Jack Brabham won the 1959 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in a rear-engined Cooper.
Brabham won two races in 1959, the Monaco and British Grands Prix, and scored enough points through consistent finishes to secure the championship. His Cooper T51 used a Coventry-Climax engine mounted behind the driver, a layout that was becoming increasingly competitive against traditional front-engined cars.
The 1959 title was Brabham’s first World Championship. It was also the first drivers’ championship won in a rear-engined Formula 1 car, marking an important technical shift in Grand Prix racing.
Brabham successfully defended the title in 1960 with Cooper. He later became the only driver to win the World Championship in a car bearing his own name, taking the 1966 title for Brabham.