Current Projects - Cooper Technica Chicago

About Cooper Technica, Inc.

Cooper Technica, Inc. specializes in complete restorations of rare and valuable vintage automobiles, especially pre-war and early post-war European sports and touring cars. Cooper Technica maximizes each car's potential value with the highest standards of authentic restoration, meticulous research and historical documentation, and an emphasis on functionality.

Authenticity. Careful historical research guides our restoration work. We maximize each car's value by using original specifications, materials, and techniques whenever possible. Our goal is fidelity to the original rather than over-restoration to an imaginary ideal. At Cooper Technica, we believe restoration is best when the hand of the restorer does not show. More discussion of these points at The History of the Hand-Built Tradition and Barn Finds & Other Myths.

History and provenance. The provenance of many rare and valuable vintage cars is questionable or poorly researched. This can leave significant gaps in a car's history, which reduces the car's value. Cooper Technica devotes the time it takes to investigate, and, if possible, verify and document a car's history and provenance.

  • For the 1927 Bugatti Type 35B, we helped our client obtain books on the car's race history. These books include original records and photographs that had been compiled by the car's original owner.
  • For the 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C2500, we tracked down and purchased the car's original award certificate from the 1948 Mille Miglia.

Functionality. These cars are a marriage of art and function. Without both of these elements, they fail. Because we make sure all systems and components function properly, our clients have confidence that the restored car can actually be driven—not just idled up to the podium to receive an award. Sometimes this involves subtle modifications for today's gasoline and driving conditions, which may include hardened valve seats (for unleaded fuel), modern paint technology, modern rubber compounds (tires and seals), and upgraded wiring and electrical. Decisions about these modifications are made in consultation with our clients and are discreetly crafted with an eye to maintaining the car's value.

Capabilities. David Cooper directs each step of the restoration and does much of the mechanical and assembly work himself. Typically, the disassembly, evaluation, research, complete mechanical and electrical restoration, and reassembly take place at Cooper Technica's Chicago facility. Here we make every effort to restore vintage parts. If replacement parts are necessary and originals are unavailable, we fabricate quality restoration parts in our own in-house machine shop. Other work, such as sheet metal body panel restoration (both steel and aluminum), preparation and paint, or interior and convertible top restoration is subcontracted to elite specialist artisans in both the United States and Europe.

About David Cooper. David Cooper founded Cooper Technica, Inc. in 1989 after several years of rebuilding cars for fellow vintage racers. Cooper honed his restoration skills during an eleven-year apprenticeship with master craftsman, engineer and inventor, Leonard Morrison (1935-2002). Cooper is a trained machinist and fabricator, overseeing all aspects of restoration and assembly from his Chicago workshop. Over the past twenty-one years, Cooper has had the privilege of restoring many extraordinary automobiles. >> Read More

About the Website. The homepage poster image is an homage to Geo Ham, one of the great vintage automobile poster artists. The car is a 1937 Delage D8-120 Aérosport Coupe, and is one of our current projects. Art by David Ditzler from an original concept by David Cooper. Website design and construction by Swartwerk Media Design, Inc. Photography by David Cooper, Richard Marin, Simon Clay, Ken Toda and David Ditzler.

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