Paddy Hopkirk’s Most Controversial Mini Cooper S Could Be Yours

In 1966 Minis absolutely monstered the Monte Carlo Rally. The BMC Mini Coopers came in first, second, and third, embarrassing the locals into the bargain. Yet, in one of the most controversial decisions in motorsports history, they were all disqualified to hand victory to French rivals Citroën.

The Minis passed initial scrutineering without a problem. Twice in fact. It was only after the final stage that the Mini Cooper’s headlights were found to be in breach of the regulations.

“They counted all the teeth on the gears in the gearbox,” Irish ace Paddy Hopkirk, who was placed third, remembered. “They took the tires off the wheels and weighed the wheels then weighed the tires separately. It was ridiculous—they couldn’t find anything wrong.”

However, a late bulletin, which was written only in French, declared that all competing cars’ headlights would need to be the same as their production counterparts. The Mini Cooper used iodine vapor single-filament bulbs, not the single-filament items that were fitted in the factory. The Automobile Club de Monaco erased the Minis from the results and promoted the Citroën DS of Pauli Toivonen to the top step of the podium

“The court of popular opinion found in BMC’s favour, with impartial onlookers around the world declaring that the Minis had been robbed,” wrote Nick Garton in a 2021 story for Autosport.

Now, the very car that Hopkirk drove in that infamous event is for sale in the U.K. Powered by the larger 1275 cc A-Series engine it went on to compete in 11 international rallies in 27 months, including the 1967 Circuit of Ireland where Hopkirk and co-driver Terry Harryman took overall victory and reclaimed their honor.

The red Cooper S, registration number GRX 5D, comes with a comprehensive history and appears to be in fabulous, slightly patinated condition. The bodywork looks mint, with period decals and four bumper-mounted spots to supplement those notorious headlamps. Inside, the Mini shows signs of its competition life with slightly worn seats and seatbelts, and faded trim. The red Dymotape labels for switchgear, dash-mounted stopwatches and trip meter and even pencil holders are all just as they would have been used by Hopkirk and co.

Currently for sale on Pistonheads for £155,000 ($210,000) the Cooper S is justly described as “unquestionably a jewel in the history of British rally history.”