Drivers

Eric Brandon

A childhood friend of John Cooper, Brandon was an electrical goods wholesaler who became the owner of one of the original Cooper 500cc chassis in 1946. He and Cooper raced them in hillclimbs and sprints and in 1947 Brandon won the first ever 500cc race in Britain, held at Gransden Lodge airfield. In 1950 the series became known as Formula 3 and the following year Brandon teamed up with Jimmy Richmond to establish Ecurie Richmond, which ran Cooper-Nortons for Brandon and Alan Brown. Brandon won one of the British F3 titles, Brown won the other. When the World Championship was run to F2 regulations in 1953 and 1954 Brandon competed in five Grands Prix with Ecurie Richmond Cooper-Bristols.Brandon later funded the construction of the Halseylec sportscar and then drifted away from motor racing, becoming more interested in hydroplane racing.