Hopkirk won Monte Carlo in the car in 1964
Special edition honours his drive
It’s not often you’re able to take delivery of a special edition with your name on it, but that’s exactly what Northern Ireland rally driver Paddy Hopkirk has done thanks to a new Mini that bears his name and his rally number. Celebrating his 1964 win on the Monte Carlo Rally, the first of four consecutive wins there for Mini (though 1966 didn’t officially count).
“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,” said Hopkirk.
The Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition starts with a Mini Cooper S 3-door hatch and can be had with an automatic or a manual. It wears red paint like the original #37 in an exclusive colour as well as a #37 on the doors. The grille gets a big set of round driving lights, though not as big as on the original, and a white hood stripe and ‘Paddy Hopkirk Monte Carlo’ inscription complete the visual transformation.
Talking about his 1964 win, with co-pilot Henry Lidden, Hopkirk said of the event that made him a household name: “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.”
The car will be available in the UK and in America, and see below for the full interview with Hopkirk as he took delivery of the car.
