor Bueb was well known for his most successful exploits in 500cc Cooper single-seaters. One of his cars, a 1948 Mk IV (5-15-48) was sold in 1953 to a Mr Kunesch, who had it fitted with a front-mounted Laystall-Lucas Ford Consul engine and an ENV back axle. He took this to Peels Motor Works of Kingston-on-Thames and they built a very well-proportioned little coupé body for it, not unlike a miniature Ferrari. The car retained its Cooper magnesium wheels.

[woodinsight]

Thanks Wendax, much appreciated...