This Cooper Monaco Mark I was the first of the production rear-engined sports-racing cars built in the legendary Cooper Car Company Ltd’s factory in Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, ready for the 1959 racing season.

It was preceded by only one prototype car, which actually took the higher chassis serial number ‘CM-2-59’ since it was not signed off from the factory until February 26, 1959, whereas ‘CM-1-59’ had been signed-off on January 15 that year.

While the ‘No.

2’ (prototype) car was delivered direct to Sebring, Florida, for its French-based former Grand Prix driver Hermano da Silva Ramos to compete in the 12-Hours classic, this ‘No.

1’ car was shipped to Helsinki, Finland, for its proud new owner, the Finnish industrialist Curt Lincoln.

Curt Lincoln was his nation’s leading racing driver of the period and he was extremely active in Scandinavian events and also competed whenever the opportunity presented itself ‘behind the Iron Curtain’ in Soviet territory, most notably on the publi...