Cooper marks F3 diamond anniversary with diamond, crystal tyre

Cooper Tire has created a set of jewel-encrusted tyres to mark the diamond anniversary of Formula 3 racing in Britain, a series for which it is the current title sponsor. The tyres were made by London jeweller Freddie Keeble at FK Diamonds using both diamonds for the 60th anniversary and Swarovski crystals. They were unveiled at Silverstone during the launch of the 2011 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series, where they were bolted on to the race car of Carlin driver, Rupert Svendsen–Cook.

The 2011 season is also the 30th consecutive year that Cooper Tire and its associate brand, Avon Tyres, have acted as sole supplier to the prestigious championship.  Julian Baldwin, managing director of Cooper Tire Europe, said: “The Cooper and Avon brands have been involved in Formula 3 for half of the entire existence of the series in Britain. The diamond anniversary is huge landmark for Formula 3 and we are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with one of the most important single-seater championships in the world.”

Keeble, owner of FK Diamonds, said: “The process of setting the diamonds was certainly a little different from what we are used to doing.” In order to set the crystals and diamonds, Keeble cut the Cooper logo out of metal and then set the stones within that to ensure they would be secure. The individual lettering was then attached to the tyre with a strong adhesive.

The first round of the Cooper Tire British F3 International Series is at Oulton Park in Cheshire on 23-25 April.

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