CREATION RECORDS

Reborn in the nineties to faithfully evoke the sixties

“Without doubt, the cars were built with serious competition in mind”

Cooper S donor cars to the original 1960s rally spec. “Without doubt, the cars were built with serious competition in mind,” says Kingsley. “They came with an FIA logbook, a letter of authenticity from Paddy Hopkirk himself, and a fairly hefty price tag for 1991 of £21,000.”

RUNNING NUMBERS

That would be in excess of £40,000 today, but the rarity and provenance means the cars have already appreciated well beyond this. Unfortunately the whereabouts of the second is unknown, but the fourth car was a left-hand-drive model that remained in the UK, and naturally Paddy Hopkirk kept the first car of the set.

The original car from 1964 that Hopkirk and his navigator Henry Liddon crossed the line in is on display at the British Motor Museum, and it deserves to be preserved as part of rallying history. The 1964 rally was a key turning point for Mini and the future of the brand. Up against countless more powerful cars, the BMC Mini Cooper S was the clear underdog but against all predictions, including Paddy’s, they gained precious ground in snowy conditions and crossed the finish

“Kingsley’s car started out as a 1965 Morris Mini Cooper S”

beyond his passing this year. Most recently, in 2019, MINI released a Paddy Hopkirk Edition Cooper S that was limited to 100 examples in the UK out of a run of 1,500. The modern homage had a very different spec to the ’90s replicas, which were built by accomplished British Saloon Car Champion Alec Poole. To stay true to the original car, these replicas were built at BMC’s Competition Department at Abingdon and re-registered with period correct registrations. The team who worked on the 1964 winner reunited to create the magic recipe again.

Kingsley’s car started out as a 1965 Morris Mini Cooper S that was stripped down and had the entire bodyshell strengthened along with the subframes. The rear bulkhead had to be modified so the shock absorbers could be changed without having to remove the fuel tanks, and they also got a full FIA-specification rollcages and four-point harnesses to comply with modern safety regulations. Flexible Aeroquip brake hoses run inside the car to feed the front discs with Ferodo DS11 pads and rear drums with

1293 runs twin SUs and a hot cam

VG 95 linings. The brake drums and wheel cylinders are also modified following Works practices.

BIG NAMES

The 1293cc engine was built by ex-British Touring Car Champion and engine builder Richard Longman. It’s got twin 1.5” SU carburettors, 731 camshaft, a long-centre-branch exhaust manifold and Aeroquip fuel lines supplied from two five-gallon foam filled tanks. The stock Cooper S gearbox was rebuilt and fitted with new straightcut close-ratio gears, a limited-slip differential and strengthened driveshafts which all come together to give it that distinctive Works Mini sound. All of the cars were rewired by the same fitter who made the original wiring looms for the Works Competition Department at Abingdon. The exterior was finished in Mini Tartan Red, with the classic white roof and white number squares on the doors that are painted to the exact size of those on the original.

Inside, the car is built to the same impressive and accurate standards as the mechanicals and bodywork. On the driver’s side there’s a Stack tachometer, oil pressure gauge, water and oil

This Mini’s wonderful accuracy truly transcends the ages

big photoshoot at the end of the day around one of the cars, none would start – so 528 EMO took centre stage and, along with a picture of the car surrounded by legends of the Mini and rally world, Culcheth, Poole and Hopkirk all signed the roof.

The life of Kingsley’s Mini isn’t quite so glamorous now the ’60s rally scene is fading but he still takes it to classic car tours and charity events. It even gets run down to the shops if it hasn’t been out for a while. “It’s great fun to drive,” he says, “and because the engine was built with reliability in mind rather than allout speed, it’s very forgiving.”

Reminiscing on when he bought the car after a long search for a Cooper S, Kingsley said: “You know the sound the doors make when you slam them? Well, it definitely doesn’t sound like quality! So when l bought this car for somewhere around its value at the time (yes, they were expensive), l had to ask myself, ‘Are you sure about this?’”

His investment paid off, as it’s appreciated handsomely over the years, although it’s not about the monetary value. “It doesn’t matter anyway because l don’t expect to ever sell it,” he reasons. It’s in immaculate condition, and a stunning monument to ’60s rallying and Paddy Hopkirk ’s mark on the Mini legend. Hopkirk ’s memory lives on in these cars, and the enduring reputation and success of Mini.