Charlie Cooper - Inter-war Years

Inter-war Years

During the course of the war Cooper had built a considerable body of experience of practical mechanics on top of his engineering training and, following a short period spent turning a profit by reconditioning war-surplus motorcycles, in 1919 he decided to set up his own garage. He bought a plot of land on Ewell Road in Surbiton, near his family home, and built the business that would form the foundation for his future success. He married Elsie (née Paul) in 1922 and the following year their son, John Cooper, was born.

During the early years after the Great War Cooper's interest in motorcycles and motor sport brought him into contact with another record-breaking pioneer driver, Kaye Don. Cooper gradually became a key part of Don's racing team. In addition to tending to Don's varied stable of MGs and Bugattis, that were regularly raced at Brooklands, Cooper was also involved in the preparation and running of the Sunbeam Silver Bullet, Don's 1930 land speed record challenger. In his spare time, Cooper constructed a midget car for his nine year-old son, with a custom-made chassis and bodywork, powered by a 175 cc (10.7 cu in) motorcycle engine. He built himself a Flying Flea light aircraft from plans published in Practical Mechanics, and in 1936 he constructed a second special for John, now in his early teenage years, this time based on an Austin 7.

Cooper's Brooklands connections later blossomed into a partnership with Alfa Romeo racer Ginger Hamilton. With Hamilton's assistance, in 1934 Cooper moved his business to new premises about a mile down the road. The new garage and Vauxhall Motors dealership that Cooper built on wasteland behind 243 Ewell Road, which opened onto Hollyfield Road, was to become the heart of the Cooper operation right through its glory years.