TGR Staff
MINI has announced the availability of the new MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition for the U.S. Available in November 2020 this limited edition MINI is inspired by the historic rally winning car and features famous starting number 37 livery with Chili Red paint and a contrast white roof and stripes.
56 years ago, a red Mini with the number 37 stunned the world when the little car took the first of three overall victories at the Monte Carlo Rally. Behind the wheel was the then 30-year-old Northern Irish rally driver Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk. Hopkirk’s victorious run in the Mini Cooper S was widely celebrated by spectators on-site and motor racing fans in the UK. Driving the small British car with his English co-pilot Henry Liddon, Hopkirk overcame the odds against competitors with significantly greater engine power.
The handicap formula in force at the time meant that differences in weight and output within the starting field were compensated to a certain extent. But the crucial factors in winning the challenging chase over country roads and mountain passes, through ice snow, around tight corners, and down steep slopes were the agility and reliability of the Mini Cooper S and the driving skill of Hopkirk.
The surprise win in Monte Carlo made Paddy Hopkirk the UK’s most famous rally driver overnight. At the same time, the classic Mini advanced from outsider and crowd-pleaser to being a true motor racing legend. This status was reaffirmed in the years that followed when the Mini Cooper S dominated the Monte Carlo Rally. Hopkirk’s Finnish teammates Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen added two more outright victories to the title collection in 1965 and 1967.
The start number 37 also appears on the side indicator elements known as side scuttles. Other unmistakable features on the exterior are the LED headlights and the rear lights in Union Jack design, stickers with the inscription “Paddy Hopkirk Monte Carlo” and a single white bonnet stripe on the driver’s side, which like the tailgate of the edition model, bears the signature of the 1964 “Monte” winner. In addition, the famous number and letter combination 33 EJB of the number plate of the 1964 Monte Carlo winning car is shown on the bonnet strip using 3D effect graphics.
Hopkirk’s signature also appears on the decorative trim strip on the passenger side, which forms part of the Piano Black high-gloss interior surfaces. Another exclusive design feature is the MINI LED entry sills bearing the name “Paddy Hopkirk”. The MINI Excitement Package and Comfort Access are also included in the MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition.
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