Mini Cooper: the story of a legend

April 7, 2008

The life of the legendary Mini Cooper begins at the end of 40 years, when John Cooper, builder of automobiles and racing team owner dell'omonimo Formula 1, founded the Cooper Car Company, which initially built small and powerful racing machines , Developed from the model of Mini Classic.

Among them, the Mini Cooper 500, which entered the world of motor racing.

At the end of 50 years, here is to get the first rear-engined Cooper, when Ferrari, Maserati and Brm exposed yet cars with front engine.

In 1958, the new Mini Cooper with rear engine, led by Stirling Moss, won a race of the World Cup.

The 1961 was an important year for the launch of the Mini Cooper.

The new version included an increase in engine capacity, from 848 to 997cc, disc brakes front and a responsible global review.

In 1963, the new Mini Cooper won the Rally of Monte Carlo.

At the end of 1964 it, like all Mini sedan, was given suspensions Hydrolastic, and the Cooper was flanked the Sche Cooper won the Rally of Monte Carlo of 1964.

In the same year, was introduced a new version of Cooper normal, because the engine was increased to 998cc.

Moreover were created two new models, the 1.0 S Cooper and Cooper S 1.3, which won the Rally of Monte Carlo in 1965 and 1966, and 1967.

The skills demonstrated in the performance and reliability out of the conferirono certainly popularity and prestige.

In 1969, the Mini brand was made a separate but, despite the victories and the commercial success of the car, its production reached 150,000 units, was interrupted by BMC in 1971.

John Cooper also kept alive the brand Mini Cooper.

Only in 1990, the legendary car rinacque with the Rover brand, and since the demand still high, John Cooper produced many models of sport Cooper S.

Thanks to John Cooper, who died in 2000, the power of this car has come down to us so, in the current versions One, One D, Cooper, Coopers S, convertible Cooper and Cooper S convertible, edited by his son John Cooper.