GRAHAM ROBSON
Foreword
Introduction
The car and the team
Inspiration
The Minis importance in rallying
The Minis home ground
Facing up to rival cars
Homologation meeting the rules
Engineering features
Motorsport development, and improvements
Was the Mini unique?
Building and running the works cars
Personalities and star drivers
Competition story
The works Minis career
Past its best? Which rivals took over?
World/major European rally wins
Victories in British international rallies
Index
Features
Full detailed history of the Minis rally career
Complete story of concept, design and development
Unrivalled coverage of people and influences behind the cars
Step-by-step account of technical evolution
Description of cars: why, how and when evolved
Details of principal people involved
Packed with pictures
Comparison with rivals
Complete listing of important successes and works Minis
Description
This book describes the birth, development, and rallying career of the BMC Mini-Cooper/Mini-Cooper in the 1960s, providing a compact and authoritative history of where, when and how it became so important to the sport.
Synopsis
This is a comprehensive study of the career of one type of rally car the BMC Mini-Cooper/Mini-Cooper S. In the 1960s the Mini became famous as Britains most successful rally car. It combined superb handling, a tiny body shell, high-performance engines and the excellence of front-wheel-drive in an irresistible package. Not only this, but the works team included famous drivers like Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen and Rauno Aaltonen.
The works Minis not only won the Monte Carlo three times 1964, 1965 and 1967 along with the European Rally Championship in 1965, but also won events all over the world. Because Minis were British, and well-promoted, they became seen as giant-killers, and were the peoples favourite for many years. The car outpaced many of its rivals, and this book examines exactly who they were, and how they came to be defeated by the mighty Mini.
Even today, works Minis appear at every gathering of classic cars and in 2009, Mini celebrates its 50th birthday. Packed with over 100 photographs, this book is a fitting and timely tribute to a much-loved Rally Giant.
Additional Information
Period covered: 1961 to 1970