By Aaron Cordy
WHEN Lex Davison asked Phil Irving, who was the designer of the Vincent engine, to build him a Hillclimb car that was untouchable in the 1950s, they came up with the Cooper Irving.
Shepparton resident, Rod North, now owns the classic car that has a colourful history, which includes ownership of the Cooper Irving by his uncle, Graeme North, from 1960 to 1961.
The single-seater car was imported into Australia with a JAP 500 motor and was first raced at Bathurst by Dick Cobden in 1952. The Cooper changed hands three times before it was purchased by Lex Davison in 1956. With the aid of Phil Irving, the engine was supercharged to become the Cooper Irving and went on to win the Australian Hillclimb Championships in 1956 and ’57.
In 2020, Rod brought the Cooper Irving back to Shepparton to restore it to its former glory. He knew there was a lot of work ahead of him, but his family connection to the old race car meant he was ready for the labour of love.
“To me, the family history is what I wanted, because my uncle did have it, and I just wanted to get it back. You know, even though we didn’t get it built,” said Rod.
“It’s nearly identical to what it was in ’57 when that engine was put in. I’ve tried to keep it the same. I even got the numbers copied off some pictures, because I wanted it as it was back in the day.”
