The Mini legend was built off modding
The latest episode of MCM pits MOOG's classic Honda B-series-swapped JDM Mini against one of the turbocharged, late-mode, BMW-designed Mini [CLICK HERE]. We know the original Mini is a legend, and has stood as a pop culture icon since it was introduced way back in 1959 - but did you know the Mini's legend really kicked off with modifying, and a little street-racing, too?
The original Mini launched in 1959 as the British Motors Corporation's way of transporting as many people as possible, as cheaply and efficiently as possible. While American cars were bloated, giant, and promoting excess over engineering, the Mini focussed on intelligent packaging to promote the maximum occupant space in the smallest package possible.
Somehow, Sir Alec Issigonis made a vibrant little terrier of a car that offered amazing handling and performance, despite its small stature. And this captured the attention of John Cooper.
Cooper revolutionised the racing world in 1959 when his tiny Cooper F1 car won the World Driver's Championship with our own Aussie Sir Jack Brabham behind the wheel. Cooper recognised how good a tuned-up Mini could be, and eventually got the go-ahead by Issigonis and BMC to build a hot-shoe Mini, which would be called the Mini Cooper.
Pushing the 850cc Mini engine out to 997cc, with twin carburettors and front disc brakes the original 34hp Mini was now a 55hp hot rod. With the original Mini weighing less than a wet dish cloth, that gave the tiny two-door a serious set of teeth.
John Cooper had a prototype built in 1959, and he tested it in a very non-corporate way. He gave the prototype to race driver Roy Salvadori to drive to that year's Italian Grand Prix and Salvadori then engaged in a flat-out road-race with Reg Parnell who was driving an exotic Aston Martin DB4 supercar.
Salvadori turned up at Monza around an hour ahead of Parnell's big, powerful six-cylinder Aston, signalling the Mini Cooper wasn't just an economy model for inner-city running around.
The Cooper was essentially what people were doing to their own Minis in their garages, but offered from the factory and almost ready to race. This was why several Highway Patrol departments around Australia added Cooper and Cooper S Minis to their fleet of high-powered V8s.
The tiny Coopers were hugely capable and far nicer to drive as chase vehicles compared to the big V8 Falcons, Chryslers, and Holdens back in the day.
While Minis were already running aorund circuits and on streets, it wasn't until January 1964 that the Mini Cooper landed on the front page of car news everywhere. An all new Cooper S model debuted featuring an enlarged 1071cc in-line A-series four-cylinder engine with more power and sharper handling. Now it was ready to be a giant-killer!
Although the Cooper S would go on to dominate touring cars, even beating the huge 7-litre V8 Ford Galaxies, the perfect way to introduce this new road-racer was the 33rd running of the Monte Carlo rally. The race was big news as it was a stacked field, and the world's most prestigious rally.
Bo Ljundfeldt's thundering V8 Ford Falcon had dominated the rally by over a minute until the penultimate day, when the "Night of the Long Knives" changed automotive history. Climbing the snowy Col de Turini, the big, V8 Falcon struggled against the nimble, traction-rich Mini of Irish whiz Paddy Hopkirk.
By the time the field made it to Monaco, Hopkirk had overhauled the V8 Falcon and stormed home for the win. The nimbleness of the Mini, its handling and the ability to drive it flat out meant nobody could get near it, and the Monte win would start a dynasty that lasted into the 1970s.
One year later and rally legend Timo Mäkinen confirmed the previous year was no fluke, taking out the win again. The "Rally Professor" Rauno Aaltonen then brought the Mini home in the lead in 1967, but while three wins is legendary it should have been four.
Despite finishing in the lead again in 1966, organisers controversially disqualified the Minis which finished first, second and third (as well as all British cars in the top ten placings). The reason? The organisers claimed the driving lights were illegal due to the globes used.
Controversy sprung up when it was a French team driving a French car which was put in as the winners. Better was to happen in that year, though, as Minis filled nine of the top 10 places at the Bathurst 500 touring car race in Australia.
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