75 years of the Silverstone Grand Prix – Historic Cooper at the start

The participation of the Conservatoire National de Véhicules Historiques (CNVH) in this year's Silverstone Festival was all about the 75th anniversary of the Silverstone Grand Prix. With the historic Cooper 500 Mk V, winner of the 1951 Luxembourg Grand Prix, the CNVH was part of the Formula 3 500cc race organized by the 500 Owners Association, which united more than 60 vehicles.

The Luxembourg delegation consisted of President Georges Carbon, Vice President Tom Sauber, Treasurer Dr. Stefan Jacobs and Secretary Jean Hansen. The team was supported by Goy Feltes.

The Cooper from Luxembourg attracted a lot of attention as early as the construction of the paddock: many visitors and participants appreciated the return of this vehicle to Silverstone, where it had achieved second place in a support race in 1951 with Alan Brown.

In qualifying on Friday, there was a technical setback when the connecting bolt of the gear linkage broke. Driver Dr. Stefan Jacobs had to complete the entire session in fourth gear, but was confident.

On Sunday, Jacobs started the race from position 42. Despite a broken drive shaft and a rear-view mirror damaged by vibrations, he fought his way to 28th overall, which earned him ninth place in his category.

Dr. Stefan Jacobs spoke after the race of a “once in your lifetime experience”. Never before had so many 500 Formula 3 cars competed together on the traditional Silverstone track.

President Georges Carbon emphasized the importance of participation: “It was our duty to bring the Cooper to the start in Great Britain. We will continue to do our best to be present at historical races.” He also suggested the idea of bringing the enthusiasm for historical motorsport to Luxembourg – possibly in the form of its own gathering of the 500s.

For Vice President Tom Sauber, responsible for international and intercultural relations, Silverstone was a valuable opportunity to present the CNVH beyond national borders. The large number of new contacts opens up perspectives for future collaborations and exchange projects.

A special moment was the meeting with the descendants of Les Leston. His grandchildren Ollie and Harry, as well as their father Nick Leston – who himself had raced this Cooper in the 1990s, including at Brands Hatch – also took part in the festival.

With its successful participation in Silverstone, the CNVH has impressively documented that the Cooper 500 Mk V remains a living piece of motorsport history, even 75 years after Alan Brown's legendary use.

A handful of impressions from the Silverstone Festival 2025