Paddy Hopkirk MBE

Passing of a Champion – Paddy Hopkirk MBE It is with heavy hearts that we are sharing the news with you that our very dear friend Paddy Hopkirk MBE passed away on Thursday evening. Paddy was a fantastic friend to all of us here at Mini Sport, but so much more than that, he was […]

‘Never meet your heroes’ the old adage goes, ‘they almost always disappoint you’.  I was wary of meeting Paddy Hopkirk informally as he has always been a hero of mine, from sitting in my first rally car aged 17 to the present day, his name has been synonymous with rallying and motorsport for those of […]

Over 50 years ago, the Mini established itself as a ‘must-have’ car for drivers everywhere; a massive factor in this was the success of Paddy Hopkirk as he roared to victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in his Mini Cooper S.   In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Paddy recounted that famous moment, […]

“Sometimes you have to be different to be better.” – John Cooper. To generations of people, the word ‘Mini’ is interchangeable with ‘Cooper’. Whilst the original model, designed by Alec Issigonis, fulfilled the BMC’s request for an ‘economical family car’, it was the sportier Mini Cooper that cemented the brand as a timeless icon of […]

They said that ‘it couldn’t be done’ – the little, economical car winning on one of the most difficult rally courses in the world. But it was done – 57 years ago, Paddy Hopkirk piloted his modified Mini Cooper through the slush and snow of the Alps; coming through the precarious ‘night of the long […]

Northern Irish rally driver Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hopkirk MBE is among the first of just 100 customers in the UK to receive the MINI Paddy Hopkirk Limited Edition, named in his honour to commemorate his triumph at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in the classic Morris Mini Cooper S Mk1. When asked what the special edition […]

Following a tremendous career in the world of motorsport, as the man who put the Mini on the map with his iconic Monte win back in ’64, Paddy has been in the public eye ever since. He served as the president of the BRDC for many years, is currently an ambassador for MINI & IAM […]

Husband, Father, President of the HRCR, Vice President of the BRDC, The Fifth Beatle, The Mini Legend, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire…Paddy Hopkirk has had a lot of titles but his most recent accolade celebrates a lifetime of achievement and a continuous dedication to motoring, education and cultural inclusion – and here at Mini Sport, we […]