1951 Cooper Mk V

This was one of the competitors in the Scratch Race for 500cc Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1981.

It's the 1951 Cooper Mk V of R.F.H.Wright with a 4998cc engine. After the Second World War motor racing in the UK was slow to re-start, partly because of petrol rationing and the cost of running a suitable car. Home-built ‘specials’ powered by 500cc motorcycle were created to provide a reasonably cheap way means of getting involved in the sport. John Cooper and Eric Brandon, with the assistance of John’s father Charles, decided in 1946 to build two cars, and in 1947 in the second post-war race meeting to be held Eric Brandon won the first race to feature 500cc cars. In 1950 this 500cc class of racing was adopted by the FIA as a new Formula 3, and John and Charles Cooper went on to build a series of these 500cc cars, eventually graduating to Formula 2, then Formula 1 culminating in Jack Brabham winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 1959 and 1960 in the 2½ litre Cooper Climax. There's a 500 Owners Association for all 500cc Formula Three enthusiasts, with lots of information about the different marques that took part.

1950 Kieft F3

This was one of the competitors in the Formula 500 class in the Lenham Storage Formula Junior Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club’s Spring Historic Race meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

It’s the 1950 Kieft of Malcolm Carter, Kieft being one of the most successful of the 500cc Formula 3 manufacturers alongside Cooper. There's a thriving 500 Owners Association with details of lots of the cars that have competed in 500cc racing since it started in 1946. In the background are two cars that took part in the same race, both of them Formula Junior cars. Number 4 is the 1960 Lola FJ Mk 2 of Josie Tolhurst and number 17 the 1961 Gemini Mk 3A of Bill Burrows.

1955 Martin F3

This car took part in the 500cc Formula 3 race that ran alongside the Historic Formula Junior Championship race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Autumn Historic Car Races meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's the 1955 Martin F3 car of Reg Hargrave, but there's no other information about the car in the programme of the event. The website of the 500 Owners Association, however, tells you about Ray Martin and his cars, as well as many of the other marques that took part in this class of racing.

1955 Cousy 500cc

This car took part in the Short Scratch Race for Formula 3 (500) Racing Cars at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

The leading car is the 1955 Cousy No.2 of John Jones, the second of two cars built by Frenchman Georges Cousy with a flat opposed twin two-stroke engine of his own design. Behind him is the yellow 1952 Kieft CK52 of Rodney Delves. There's a thriving 500 Owners Association with details of lots of the cars that have competed in 500cc racing since it started in 1946.

1950 Comet MkI F3

This was one of the competitors in the F3 500s race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Formula Vintage meeting at Oulton Park in May 2019.

It's Duncan Rabagliati in his 1950 Comet MkI at Britten's chicane during the morning practice session. The Comet MkI was built by Brian Heyward and his father to replace an aged Cooper MkIV and it originally had a JAP engine, later replaced with a Norton unit. There's a 500 Owners Association site that has lots of details about the 500cc Formula 3 years, including details of the many different marques that were created for the Formula.

Here's the Comet at Druids Corner during the race.

1955 Cooper Mk IX

I took this photograph at McLeans Corner during the 5 lap Scratch Race for Formula 3 (500cc) Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

Leading is John Turner in his 1955 Cooper Mk IX, followed by Frederick Harper who was competing in the Invited Class in a 1950 Cooper Mk IV with a 1,100cc engine. After the Second World War motor racing in the UK was slow to re-start, partly because of petrol rationing and the cost of running a suitable car. Home-built ‘specials’ powered by 500cc motorcycle were created to provide a reasonably cheap way means of getting involved in the sport. John Cooper and Eric Brandon, with the assistance of John’s father Charles, decided in 1946 to build two cars, and in 1947 in the second post-war race meeting to be held Eric Brandon won the first race to feature 500cc cars. In 1950 this 500cc class of racing was adopted by the FIA as a new Formula 3, and John and Charles Cooper went on to build a series of these 500cc cars, eventually graduating to Formula 2, then Formula 1 culminating in Jack Brabham winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 1959 and 1960 in the 2½ litre Cooper Climax. There's a 500 Owners Association for enthusiasts and owners of these cars.