Far from the high-tech WRC cars sliding around hairpins today, rallying cars of the 1960s were pure and honest. And none were more so than the MINI Cooper S: drivers and teams throughout Europe recognised the rally-winning potential of this little car, and was soon entered into rallies with great success, WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN.
Tuned by John Cooper the feisty red-coloured MINI Cooper S Works cars brought home a number of international victories from its first year in competition. In 1962, driven by Pat Moss (sister to the great Sir Stirling Moss), the MINI Cooper S scored its first win in the Tulip Rally. By the end of that year, the MINI Cooper S had totalled 153 rallies wins! Its first Monte Carlo Rally victory has become a classic rally legend.
The MINI Cooper S was entered into the 1964 event, and this victory sweetly summed up the character of this rally car. 1964 was an important year for rallying as a sport. Rallying was moving ahead in leaps and bounds, as a number of drivers and teams were turning professional. Manufacturers were entering as many as six full factorybacked crews in each event, and for the 1964 Monte BMW (the manufacturers of the MINI Cooper) entered six factory cars while another 24 MINIs were driven by privateers. Signed to the factory team were drivers Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk, Rauno Aaltonen and Timo Makinen.
Covering a total of 4 000km, contested by 277 crews, the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally was tougher than you can imagine. Twists and turns, the average speed for the rally was 50km/h. The MINI Cooper S Works, with 72kW of power on tap, it was able to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in 13sec. Ford Falcons, with their monstrous 4,7-litre V8 motors, were at the head of the field come the end of the first leg.
All spectators were expecting the Fords to power into the distance, but the MINI of Paddy Hopkirk was only 16sec behind the leading Ford. Over the three days of competition, the Fords were unable to stretch their advantage over the MINIs by more than 65sec.
Before the days of points and classes, crews were handicapped according to engine output. The Fords, with the biggest and most powerful motor, needed to stretch their lead not just by a few seconds, but by minutes to record a win. With small engine capacity, the MINI Cooper S incurred the least time/ handicap penalties. At the beginning of the final leg of the rally, the Ford was still in the lead, followed by a Volvo P544 and then the plucky MINI of Hopkirk.
With two iconic stages remaining, the Col de Turini and a lap of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, the Ford was looking to sew up its another Monte victory. Renowned for its tight hairpins and challenging blind corners, the Col de Turini proved to be ideal for the MINI: it closed to 17sec behind the Ford. With one stage to go Hopkirk managed to maintain the gap to the Ford, thus scoring MINI its first Monte Carlo Rally victory!
The little car immediately became not only a rally legend but a cult motoring icon. The Mini was originally conceived as an inexpensive and economical form of motoring, but the Cooper S variant proved it to be a world-beating sports car too!
Article written and supplied by EVAN ROTHMAN / HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS
Edition 87: http://rallyehq.com/handbrakes-and-hairpins/H&H-87.pdf
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Tags: 1964, 33 ejb, bmc, ford falcon, henry liddon, john cooper, mini 50, mini cooper s, monte carlo rally, paddy hopkirk, rauno aaltonen, stuart turner, the fifth beatle, timo makinen
Enjoyed your comments on the BMC works Cooper S. The good old days when a privateer could build a works replica and enter the RAC Rally. You can’t build a works replica WRC car now….just buy one years later.