Paddy Hopkirk’s new Mini has, quite literally, got his name on it. It’s one of 100 cars built to honour the Northern Irish rally driver’s exploits at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.
The Mini Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition is based on the Mini Cooper S Hatch, but features the 1964 car’s famous number 37 on the doors and side scuttles. Other exterior features include Paddy Hopkirk Monte Carlo stickers and a single white bonnet stripe, which features the ‘33 EJB’ number plate from the victorious Mini Cooper S.
Hopkirk’s signature appears on the decorative trim strip on the passenger side, while the Paddy Hopkirk LED door entry sills should leave you in no doubt that you own a car named in honour of a rally legend.
Further upgrades include 17-inch John Cooper Works light-alloy wheels, high-gloss black exterior accents and a motorsport-inspired Alcantara John Cooper Works steering wheel.
It costs £27,405, which makes it the most expensive variant of the Mini Cooper S Hatch. It actually pitches it against a full-fat John Cooper Works model.
‘A wonderful job’
Having taken delivery of his new car, Paddy Hopkirk, now 87, said: “I’m so flattered to have a Mini named in my honour. Motorsport is long behind me now and for my win at the Monte Carlo Rally to be remembered in this way is a great thrill and honour.
“The designers at Mini have done a wonderful job. They’ve got a lot of the features on it just like the classic Mini I took to victory, with the number 37, the bonnet stripe and the colours – it reminds me of my very lucky days and wonderful memories.”
The Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time in January 1964. Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hopkirk and his co-driver Henry Liddon caused a major upset, with the small and lightweight Mini producing a proper ‘David and Goliath’ performance against larger and more powerful rivals.
Hopkirk crossed the finish line just 17 seconds off the pace set by Bo Ljungfeldt in the V8-powered Ford Falcon. However, the handicap formula meant the Mini led the way in the overall standings, with Hopkirk defending his advantage in the sprint through the streets of Monte Carlo.
‘Everybody wanted to win the Monte Carlo Rally’
Reminiscing about the Monte Carlo Rally and his win, Paddy added: “Everybody wanted to win the Monte Carlo Rally, it was a very glamorous event, so when I joined the British Motor Corporation and the Mini came along it surprised the world. It became a David and Goliath with the might of the other car manufacturers spending a fortune to try and win the event.
“We were beaten by the big American cars down the straights, but we would beat them on the twisty bits! For the Mini to win against really powerful cars, showed just how good it was – it made the car famous.”
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